UK Plaid ToteIf you loved the 2009 UK Plaid collections, then you will love the new 2010 UK Plaid collection. Merchandising Apparel and Textile students have worked very hard on coming up with the new 2010 designs.

One of the most exciting features of the UK Plaid collection is that all products were designed by students as part of a class (MAT 414).  Student involvement is a number one priority and they are the creators of everything that has been and will be produced. 

Students have benefited from this project by seeing the entire process of creating a product from start to finish. Scarlett Wesley, MAT professor, says that the "Pomegranate has allowed our students to be a part of every aspect of the product development process.  This gives great examples to use in the classroom and the students have benefited from this tremendously."

These products were made by students with peers in mind. The 2009 collection was geared more towards alumni with its higher end features, such as the $60 silk scarf for ladies. However, the 2010 project features more student friendly prices, but with the same great quality as always. Some of the new items include: small tote for $24, a Koozie for $8, and cotton shawl for $28, just to name a few. This will give students and alumni alike to sport the University of Kentucky Plaid.

The process for selecting new products goes like this:

  1. Students submit their ideas
  2. MAT 414 students then develop potential plaid product ideas based on other students' suggestions
  3. those ideas are presented to the UK Plaid advisory board
  4. The advisory board selects potential products based on manufacturing capabilities, price, and marketability of the product. Only ideas first developed by the students are considered.
  5. Sampling of the chosen products begin
  6. All products are made by the Pomegranate
  7. Final products are distributed to vendors where customers can purchase and enjoy for a lifetime.

UK Plaid ToteStudents chose their new designs by looking at which were more successful during the last season and then they reinvented them. This season's collection features a black background with UK Plaid accents.  This is and will continue to be an ongoing project, which means a new UK Plaid collection every year. 

The new UK Plaid Collection is expected to be in stores and online by mid-August. Two major sellers of the product are Kennedy's Bookstore and the UK Bookstore.  However, UK Plaid is available at various sites.

Also, you can find UK Plaid on Facebook!

http://www.facebook.com/?ref=home#!/pages/The-Official-Plaid-of-the-University-of-Kentucky/112274539202