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Fall River, MA, February 8, 2005 --- RadiciSpandex Corporation is pleased to announce that three-time Coty Award-winning designer Stan Herman will serve as the Designer Judge and Honoree for the 2005 edition of the “Stretch to the Future” Design Scholarship Competition, which will take place for the first time at the Pratt Institute college of art and design in New York City.

Mr. Herman will lead a judging panel of fashion industry experts including journalists and fashion editors from consumer and trade publications, textile executives and Pratt fashion design faculty members. The judging will determine the winners of three scholarships from RadiciSpandex Corp.  One Grand Prize, one First Prize and one Second Prize scholarship will be awarded from among all garment categories designed, including women’s wear, men’s wear, swimwear and lingerie, among others. Mr. Herman will receive the “Stretch to the Future” Designer Honoree Award at a judging ceremony to be held at Pratt’s Manhattan campus on May 2. Mr. Herman will present the RadiciSpandex scholarships to the winning students at Pratt’s year-end fashion show on May 10, when the winning garments will be revealed publicly.

"Stan Herman epitomizes the need for versatility and agility that is helping shape the globally challenging fashion industry today,” said Bill Girrier, Vice President of Sales & Marketing at RadiciSpandex Corp.  “When we think of Mr. Herman’s accomplishments and reputation, we think of fashion, personal identity, form and functionality.  His holistic approach truly connects with today’s market that demands functionality, affordability and style.  We feel that all of these things resonate with our mission as a performance fiber producer

“Without hesitation, if asked what the most significant change in clothing was over the past decade, my answer would be the wonder of stretch,” said Stan Herman. “It has changed the silhouette of clothing, the shape of bodies and the very essence of construction. This wonder of stretch has been given to the students at Pratt. They are the ‘stretch generation’ and will undoubtedly influence the future of fashion for years to come.”

Created in 1999, the “Stretch to the Future” Design Scholarship Competition fosters the creative development of design students while educating them about the technical aspects of garment construction using fashion fabrics containing a highly technical fiber such as elastane manufactured by RadiciSpandex Corp.

For the first time, students will be allowed to combine stretch fabrics containing RadiciSpandex fiber with one non-stretch fabric. “We believe this is a real-world approach to how stretch fabrics can be used to enhance mainstream fashion, of which stretch is becoming an increasingly important component,” noted Girrier. “Pratt’s broad spectrum of academic curricula has a central theme of creativity, appreciation of design and style, and the human element.  We are proud to be able to contribute in our own way toward this fine and respected institution.”

“Pratt Institute is thrilled that RadiciSpandex has chosen our fashion students for this tremendous design opportunity,” said Pratt President Thomas F. Schutte. “This competition is not only providing them with real-world experience, but also with financial support for their education. I look forward to seeing the students’ winning designs at the Pratt Fashion Show in May.”

Every year, RadiciSpandex Corp. invites a well-known designer to head up the “Stretch to the Future” judging panel of apparel industry experts. Previous recipients of this honor include Betsey Johnson, Dana Buchman, John Varvatos, and last year’s honoree Nicole Miller.

Stan Herman, president of the Council of Fashion Designers of America and a past president of 7th on Sixth, is a veteran designer with over thirty years experience in every facet of the fashion business, and a three-time winner of the coveted Coty Award.

Today, Mr. Herman is the leading uniform designer in the world, having designed uniforms for major companies such as Avis, TWA, and McDonalds, among many others. He is also the leading loungewear designer, and the number one per-minute salesman on QVC.

Founded in 1887, Pratt Institute (www.pratt.edu) is the largest independent college of art and design in the United States, offering undergraduate and graduate degree programs in the schools of architecture, art and design, information and library science, and liberal arts and sciences. Pratt is located on 25 landscaped acres in the Clinton Hill section of Brooklyn and has a Manhattan campus in a large, newly renovated building on West 14th Street.

RadiciSpandex Corp. is a U.S. subsidiary of The Radici Group, a multi-billion dollar entity based in Italy that employs 9,000 employees in 68 factories worldwide. The company is a multi-national, multi-ethnic industry player whose integrated business activities range from synthetic fibers to chemicals, plastics, packaging and textile machinery. Synthetic fibers (nylon, polyester, polypropylene and spandex/elastane) are the core activity of the group.

For more information on RadiciSpandex Corp. and The Radici Group, visit www.radicispandex.com and www.radicigroup.com.