Luly Yang Design Group (LYDG) revolutionized what it means to design uniforms with its recent partnership with Climate Pledge Arena (CPA). The work also garnered a 2022 Image of the Year Award.
Climate Pledge Arena is the result of a $1.15 billion redevelopment of the 1960s-era Washington State Coliseum in uptown Seattle. To say the arena is a beloved local establishment would be a severe understatement. Recognizing that the building itself houses countless memories for the Seattle community, Yang and her team at LYDG turned directly to the architecture for design inspiration.
The result is an elegant and sustainably-minded uniform collection inspired by the silhouettes and architectural features of Seattle’s iconic cityscape. With the building’s familiar angular roof and projecting support buttresses being preserved by the new developers, Yang mimics these lines throughout her uniform program, from the name tag shape to cutouts to the flattering peplums.
The collection features tailored pants, vests, button-up shirts, blazers, dresses and aprons for the arena’s two exclusive lounges, all made with 80 percent recycled materials — aligning with the mission of the Climate Pledge Arena, which aims to be the first carbon zero arena in the world.
LYDG’S 3D garment-fitting approach has reinvented the sampling and manufacturing process. By using several solutions to reduce the sampling process timeline and resources, Yang minimized each collection’s carbon footprint below industry average. To achieve the perfect fit, Yang used a couture-based 3D approach to garment fitting where the pattern pieces are manipulated around the body to achieve a flattering sculptural look for all body types, instead of using the industry standard flat pattern manipulation.
Entries are now being accepted for the 2023 Image of the Year Awards®, as well as NAUMD’s other recognition programs. The deadline for submissions is March 1, 2023. Visit https://naumd.com/awards/about/ to enter, or contact rick.levine@naumd.com with questions.
