THE TEEN FASHION INNOVATORS SEARCH BEGINS AT A CITY NEAR YOU!

Contact:
Devra Pransky
The Art Institutes
(412) 995-7685 – dpransky@aii.edu

Or

Tammie Rosen
Rubenstein Communications, Inc.
(212) 843-8008 - trosen@rubenstein.com

PITTSBURGH — The search is on! The Art Institutes and ELLEgirl magazine are looking for high school seniors who dream about a career in fashion to enter the ‘Teen Fashion Innovators Search’ and vie for $230,000 in scholarships.

At each of the 16 participating Art Institute locations across North America, high school seniors can attend events to learn more about the ‘Teen Fashion Innovators Search’ and how to enter. To find out about upcoming events at your local Art Institute, visit: www.artinstitutes.edu/teenfashion.

One national winner in Fashion Design and one in Fashion Marketing & Merchandising will be selected to receive full tuition scholarships, each worth more than $30,000, to study at The Art Institute school of their choice.

To enter, students must be a high school senior scheduled to graduate in 2006. In the Fashion Design category, each entry will feature an original design by the student in the form of a finished garment or accessory. In the Fashion Marketing & Merchandising category, a finished product or plan must be submitted.

The Teen Fashion Innovator competition is a collaboration between The Art Institutes and ELLEgirl magazine to encourage young design talent.

“Design classes in high schools have become career incubators, giving students the opportunity to hone in on what they’re most interested in, whether it’s fashion design, patternmaking or textile design,” said Bruce Dempsey, Assistant Vice President of Academic Affairs for The Art Institutes. “From there they can grow that interest at design school, and turn that passion and hard work into a successful and rewarding career.”

In addition to winning full scholarships, the grand prize-winning students will attend the February 2006 New York Fashion Week with ELLEgirl editors, as well as be featured on the pages of the magazine.

According to Christina Kelly, Editor-in-Chief of ELLEgirl, “At ELLEgirl, we recognize that great design has to start somewhere, and for many young men and women, that passion is nurtured right in high school.”


Entries must be submitted by November 11, 2005 to the participating Art Institute of your choice. Entries must include an entry form, high school transcript with a minimum GPA of 2.0, short essay, finished product or plan and either a process book of the design or written description of the fashion marketing plan.

Full details on the competition and entry requirements are available at www.artinstitutes.edu/teenfashion.


About The Art Institutes:
The Art Institutes system of 31 education institutions (www.artinstitutes.edu/teenfashion) located throughout North America provide an important source for design, media arts, fashion and culinary professionals. The Art Institutes system of schools has provided career-oriented education programs for more than 40 years.

About ELLEgirl:
ELLEgirl, the international style bible for girls who dare to be different, is published by Hachette Filipacchi Media U.S., Inc., and is accessible on the web at. www.ELLEgirl.com. ELLEgirl ranked in Adweek’s 2005 The Hot List, 10 under 50, and ELLEgirl.com was recently listed in Media Metrix as one of the top ten teen sites, International editions include ELLEgirl United Kingdom, ELLEgirl South Korea, ELLEgirl Holland, ELLEgirl Quebec, ELLEgirl Taiwan, ELLEgirl Japan, ELLEgirl Russia, ELLEgirl France, ELLEgirl Germany and ELLEgirl China.