HP and Intel Technology Marries Art and Technology, Transforming Designers’ Inspiration Into Striking Garments on Lifetime Television’s Hit Series
PALO ALTO, CA–(Marketwire – Sep 13, 2012) – HP (NYSE: HPQ) showcased the powerful integration of technology and fashion with the return of a special design challenge from HP and Intel, which aired tonight on Lifetime Television’s hit show “Project Runway,” and took designers on a journey back to their cultural roots.
This season’s HP and Intel Pattern Making episode focused on celebrating the extraordinary diversity among the group of designers whose backgrounds range from a self-taught designer to a design-school graduate. Contestants readily accepted the challenge of incorporating their cultural heritage into textile designs using HP TouchSmart PCs with Intel processors. During the pattern-making process, designers embarked on emotional reunions with family members and loved ones to help conjure family history and traditions, which they translated into digital canvases.
“‘Project Runway’ wanted to tap into the rich cultural traditions that help define each of its designers,” said Page Murray, vice president, Worldwide Marketing Communications, Consumer PCs, HP. “HP and Intel delivered the technology that helped translate raw emotion and rich traditions into incredible textile patterns that can come alive in fashion.”
Pattern-making icons and former HP and Intel challenge winners Mondo Guerra and Anya Ayoung-Chee made a surprise return to help introduce and judge this year’s challenge. In Season 8, Guerra won the challenge with his touching story and now-famous “positivity pattern,” and Season 9 designer Ayoung-Chee captivated the judges with her island-inspired patterns and trendy silhouettes.
The HP and Intel Pattern Making challenge has become a signature episode and fan favorite for the long-running series. This season, family members and friends of the designers arrived in the “Project Runway” workroom with digital dossiers in tow, displaying each designer’s unique cultural heritage. The source of inspiration for their pattern making and final designs became clear as each designer viewed images of their personal family history on Intel-inspired HP Ultrabooks™.
“This challenge provided me with the opportunity to create a pattern that defined my personal history and design aesthetic,” said Dmitry Sholokhov, winner of this year’s HP and Intel design challenge.”I wanted the judges to be able to feel and see my cultural heritage through my textile design and construction, which were also inspired by my passion for architecture.”
Off the runway, into the home
In alliance with HP and Intel, groundbreaking designer Mondo Guerra designed an exclusive pattern and accessory line of bags for HP’s lineup of new Ultrabooks — now available for purchase on www.hpshopping.com. To help launch the collection, which includes the HP Vertical Messenger and HP Carryall, HP, in conjunction with Guerra, is hosting an “HP Ultrabook Bag” contest.
The contest provides an opportunity for motivated designers to follow in Guerra’s footsteps with a chance to win $10,000 and an HP Ultrabook to further their design careers. The contestants are asked to submit a unique and creative handbag design. Additional information about Guerra’s HP accessory line and the “HP Ultrabook Bag” contest, along with exclusive behind-the-scenes footage from “Project Runway” is available at www.hp.com/projectrunway.
Technology on the show
“Project Runway” designers use powerful, intuitive HP TouchSmart 520 all-in-one (AIO) desktop PCs with Intel Core™ processors to sketch on and design fabric patterns. They then print their creations in the studio using HP ENVY AIO printers. For challenges beyond the workroom, designers use HP’s new lineup of thin and light Intel-inspired Ultrabooks and the latest HP Elitebook notebook PCs as their digital assistants.
About “Project Runway”
Hosted by supermodel and fashion maven Heidi Klum, the hit series Project Runway provides budding designers with an opportunity to launch their careers in fashion, under the watchful eye of mentor and Liz Claiborne Chief Creative Officer Tim Gunn. Project Runway was 2010’s No. 1 rated and most watched competitive reality program on ad-supported cable among Women 18-49, Women 25-54, Women 18+, Adults 18-49, Adults 18+ and Households. The show recently was awarded with a 2011 GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding Reality Program and also was nominated for a Critics’ Choice Television Award in the Reality-Competition Program category.
Project Runway is produced by The Weinstein Company, Bunim-Murray Productions and Full Picture. Executive producers include Bob and Harvey Weinstein (co-chairmen of The Weinstein Company), Meryl Poster of The Weinstein Company, Jon Murray and Sara Rea of Bunim-Murray Productions, Heidi Klum, and Jane Cha and Desiree Gruber of Full Picture Entertainment. Barbara Schneeweiss oversees the production on behalf of The Weinstein Company. Rob Sharenow, Gena McCarthy and David Hillman of Lifetime Television also executive produce.