Rachel Zoe poses with the student designers backstage at Supima Competition. (Photo : Fashion & Style)

Eight student designers competed in Supima's Design Competition. The cotton brand partnered with America's leading design schools: Fashion Institute of Technology, Pratt Institute, Rhode Island School of Design, and Savannah College of Art and Design.  Each school nominated two of its top graduating seniors to compete for a $10,000 cash prize.

The designers had to rethink familiar fabric conventions and what they produced were stunning high quality garments. The beautiful capsule collections were showcased at Lincoln Center.

Rachel Zoe hosted the competitive fashion show. "How amazing was that. I am very impressed," said the renowned celebrity stylist. Before the show began, Zoe was backstage encouraging the designers and praising their work.  "I really want to wear a lot of it - I'm just saying," Zoe said before announcing the winner: Kate Wilkoff of Pratt Institute.  Wilkoff  won the cash prize to use toward her career goals - her own eveningwear firm. The designer was inspired by architecture and that is affected by natural deconstruction processes, such as rust and decay.  Her five-piece collection featured evening gowns with a structured twist. A cap-sleeved deconstructed jersey gown and strapless multi-layered gown with petal skirt and train really showed off her amazing talent.

All paricipants used Supima cotton fabrics.  The other finalists include, Meredith Lyon of Pratt,  Yvonne Luong and Kyle Phillip Edmund Pearson of the Fashion Institute of Technology, Abigail Glass and Jacqueline Seifert of Rhode Island School of Design, and Eduardo Labohemia Calvo and Natalia Yepes of Savannah College of Art and Design.

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