General Motors Inspires Fashion Students from Driveway to Runway

GM and International Academy of Design and Technology kick off 2008 GM Student Design Competition at the Chicago Auto Show

2008-02-08, CHICAGO – Today a group of young fashion designers will take a sneak peek at General Motors’ new production vehicles and concept cars at the 2008 Chicago Auto Show as GM and the International Academy of Design and Technology (IADT) kick off their sixth year as partners in the annual GM Student Design Competition.

Themed “Couture to the People,” more than 50 IADT fashion design students will visit the GM exhibit on February 8, during the first public day of the Chicago Auto Show. As they walk the GM exhibit, located in the McCormick Place North Hall, they will begin sketching garment designs inspired by five featured GM vehicles.

The highlighted GM vehicles for 2008 include:

* Chevrolet Malibu: The all-new, recently voted 2008 North American Car of the Year, represents the new face of Chevrolet while offering a stylish, uncompromising package.

* HUMMER HX Concept: The vision of an agile, trail-ready, open-air vehicle that fits the lifestyles of everyone who needs or wants to drive off road

* Pontiac G8 GT: Balances rear-wheel drive and V-8 power representing another step in Pontiac ’s commitment to its performance DNA

* Saturn Astra: The all-new 2008 vehicle which brings a decidedly European flavor to the North American compact car market.

* Saab Turbo X: Introduces innovative Saab Cross Wheel Drive (XWD) all-wheel drive technology.

“Fashion continues to inspire automotive design,” said David G. Lyon, Director of General Motors Interior Design. “The GM Student Design Competition is a great opportunity for us and I look forward to seeing the student’s fashion interpretations of some of our newest vehicle designs."

After taking away their first impressions of the vehicles from the auto show, the students will continue to sketch and produce the garments during the next two months. Five winning designs will be selected and showcased at Imagine 2008, an annual fashion show produced by IADT and sponsored by General Motors. The fashion show will take place on May 15 at Chicago’s Union Station. Each student winner will receive a $500 cash award from GM.

“Many of the same principals and trends that influence fashion design are seen in automotive design,” said Kathleen Embry, Dean, School of Design Studies for IADT. “The opportunity to collaborate with General Motors and explore design from a different perspective has been invaluable to our students.”

About General Motors
General Motors Corp. (NYSE: GM), the world’s largest automaker, has been the annual global industry sales leader for 77 years. Founded in 1908, GM today employs about 274,000 people around the world. With global headquarters in Detroit, GM manufactures its cars and trucks in 35 countries. In 2007, nearly 9.37 million GM cars and trucks were sold globally under the following brands: Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, GMC, GM Daewoo, Holden, HUMMER, Opel, Pontiac, Saab, Saturn, Vauxhall and Wuling. GM’s OnStar subsidiary is the industry leader in vehicle safety, security and information services. More information on GM can be found at www.gm.com.

About IADT
Located in downtown Chicago, IADT is an accredited, four-year college that offers bachelor and associate degrees in a variety of disciplines based on a strong heritage in fashion and an expanding emphasis on high technology education.

Source: General Motors

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