Winning designs from this contest will be published in a printed FUTURE FASHION FOLIO, which will be distributed to the members of Costume-Con 27. Some of the designs published in the FOLIO will be chosen by models, made up, and presented in a live FASHION SHOW on May 3, 2009 at Costume-Con 27. You do not have to be a member of Costume-Con 27 to enter this design contest. You DO have to be a member if you want to participate in the FASHION SHOW.

THANK YOU to Fran Evans, who wrote the basic Design Contest Rules template that we used as a springboard for writing these rules.

DESIGN CONTEST RULES

1. All designs must be ORIGINAL IDEAS. You can draw your design on a traced figure or have someone else draw it for you, but the idea itself must be original. If someone other than the designer is drawing the design, please give them credit on the back of the design. Please be neat.

2. All designs must be on 8.5" by 11" (or A4) sheets of paper. (We would prefer white.) Detail work or back views may be put on extra sheets.

3. DO NOT SEND US ORIGINAL ARTWORK. All designs should be photo-copies or any other clear, non-smudging reproduction.

4. You may--in fact, we encourage you to--submit your designs in color. But we MUST have a black and white line copy of your design for reproduction in the Fashion Folio. This means black ink on white 8.5" by 11" paper. Please make sure your black and white copy is clean and will reproduce well.

5. If you color your design, DO NOT use anything that requires spray fixative, or may smear, smudge, stick, or flake off on other people's drawings.

6. Number entries consecutively on the back in the upper right hand corner. Example: If you submit 4 designs, they will be numbered as follows - #1 of 4, #2 of 4, etc. Your black and white set should be labeled B/W #1 of 4, etc. If a single design has multiple sheets, they should be numbered a, b, c, etc. (so if your design #13 takes 4 pages, they should be 13a, 13b, 13c, and 13d).

7. Your name and address MUST be marked clearly on the back of EACH AND EVERY design sheet submitted, NOT just on the envelope or just one of the entries.

8. If you are a first-time designer, please indicate this on the back of EACH of your design sheets.

9. If you are a designer 12 years of age or under, please indicate this on the back of EACH of your design sheets.

10. If you wish to reserve designs for yourself or friends to be made up for the Fashion Show if they win, please mark “RESERVED BY DESIGNER” on the back of those designs.

11. Please identify the source of your inspiration (if any) on the back of the design: book, poem, movie, TV, or your own imagination.

12. Please let us know what category you think your design should be in, sportswear, bridal, etc. You can include design details, fabric suggestions, and colors if you want. The Folio Director and the Judges do reserve the right to shift the category of a design if necessary. (This sometimes happens in heavily entered categories to give more designs a chance to win.)

13. Enter as many designs as you wish and as often as you wish, PRIOR TO THE DEADLINE OF October 1, 2008. Designs must be IN OUR HANDS (not just postmarked) by that date.

14. Your designs will not be returned unless you request it and have also included a BIG ENOUGH SASE with SUFFICIENT POSTAGE on it, with your designs.

15. By submitting your designs to Costume-Con you agree to the non-profit use and publication of said designs by Costume-Con, prior to and during the run of the convention, also their reproduction in the Fashion Show. All rights revert back to the designer after the convention.

Additionally, designers having designs made up for the Fashion Show will be contacted by representatives of the Costume-Con.org website and the Costume-Con Archives for permission to display their design sketches next to photos of the finished products from the Fashion Show. These permissions are optional but highly encouraged so visitors to the Costume-Con website or the Costume-Con Archives will better understand the transition from Folio design winner to Fashion Show display piece.

SPECIAL CATEGORIES:

Cash prizes will be given in the following special categories:

1. VAMPIRES, VILLAINS, and VIXENS (sponsored by Ricky and Karen Dick): can be your interpretations of these archetypes here on Earth, or on some distant planet. Do your own interpretation of costumes from your favorite genre book or movie featuring these types of characters, or make up clothing from a culture of your own invention.

2. REDESIGN YOUR FAVORITE ANIME CHARACTER (sponsored by Karen Dick): You know what your favorite characters wear in that anime you love, but what do YOU think they should wear when they're out of uniform (or when they get drafted into the military), or on that special  date, or going to that themed costume party?

3. CLOSED LOOP CLOTHING (sponsored by Gypsy Ames): What to wear when you live in a closed-loop system (such as a big space station), and new materials and supplies are not really an option? In the closed-loop system, everything is reused, recycled and remanufactured. So the challenge is to design new clothing for any occasion that is fashionable, functional and feasible from recycled materials. The materials can include plastics, paper, recycled denim or other used clothing and textiles, metals and anything else that has had a former life before being turned into a new outfit. Use of new findings and notions such as thread or zippers is acceptable.

(If anyone else would like to sponsor a special category, please contact Folio Director Karen at the address below, or email Karen at castleb@pulsenet.com

SUBMIT DESIGNS BY 10/1/08 TO: