At this month’s Miami Design-Mix 2010 — a design competition that pairs interior designers with industry suppliers — a team of Florida International University interior design students took on the grand task of creating a wedding gown.
And it wasn’t all ribbons and lace.
Fort Lauderdale flooring company Resource 4 Floors was the group’s sponsor, so they had to construct the dress using carpeting, plastic baseboards and architectural floor plans. The final look — created by students Lauren Shepard, Paula Villarroel, Veronica Paredes, Jenny Valencia, Omar Luis De Leon and Laura Jimenez — was surprisingly wearable: a flirty frock with a fitted top and full-bodied skirt. The judges thought so too, awarding the FIU team the “Most Outrageous” honor. (Other awards include “Most Colorful” and “Most Topical.”) The students — who beat out professional design firms for the award — were floored.
Benefits from the competition provide scholarships to students from local interior design programs at FIU, American Intercontinental University, Miami Dade College and the Miami University of Art and Design.



