NCAD Design graduate 2013 wins SDC international competition

Rachel White, graduate of Textile Design 2013 has just won the prestigious Society of Dyers and Colourists international competition

Rachel White, a Textiles Design graduate from the National College of Art and Design in Dublin, Ireland has been announced as the winner of the SDC International Design Competition 2013 at a prestigious awards evening held in Mumbai, India.

Rachel, aged 23, was chosen over the other finalists representing Australia, Hong Kong, India, UK, Pakistan, Singapore, Thailand, Bangladesh and South Africa. All entries had to show evidence of using colour as an integral component of the design process as well as incorporating some aspect of this year’s theme of ‘fashion for the future’. Rachel’s work, entitled ‘Raw Colour’, showed a real understanding of the brief as well as innovative use of colour.

Rachel commented:  "I am absolutely thrilled to have been awarded first place in the Grand Final of the SDC International Design Competition 2013. Winning the Veronica Bell Trophy, in such an inspiring location is a great honour.  A huge thank you to the SDC and everyone involved who helped make the occasion such a success.

My travels to India have been a wonderful discovery of new and exciting visual information, which I know will influence my future work. I have also had the opportunity to meet ten very talented designers, from all over the world and I am confident our contact will continue.
I would like to send a massive thanks to the staff of the Fashion and Textiles Department of the National College of Art and Design, Dublin, Ireland. Their endless guidance and support have really helped me develop an extensive skill set.

The SDC is about expanding into new areas of coloration. I feel my project has the potential to explore many avenues, with an endless list of possible colour applications."

Rachel goes home with the £1,000 cash prize and the Veronica Bell trophy. The trophy is in honour of the late Dr Veronica Bell, (an SDC past-president) to acknowledge excellence in the field of colour and design.

Rachel is a recent graduate from the National College of Art and Design, Dublin, where she was awarded a First Class Honours Degree in the four year B. Design (Hons) degree course, specialising in Embroidered Textiles.  Her work combines areas of textile applied art, textile design, product design and graphic design.