This time two years ago I was at school getting real nervous for a student design competition I’d be in later that evening. (Turns out I won it, but of course I didn’t know that at the time.) For the first round of the competition, about 12 of us student designers had to create a Comcast-inspired outfit and a regular outfit. The Comcast-inspired outfit was because that’s who was sponsoring the competition. (If you’re not familiar with Comcast, think: phone, Internet and cable.) Someone appliqued a computer mouse onto a gown, someone had the comcast logo printed on fabric and made a dress out of that, someone used Comcast’s signature black, red and white colors. What did I do? I went with a 1950′s housewife theme. It seems really bizarre, I know. But I came across all of the research and sketches I did for it a few weeks ago and it reminded me that my original inspiration was a vintage phone…which led to a housewife using a vintage phone…I honestly don’t remember exactly how everything came together (I was very sleep-deprived in those days), but I ended up making a white button up blouse, a pleated skirt and an apron.

I must have gone to 10 different Goodwill-type stores for all those computer mouse devices.

After the photo above was taken, it got narrowed down to 5 student designers, and then at the next competition the winner was announced. I got $300 and an opportunity to show a collection at Seattle Fashion week. It was such an incredible experience.

Well, seeing as how it is exactly 2 years after that first competition, I have been asked to come back and be a judge for the 2011 Comcast Student Designer Competition. I am beyond excited to be sitting down the entire time, sipping on a Cosmo and judging the designs coming down the runway instead of being the one who is judged.

Click here to see more information about Seattle Fashion Week and the Comcast Student Designer Competition! And, as always, stay tuned for pictures from tonight’s event!