NEW YORK, Sep 7, 2017/ FW/ — Alyssa Wardrop, a recent graduate of the Fashion Institute of Technology has been named winner of the 2017 SUPIMA Design Competition. For her win, Wardrop received a check for $10,000 from Supima to kick-start her design career. Additionally, Alyssa will present her collection during Paris Fashion Week on Sept. 26.

“Treating the rectangular, white silhouette like my blank canvas, I create new moments by using paint, heavy topstitching, layering fabrics, and creating texture,” explained Alyssa when asked what was the inspiration of her winning collection.

Started in 2008, the annual Supima Design Competition was created to give runway exposure to emerging talent and was modeled on the legendary 1954 Wool Secretariat competition that launched the careers of the then-teenaged Yves St. Laurent and Karl Lagerfeld. Since its start, former Supima Design Competition winners have gone on to launch their own labels, show at New York Fashion Week, and secure jobs with top international labels including Michael Kors, Marchesa, Ralph Lauren and Phillip Lim.

Photos courtesy of SUPIMA