Whispirit’s edgy orange collage jacket The Fire Nymph was selected by the jury at the Western Design Conference in Jackson, Wyoming last Friday as the Best Art in Wearable Art Design. We were awarded a blue ribbon and $1000 prize (thank you to the Bank of the West). We learned that The Fire Nymph was the unanimous choice of the six member jury. Several jury members told us that they loved the jacket design and that we also made our own fabric.
The Western Design Conference is a big event in the Western design fashion world. We are honored to have been juried into the last two years and were stunned to win in this very competitive category.
The Conference kicked off with a wonderful fashion show featuring 22 different designers and numerous volunteer models. Our own great pal Stella Evensen modeled a jacket we designed just for her. She and each of the models – Elizabeth Grey, Nancy Fauntleroy, Roni’Belle Eastman, Jill Gui – were fantastic. Our models walked to Joyce Cooling’s jazzy “This Girl’s Gotta Play.” Thanks to all the models and special thanks to Laura Fambro-Cook, her boundless energy and her great team.
The following three days brought lots of visitors to our booth. Old friendships renewed and new friendships begun. We particularly enjoy the connections this forum allows with artists across many creative mediums. The world of imagination and its artful expression is thrilling and inspiring.
A day of hiking in The Grand Tetons helped bring us back to earth. We are exhilarated and exhausted as we begin our long drive back to New Mexico, Lee driving and me writing this blog with great jazz playing in the background.
A huge thank you to Allison Merritt, and her very special team of Jim, Sosha, Molly, and others too numerous to name who pull this event off. It is a special gathering you create and we are honored to be part of it.
Off to New Mexico! Sandy
