BERNINA of America Recognizes Top 20 Fashion X BERNINA Design Challenge Fashion Designers

AURORA, IL--(Marketwired - Aug 18, 2016) - BERNINA of America, the premier manufacturer of sewing, embroidery and quilting machines, is pleased to announce that in partnership with Fashion X has chosen the top 20 Fashion X BERNINA Design Challenge fashion designers including: Felix Cueva, Becky Phung, Sloane Lenz, Eunice Jeong, Adrienne Yunger, Lyenise Veasley, Anne Richard, Hannah Leonard, William Chitra-Straley, Ruth Waddy, Simone Joseph, Andie Day, Devinder Singh, Angela Johnson, Lela Orr, Colt Fuller, Debby Garcia, Donny Guerra, Danel Bonner, and Kass Carrell. These designers were recognized for their exceptional evening gown design sketches created from upcycled fabrics. The designers were limited to using upcycled fabrics from thrift shops or used clothing and received bonus points for using unconventional materials. In the next stage of the contest, the top 20 designers will submit their final evening gown designs to Fashion X for chance to compete for the Grand Prize winner position. One Grand Prize winner will receive a BERNINA 740 (MSRP $4,999), BERNINA L 450 Overlocker (MSRP $1,249), a BERNINA Suitcase System (MSRP $399), an opportunity to showcase their collection at an upcoming Fashion X event ($2,500 value) and a fashion consultation session with Ann Kasper ($2,400 value) on November 9.

"BERNINA is pleased to offer Fashion X BERNINA Design Challenge, an opportunity for designers to unleash their creativity in fashion design and be rewarded for their creative garments," said Amy Gutierrez, Director of Marketing for BERNINA of America. "We are anxious to see the next round of upcycled evening gowns and to crown one Grand Prize winner with an exceptional BERNINA package that will support one lucky designers garment designs and pursuits to invent future collections."

People 13 years of age and older, interested in fashion, who live in the United States were invited to submit evening gown sketches, which were then judged by online voters and a panel of judges. The judges included CEO, Fashion X, Matt Swinney, Director of Marketing for BERNINA of America, Amy Gutierrez, Stylist who recently appeared on The Bachelor, Catherine Lowe, Project Runway Season 13 winner, Sean Kelly, and Madeline Hollern, Deputy Editor, Austin Monthly.

The BERNINA 740 (B 740) is a sewing machine that has a BERNINA Hook with a 9 mm stitch width for sewing high-precision stitches at a stitch speed of 1,000 stiches per minute. The bobbin holds up to 70 percent more thread than standard bobbins, a BERNINA Adaptive Thread Tension, and BERNINA Dual Feed and Total Stitch Control. For more information, visit www.bernina.com/7series.

The BERNINA 450 L Overlocker (L 450) boasts 1,200 stitches per minute and a number of innovative features including a patented Micro Thread Control (MTC), LED sewing light for the needle and looper area, thread tension release with presser foot lift, and a five-step presser foot pressure adjustment. The L 450 offers adjustable settings that can be used while sewing. The cutting width can be adjusted from 3 to 9 mm and the stitch length from 0.8 to 4 mm. Sewists can effortlessly change the differential feed to ensure wave-free seams in knits and no puckering in fine fabrics. Additionally, the L 450 has the patented BERNINA two-step front foot lift, which enables sewists to easily position and guide bulky projects and multiple layers of fabric. For more information, please visit www.bernina.com/overlocker.

About BERNINA
Founded in Switzerland more than 100 years ago, BERNINA is the world's premier manufacturer with a proven reputation for offering quality state-of-the-art sewing, quilting and embroidery machines, overlockers/sergers, and embroidery software. BERNINA's leadership is marked by an impressive number of ambassadors, industry leaders, influencers and bloggers, who chose to partner with the company. BERNINA products are sold in the United States through a network of over 400 fully trained independent dealerships that also offer support and education. Select BERNINA and bernette machines, and BERNINA software can also be purchased online. BERNINA products are designed for beginning to advanced sewists and priced to meet a variety of budgets, with new products being introduced every year. You can follow BERNINA on Facebook: www.facebook.com/berninausa, Instagram: @BERNINAUSA, and Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/WeAllSew, and read BERNINA's WeAllSew blog at www.weallsew.com. To learn more about BERNINA and to find a Dealer, visit www.bernina.com or call (630)978-2500.