Lulan Artisans is looking for new and innovative designs that will help Lulan to continue to stand out in the market and that will be produced using traditional techniques and construction methods. We would like designs that highlight the weavers’ skills by focusing on the “woven by hand” aspect of production while still incorporating the contemporary modern aesthetic as Lulan currently does.

Lulan is primarily interested in receiving designs that are:

• Structural weaves
• Ikat designs
• Block-print designs

We may also consider designs that focus on:

• Embroidery
• Supplementary weft

Fiber content: The winning designs that will be added to Lulan Artisans’ collection will be made of organic cotton and/or linen.

Most designs may be used to create an upholstery-weight fabric, while others will be considered for lighter weight for drapery use, apparel use or throws. A variety of applications will come from each design and the differing weight of these textiles.

Design Restrictions

Width: Due to the weaving process using certain looms, most of Lulan weaving centers can create widths between 42” to 54”.

Dyes: Lulan uses natural dyes as well as low impact dyes for its products. For color reproduction and consistency, low-impact dyes may be used to obtain color ranges. Natural dyes impact color choices as well as light fastness and care.

Construction: Lulan Artisans works with a diversity of artisans, majority hand-dye and hand-weave our designs. Designs are either hand-woven or produced on small production looms using small cooperatives or workshops. Each design will be created using Lulan’s standards for production, with an emphasis on sustainability and commitment to our weavers and their traditional methods.

Looms: Traditional looms are mostly used. Some of the cooperatives have production looms.

Schedule

The Lulan Artisans Textile Competition 2009 starts on Monday June 1, 2009 and ends on Monday, May 31, 2010. Entries may be submitted at any time during this time period.

Winners will be notified in July 2010 and announced in September 2010.

Registration and Submissions

Register first and then submit as many designs as you like but each design must include:

• Five colorway renderings of each design
• Description of design
• Size and repeat of pattern
• Name, phone number, address, and e-mail address

Feel free to share any detailed information under the Description of the design. It is optional what you share. We suggest you share some of the following: design inspiration, specific weave type, harnesses used (any number up to 8), weave draft, yarn sizes (warp, weft), plys used (such as 2ply, 4ply), fiber content, scale of rendering, color repeat (warp, weft), number of colors in pattern.

For the size and repeat of pattern, provide the overall size of pattern with the vertical and the horizontal repeat. Example: overall size of pattern is 4”x 4.5”, vertical repeat is 6”, horizontal repeat is 6”.

Further Details

For further details, please refer to the Official Rules.