Katinka Poole Harbour Mirage Lingerie

Iconic Lingerie - Hilary Swank, Franca Sozzani, Qi Qi, Giovanni Gastel, Wichy Hassan and Jan Rosenberg nominate the winner of the Triumph Inspiration Award 2009.

Katinka Poole, 28, Australia, with the design "Harbour Mirage" wins second place at international lingerie design award

On the opening night of the 2009 Milan Fashion Week, fashion design students from 28 countries and regions around the world presented their lingerie showpieces at the grand final of the Triumph Inspiration Award '09 in a fabulous catwalk show in the famous design museum, La Triennale. A celebrity expert judging panel, consisting of two-time Academy Award winning actress Hilary Swank, Editor in Chief of Vogue Italy Franca Sozzani, Hong Kong's international model Qi Qi, legendary fashion photographer Giovanni Gastel, co-founder and creative director of the fashion label Miss Sixty Wichy Hassan and Jan Rosenberg, Head of Global Sales and Marketing Triumph International, decided which design piece is the most creative interpretation of this year's award motto "Icons".

James Nolan, 20, Great Britain, convinced the jury with the interpretation of the icon "Odette and Odile" to become the winner of the Triumph Inspiration Award '09 and will pocket not only a cash prize of Euro 15,000 but also a career-boosting limited edition of the winning piece. James Nolan, 20, Great Britain will see the showpiece adapted and interpreted by the Triumph design team, leading to series production of the set which will be sold in selected Triumph stores worldwide in 2010. The jury awarded the design "Harbour Mirage" by Katinka Poole, 28, Australia, the second prize, receiving Euro 10,000 and Shani Elkin, 24, Israel, with "Jerusalem" won Euro 5,000 as third prize.

In winning second place, Katinka states, 'It was absolutely incredible being announced second place winner amongst so many amazing designs. The entire experience has been a whirlwind of challenges and rewards. I'd never designed or constructed lingerie before, so what the process has taught me is invaluable'.

Katinka says of her creation 'I was inspired by one of Australia's most iconic pieces of twentieth century architecture, the Sydney Opera House. Jorn Utzon's design was revolutionary in its day and has stood the test of time as a symbol of not only the city of Sydney but Australia as a whole'.

At the grand final of the Triumph Inspiration Award '09, all competing finalists were under the scrutiny of the demanding jurors. The jury judged all entries according to the same criteria: innovation and creativity in interpreting the design motto "Icons", individuality, concept, aesthetics, quality in design and execution, as well as presentation. "Success is the result of talent and hard work. I am thrilled to see how both come together in these passionate pieces by young fashion design students - they truly deserve a stage such as the Triumph Inspiration Award", stated two-time Academy Award winning actress Hilary Swank.

The Triumph Inspiration Award, inaugurated in 2008, is a global design competition created by the lingerie specialist Triumph International. The Award challenges students from prestigious international design schools to create a conceptual showpiece-set, comprising of an under-wired bra and brief, dedicated in 2009 to the design motto: "Icons".

Triumph International is one of the world's largest underwear manufacturers. The company enjoys a presence in over 120 countries with its core brands Triumph®, sloggi®, Valisère® and HOM®. Triumph employs more than 44,500 people and achieves a turnover of CHF 2.37 billion (2008).

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