News:


The Impressions Awards Go High Fashion

A delicately embroidered dress takes the Grand Champion award in our prestigious, 36th annual apparel decorating competition.

By Marcia Derryberry, Editor in Chief


First place — “Queen Lidya” by Gelisim Tekstil, Istanbul; gelisimtekstil.com.tr.
March 12, 2015

It’s always thrilling to see which designs take top honors in our annual Impressions Awards apparel decorating competition. And this year, we were all surprised when a high-fashion dress — custom made for the competition — and its intricate embroidery work was submitted for the contest. We knew it was something special, and it ended up taking top honors, including the People’s Choice Award, which included votes from attendees at the 2014 Fort Worth Imprinted Sportswear Shows (ISS) event held this past September in Fort Worth, Texas.

There’s always something new to see when the Impressions Awards competition stages, and this year was no exception. From screen printed production pieces to detailed embroidered items and unique digitally decorated entries, the submissions collectively offered an array of unique and fashionable designs from all of the apparel decorating processes. This year marked the 36th year of the Impressions Awards, and it represents our latest showcase of the industry’s best designs from decorators of all sizes and experience levels. The entries were judged at ISS Fort Worth.

The Grand Champion winner was Gelisim Tekstil, Istanbul. Combining intricate detailing with an innovative use of detailed allover embroidery, the entry, “Queen Lidya,” is an excellent example of this industry’s top-notch capabilities.

We were again pleased to see the increased number of first-time decorators entering the competition, with some even gaining top honors. We also were glad to see so many different innovative decorating techniques being used. The creative drive of all the contestants, combined with the array of categories for different processes, means everyone had a shot at winning an award.


A victory in the Impressions Awards competition is just the beginning for the designs featured in this issue. In addition to coverage in our January print, digital and mobile app editions, we’ll showcase all of the winners at every ISS event this year — in six different regions of the country.

Additionally, we’ll be presenting the 2014 winners in our Impressions Awards & Design Galleries, located online at
impressionsmag.com, throughout 2015. We also will present additional 2014 Impressions Awards entries in the galleries as an opportunity for decorators whose designs did not make the winners’ podium to get much-deserved kudos for hard work and excellent design execution.

It’s never too early to start thinking about this year’s competition. We’ll have the official entry form available on our website in May, but if you are interested in entering early, please contact Associate Editor Lauren Mitchell at lauren.mitchell@emeraldexpo.com for more information.

Congratulations to the winners and thanks to all who entered last year. We’re proud to showcase the talent and creativity this innovative industry has to offer.

Please see the attached PDF to view the award winners. — J.B.


More News