The Independent Cosmetic Manufacturers and Distributors (ICMAD) revealed winners of this year's Young Designers Awards Competition. The competition was created to showcase the extraordinary and emerging talents of packaging and design students at the college level. The goal of this competition is to encourage, foster, and develop future leaders in the packaging design industry. Design schools from across the country and Canada sent in entries which resulted in a 10% increase in participation over last year's event.
 
The ceremony was held on Feb. 8 aboard The Ambassador yacht, which sailed from the Balboa Bay Yacht Club in Newport Beach, Calif.. Special Awards Presenter, Los Angeles-based perfumer Lisa Hoffman, presented the student awards before ICMAD members, board members, industry veterans, design students, and college professors and presidents.  
 
The First Place winner and recipient of a $5,000 cash prize was Emily Atwood of Laguna College of Art & Design, Laguna Beach, California, with her design "Bubb - Bathtime is Playtime".
 
The Second Place winner and recipient of a $2,500 cash prize was Maranda Bressi from Pennsylvania College of Art & Design in Lancaster, PA, with her design "Milkman Cosmetics Cream Body Milk".
 
The Third Place winner and recipient of a $1,500 cash prize was Willie Green of Colorado Mesa University in Grand Junction, CO. Willie's product entry was called "GRIT" hand soap.
 
The winners received an all-expenses-paid trip to California to attend the Young Designers Awards ceremony and were able to tour three local cosmetics facilities: Benchmark Cosmetic Laboratories, McKenna Labs, and TooFaced Cosmetics. 
Pam Busiek, President and CEO of ICMAD, said, "The entries this year were outstanding and the judges no doubt had a tough time choosing the winners! The winning finalists were a joy to have on board The Ambassador yacht. Our finalists were joined by their professors, parents, and school President's and as a group were all very impressive. We are proud that this event, year after year, heightens the awareness of our industry, at the college level, and has definitely been a contributing highlight to the ICMAD events calendar".
 
In addition to the top three winners, two Honorable Mentions were recognized and awarded a $500 cash prize each:
 
Ridan Arellino, Laguna College of Art & Design, Laguna Beach, CA., with his design, "Oya Haircare".
Eva Edgren, FIDM San Francisco, San Francisco, CA., with her design, "Lock Block: Hair Sunscreen Cream".
The winners and honorable mentions were selected among student participants from 18 schools competing in the annual program. The 2017 Young Designers Awards program was made possible in large part thanks to East Hill Industries, Inc. Additional sponsors included: Beauty Packaging, Biorius, Business Printing, Inc., CIS, Colour Collective, eos, happi, Lisa Hoffman, Luminess Air, Masterpiece International, PartnerShip, Quadpack, and Steward Printing.
 
The 2017 Young Designers judges were: Stephen Webster, VP of Global Brand & Design, Mary Kay Cosmetics; Jacqueline (Jackie) Pack, VP of Sales and Marketing for Cosmetic Laboratories; Priscilla Ober, Creative Director of Brand and Package Design, Mary Kay Cosmetics; and Phebe Philips, best known for her whimsical, creative plush toys that have been a part of children's lives for 27 years.