| Saturday 20 December 2008 |
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San Jose resident wins contest to design gown for Mariah
A big coup for a fashion designer is to have a celebrity wear his or her creations on the red carpet. And for an unknown designer, it could be the few seconds needed to launch a career. Julian Contreras of San Jose is hoping for just that after a sketch of a gown he created for Grammy-award singer Mariah Carey was selected by Carey as the grand prize winner in a contest that drew 4,023 entries.
Contreras' sketch will be transformed into a dress and worn by Carey at an event early next year, said Ashley Futak, a spokeswoman for Brickfish, a social media marketing company that sponsored the contest.
"Being a designer has always been my dream since I was 5 years old," said Contreras, 20, a Lincoln High School graduate and fashion student at the Academy of Art University in San Francisco. "I just can't believe I won."
Contestants were asked to create a dress that would incorporate Carey's new fragrance, Luscious Pink, and the singer's signature butterfly logo. Contreras drew a form-fitting, mauve pink gown with an asymmetrical shoulder strap decorated with a sparkling pin. Carey last week raved about it on "Entertainment Tonight".
"It's a really, really great design," she said, while pointing to the sketch on the show. "I love a one-shoulder and I love the brooch here and how it's drapey on the top." The grand prize means the Luscious Pink dress Contreras created will be made three times: once for the singer to wear, once for Contreras to keep in his own collection, and once as an auction item at a benefit for Susan G. Komen for the Cure breast cancer awareness.
"I wanted to design something that would show off her figure and enhance her curves," said Contreras, who still lives in San Jose. He said it wasn't yet clear when Carey would wear the dress, but it's expected to be completed in the next three months. (San Jose Mercury News)
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