WGSN Contest Winner: Dylan Cao

Meet Dylan Cao, a BFA Fashion Design sophomore, winner of the Fall 2011 WGSN Trend Spotting Contest.

Dylan comes from a family of artists and has taken an interest in art since the young age of three. Before attending Parsons, he attended a Visual Arts High School in Vietnam. We spoke to Dylan about his initial interest in the contest, and what inspired him in starting the project.

Dylan’s new friend and classmate, Julie, has been an inspiration with her quirky style, and deep knowledge of textiles. He looked at the way she plays with layered color combinations in her daily style coming to class. You can see a close-up of one of her looks in the top right corner of his project pages below.

The NY Trend Spotting course was an elective for this fashion design student, and one he is glad he took! His typical design style can be described as “clean and simple.” The elective taught him how to be observant in a new way;  it is not just about looking at what you personally are drawn to.  Dylan opened up his eyes to the quirky style of not only Julie, but to art, and the street style of mixing and matching prints and texture where the “Urban Tribalism” theme emerged.  Dylan explains that the project allowed him to break out of his comfort zone and look at texture, color, and form in different ways that may impact his work in the future.

One of the final judges from the global trend forecasting company WGSN remarked, “Dylan’s trend report is a well-structured analysis prefaced with a mood board that clearly illustrates his overarching message. His abstract and whimsical composition of images and text take the reader on a visual odyssey through the trend, yet maintains careful design and balance. The text is concise and well written with evidence of his fashion terminology and knowledge while the images-specifically his street shots-are imaginative, professional, and subject-driven.”

Dylan’s project (partial) is titled, “Urban Tribalism,” has won him an internship at WGSN and a cash scholarship prize.  Congratulations to Dylan Cao, and, as only a sophmore, his name will be one to watch.