Fashion Design senior Gretchen Harris of Wilmette, Ill., won a $1,000 at the recent Fashion Group International (FGI) Red Carpet Scholarship for the design of her luscious chocolate taffeta, leather and lace ball gown. 

Designed as part of her Collection I course, the dress was inspired by equestrian horse saddles and made with brown/black taffeta with black lace and a leather corset. The dress features a corset that sits mid-bust right above the cartridge pleating and has many different pieces to it complementing a horse saddle.

“This scholarship means a lot to me, and I am actually sending the money home to my mom,” said Harris.  “It has meant the world to me that they [her family] support everything I do and want to be.”

Fellow fashion design students Julia Wallner and Lourdes Cisneros Madrigal also competed in the FGI Scholarship.

The FGI Red Carpet scholarship competition was held April 7 at Moore College of Art and Design. Philadelphia University students competed against students from Moore, Albright College, Drexel University, the Art Institute of Philadelphia and the University of Delaware.