Diet Coke and Rebecca Minkoff Announce New Look for Fashion’s Most Celebrated Season

Whether it’s reworking a vintage piece, integrating the new “it” color or searching for the perfect pair of leather skinnies, style mavens everywhere are gearing up for the fall fashion season. And to help fashionistas stay extraordinary all season long, Diet Coke will launch a new, limited-edition T-shirt available exclusively in Target stores.

The new T-shirt is the winning design from the second season of the Diet Coke Young Designer Challenge. Part of the brand’s iconic “Stay Extraordinary” platform, the challenge asked creative individuals to create an original T-shirt design inspired by the extraordinary style of Taylor Swift and the people who enjoy Diet Coke every day. Hundreds of designs poured in from across the country from eager, aspiring designers looking for the ultimate career boost – to see their design on Target store shelves.

“Diet Coke is more than just the great-tasting smart boost staple in the lives of fashionistas. It’s the ultimate accessory,” said Caroline Kibler, senior brand manager for Diet Coke. “The brand is synonymous with style, and fashion-focused programs like the Young Designer Challenge put the extraordinary talents of our fans in the spotlight.”

A public vote on social media in June narrowed submissions down to 10 finalists, and a fashionable judging panel, led by acclaimed designer Rebecca Minkoff, selected the winning design. The panel selected a creation from Brooklyn-based Julianna Bass as the grand-prize winner of the Young Designer Challenge. A rising star in the fashion world with experience working for several top designers, Bass edged out the competition with a glamorous sketch of a self-assured woman in a dramatically flaring red skirt leaning on a Diet Coke logo.

In addition to being the judging panel’s favorite, Bass’s design also won the popular vote online. Of the more than 135,000 votes submitted during the public voting phase, Bass’s design stood out as the clear frontrunner from the beginning.

“The new Diet Coke T-shirt is a refreshing take on the classic white tee,” said Rebecca Minkoff, designer and Diet Coke Young Designer Challenge season-two judge. “Julianna’s design perfectly captures the energy and boost that Diet Coke provides.”

Bass will receive an extraordinary portfolio boost as the winner of the Diet Coke Young Designer Challenge. In addition to having her design sold in the beverage aisle in all U.S. Target stores beginning Sept. 1, she receives a $10,000 cash prize to pursue creative endeavors and a fly-away trip to meet Swift at one of her final U.S. RED Tour stops in Nashville, Tenn., next month.

The celebration of extraordinary style continues in New York City throughout September, when Diet Coke will sponsor multiple events to bring extraordinary taste to fans in the fashion capital of the country. Diet Coke fans also can win a new fall wardrobe simply by showing how they would style the winning T-shirt design in a Pinterest contest launching August 27. Contest rules and restrictions available at http://CokeURL.com/dv4m.

About The Coca-Cola Company
The Coca-Cola Company (NYSE: KO) is the world’s largest beverage company, refreshing consumers with more than 500 sparkling and still brands. Led by Coca-Cola, the world’s most valuable brand, our Company’s portfolio features 16 billion-dollar brands including Diet Coke, Fanta, Sprite, Coca-Cola Zero, vitaminwater, Powerade, Minute Maid, Simply, Georgia and Del Valle. Globally, we are the No. 1 provider of sparkling beverages, ready-to-drink coffees, and juices and juice drinks. Through the world’s largest beverage distribution system, consumers in more than 200 countries enjoy our beverages at a rate of more than 1.8 billion servings a day. With an enduring commitment to building sustainable communities, our Company is focused on initiatives that reduce our environmental footprint, support active, healthy living, create a safe, inclusive work environment for our associates, and enhance the economic development of the communities where we operate. Together with our bottling partners, we rank among the world’s top 10 private employers with more than 700,000 system associates. For more information, visit Coca-Cola Journey at www.coca-colacompany.com, follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/CocaColaCo or check out our blog, Coca-Cola Unbottled, at www.coca-colablog.com.

About Rebecca Minkoff
With a vision of building a lifestyle brand for the downtown romantic, San Diego-born designer Rebecca Minkoff founded her company in 2001 after she developed a small apparel line. She spent the next few years working on the small collection until 2005 when Rebecca developed the “Morning After Bag”. The bag became an overnight sensation and Rebecca began solely concentrating on developing additional styles to build out her romantically themed day-to-night handbag collection. After four years of consistent growth in accessories under her belt, Rebecca returned to her original love of apparel design and introduced a ready-to-wear collection in 2009. Rebecca Minkoff’s designs are a favorite for modern, trend-setting everyday women and celebrities alike.

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