The competition was fierce— 65 Ryerson School of Fashion students competing to have their leather jacket chosen as the winner of the 2010 Danier Design Challenge. The fact that none of the top three contestants had ever worked with leather before made their achievement especially impressive.
John Hillifer, 28-year-old B.C native, won the $5,000 prize and the chance to have his design sold in Danier stores this coming fall. This young guy is an inspiration for all of you young designers who hope to make it big.
“His conviction becomes apparent as he shows his design– it shows that he has thought about his design in three dimensions. The jacket features a collar, which looks terrific both open and closed as well as a unique pocket concept.”
Along with the public, a panel of judges, which included Jeanne Beker, Ryerson Fashion chair Robert Ott, stylist George Antonopoulos and Globe & Mail style writer Tiyana Grulovic, chose the winning design.
