News and Media

Published: Dec 27, 2011

SAVANNAH, Georgia - SCAD fashion senior Eduardo Calvo has won the Grand Prize of $10,000 in Lifetime Television's first Project Runway Scholarship Challenge.

"It's a massive honor having ranked first amongst possibly thousands of other talented young designers nationwide," Calvo said. "It's a huge opportunity for industry employers to recognize the tremendous potential SCAD fashion students possess."

Contestants were challenged to create designs that answer the question, "If a Lifetime movie was made about your life, what would your character be wearing and why?" Participants were required to submit three sketches, describe the materials and construction process of the garments, and write an essay describing the major themes in their movie and how they'd affect their looks and clothing.

"It was a challenge to exemplify my whole design aesthetic in just a few looks," Calvo said. "Just like an 'elevator pitch,' I had to communicate my entire vision to the judging panel within a few seconds worth of visuals. This victory is the result of hours of research and editing."

Seth Aaron Henderson, season seven winner of "Project Runway," reviewed the challenge's entries and selected Calvo as the grand-prize winner, along with five other scholarship recipients. Winners will use their prize money in their pursuit of a college degree and to support their dreams of becoming a designer.

"Although it's tremendously satisfying to have this achievement under one's belt, by no means can one rest assured," Calvo said. "As a designer, a lesson learned is that fashion is forever fickle, and what works today may not agree with tomorrow's zeitgeist. This discipline commands constant questioning and rediscovering if you want to stay afloat."