Tony Winner Marina Draghici to Judge BORN FREE Fashion Competition, 1/20

Independent fashion designers are invited to enter their fur free fashions in the fourth annual Born Free USA Fashion Competition for a chance to win prizes; significantly boost their fashion career; be featured in a national magazine; and help promote the ethical and environmental benefits of fur free fashion.

Entrants will have the chance to have their submissions judged by an expert panel including: Marina Draghici, Broadway, film and television Tony Award-winning (Fela!) costume designer and Hollywood stylist; international couture legend Elizabeth Emanuel perhaps best-known for creating Princess Diana’s wedding gown; actress, bestselling author and beauty expert Victoria Principal (Dallas); Melissa Rivers, host of fashion events on TV Guide Channel and Fashion Police on E!, among other red carpet and reality programs; and two-time Emmy Award winning actress and animal activist Julia Barr (Brooke on All My Children).

According to Adam Roberts, Executive Vice President of Born Free USA, “We are thrilled to have Marina on board as one of our judges this year and as a supporter of Born Free USA. This is an issue that is very important to her, and it is amazing to have someone with her talent and credentials. She brings a great eye, design experience, and tremendous style to the table.”

Draghici has been designing costumes for theater, opera, film and television since graduating from the Yale School of Drama. She received both a Tony Award (2010) and Lucille Lortel Award (2009) for the costume design for Broadway’s Fela! Her designs have been seen at the Paris Opera, Lyon Opera, Bordeaux Opera, Zurich Opera, New York City Opera and many theaters in the U.S. and abroad. Her feature film credits include Academy Award-nominated Precious, Rage (with Judi Dench and Jude Law), The Night Listener (with Robin Williams), The Cake Eaters (with Kristen Stewart), Heights (with Glenn Close, James Marsden, Isabella Rossellini and Elisabeth Banks), The Gray Zone (with David Arquette, Harvey Keitel and Steve Buscemi), and many more. For television she worked on Homeland (Showtime), Blue Bloods (CBS), Dexter (Showtime) and many commercials.

Previous competition winners include designer Valerie Mayen, a competitor on the 2009 season of Project Runway.

According to Monica Engebretson, Senior Program Associate at Born Free USA, who oversees the competition, “This is an extraordinary opportunity for emerging fashion designers to gain exposure in the industry and showcase their talent, while promoting compassionate eco-savvy designs. Born Free’s fashion campaign and this annual competition aim to send a message to fashion designers, retailers, and consumers that fur has no place in socially-conscious ethical fashion.”

For details, rules, and to enter the competition, go to www.bornfreeusa.org/fffashion.

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