Caleb Hill of Canada wins Care to Air Design Challenge

Fashion

Caleb Hill of Canada wins Care to Air Design Challenge

A panel of five eco-innovator judges determined that the winner of Levi Strauss & Co.`s Care to Air Design Challenge was “Nothing Is What It Seems” by designer Caleb Hill of Canada, based on its ingenuity, environmental sustainability, aesthetics and scalability. Levi Strauss & Co. launched the “Care to Air” Design Challenge on June 1st to find innovative, covetable and sustainable ways for people to air dry their clothes. After just two months, nearly 140 designs from around the world were submitted for the chance to win up to $10,000 in prizes – and change the way people think about line drying. The winning design, “Nothing Is What It Seems,” combines art and function to create an environmentally friendly and aesthetically pleasing way to dry clothes. Designer Caleb Hill from Winnipeg, Manitoba, created a unique design that uses a work of art to masquerade a drying rack, which unfolds easily to dry a full load of laundry. The proposed design will be made of salvaged wood and hemp rope. The runner-up in the “Care to Air” design challenge is “The Evaporation Station” by Jeff Munie and Marlow Baca of the United States, which uses a series of nested stainless steel racks. Meant for urban dwellers with limited space, “The Evaporation Station” can be easily mounted on any wall and attractively displayed when not in use. On August 16, 2010 in San Francisco, at the Levi`s Workshop in the Mission, each of the six finalists presented their clothes drying design solutions via video presentation (which can be viewed at www.levi.com/care) and participated in a Q&A session with a panel of eco-innovator judges. The panel of judges included David Bolotsky, founder and CEO, UncommonGoods; Paul Bradley, executive creative director, Frog Design; Zem Joaquin, founder and CEO, Eco-Fabulous; Eric Ryan, co-founder and chief brand architect, Method Home; and Doug Sweeny, vice president of marketing, The Levi`s Brand. The Levi`s “Care to Air” contest accepted submissions via its partner Myoo Create, an online crowd-sourcing platform, from June 1 – July 31, 2010 and were narrowed down to six finalists in early August. Three finalists were chosen by the Myoo online community (Inertion Power [Ukraine], LeviTower [Lithuania] and the Strauss Spin `n Dry [U.S.A.] and three were selected for their fulfillment of the judging criteria (Hang Anywhere + Aria [U.S.A.], the Evaporation Station [U.S.A.] and Nothing is What it Seems [Canada]). The contest also recognized two top community contributors, Dr. Russ Hornstein and Luft, for their positive role in improving submitted designs. Myoo Create hosts competitions that allow mass collaboration in pursuit of a better future. Anyone could participate in this open competition by submitting their own design, contributing feedback on designs or voting for their favorite. The “Care to Air” contest is the latest initiative from Levi Strauss & Co. designed to engage with consumers about how simple changes in caring for clothes can help the environment. Earlier this year, the company launched the “Care Tag for Our Planet” campaign, changing the product care tags in Levi`s jeans to include instructions about ways consumers can reduce the environmental impact of their clothes after leaving the store.

Levi Strauss & Co

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