Making it work: Panthers win big at Miami Design-Mix 2010

Laura Jimenez, Jenny Valencia, Omar Luis De Leon, model Irina Rodriguez, WCBS-TV chief meteorologist and event emcee Lonnie Quinn, Resource 4 Floors VP Debby Lundy, model Antonella Nakfour, Lauren Shepard, Paula Villarroel and Veronica Paredes.

Students from FIU’s Department of Interior Design walked away winners when they received the award for the Most Outrageous outfit at this year’s Miami Design-Mix, an annual event that provides scholarships to students from interior design programs at FIU, American Intercontinental University, Miami-Dade College and the Miami University of Art and Design.

Challenged with creating an outfit from materials provided by local sponsor Resource 4 Floors, Panthers took on the challenge to design a wedding dress and bridesmaid outfit from materials that included carpeting, plastic baseboards and architectural floor plans.

“We are truly blessed with exceptionally talented students,” said Interior Design Department Chairperson Janine King. Students on this year’s winning team included, Lauren Shepard, Paula Villarroel, Veronica Paredes, Jenny Valencia, Omar Luis De Leon and Laura Jimenez.

“Of course we were nervous,” said Shepard, president of the FIU Student Chapter of IIDA. “There we were competing against professional design firms and we wanted to make our sponsors proud by creating an outfit that would be beautiful and wow the professional designers in the audience.”