The home appliance division of Brother Intl. Corp., Bridgewater, N.J., will sponsor a category at this year’s seventh-annual Independent Handbag Designer Awards (IHDA), to be held June 19 in New York.
Anthony Ryan Auld, the winner of “Project Runway All Stars 2,” will represent the company as a judge in the Brother Best Handmade Handbag category. For this portion of the competition, designers will submit handbags made by hand or with a sewing machine.
“We are thrilled to join this prestigious event and sponsor this particular category,” says Dean F. Shulman, senior vice president of Brother Intl. Corp. and head of the company’s home appliance and industrial products divisions. “We believe that the Independent Handbag Designer Awards completely mirrors what we at Brother promote: a focus on creativity and unique design. Having Anthony Ryan Auld participate on our behalf as a judge and use his expertise to select the winning designer will be a highlight of the competition.”
The winner of the competition will receive a designer profile on the BrotherSews Facebook page, as well as a SB3129 computerized sewing machine from the company’s Simplicity by Brother line.
Founded by HBDNetwork, the IHDA offers nine awards in handbag excellence. This year, the categories include: Best Handbag in Overall Style & Design; Best Student Made Handbag; Brother Best Handmade Handbag; Timberland Best Green Handbag; Most Socially Responsible Handbag; and Audience Fan Favorite Handbag.
For more information, visit brother.com. — L.M.