Domus Academy students Zih-Ling Chen and Louís Lanting win PepsiCo Design contest

Domus Academy students Zih-Ling Chen and Louís Lanting won the contest run in collaboration with PepsiCo Design during Fashion Graduate Italia 2021. PepsiCo partnered with the Italian school to develop a six-week fashion and design program for Master's students. In a series of workshops led by PepsiCo, students were challenged to reimagine PepsiCo’s iconic beverage brands, Pepsi MAX and Rockstar, into fashion garments. Louis Lanting has been selected as the Rockstar Winner and ZihLing Chen has been selected as the Pepsi MAX Winner.

The aim of the program was to elevate PepsiCo brands into new wearable garments and to inspire and showcase brands to consumers while addressing key aspects such as tribe affiliation and sustainability. Twelve international students have worked on the projects and collections for more than three months.

‘Lanting’s collection is based on the new 24/7 generation that is always on in an ever-changing and developing world. It aims to help Rockstar consumers find their everyday Rockstar moment in the journey to their ultimate goal.’

‘Chen envisioned a collection for the galvanizers of Pepsi MAX. Her collection is a reflection of our times, which are split between the physical and digital worlds (which she calls Fizzgital). It speaks to the performers and creators who are evolving their creation in the physical world and expanding it into digital.’

Emil Cartis, Head of Brand Experience and Sustainability, at PepsiCo Design Innovation said: “Great design has always been a critical part of the PepsiCo brand experience. It inspires. It connects. And it brings to life the trends of our times. We’re excited to bring the next generation of talent into that creative space as we enable a new vision to emerge for our brands that are both iconic and consumer-centric. Through our partnership with Domus Academy, we’re working to inspire upcoming designers to push the boundaries of creativity while understanding societal and environmental impacts. Fashion and storytelling play a critical part in connecting our brands with people.

Fabio Siddu, Domus Academy Managing Director said: “We are honored to have been chosen by one of the world’s largest companies for such important collaboration to support emerging talents. We have conceived a shared research path where our students had the opportunity to work directly with strategic PepsiCo representatives. This initiative confirms the success of Domus Academy's distinctive methodology, based on learning by designing approaches through interdisciplinary workshops with experienced professionals and leading companies.”

The selected collections will travel to selected PepsiCo offices, such as the Design and Innovation Center in New York City.

Photos: Domus Academy