GK Designs $5,000 Couture Leotard for USAG 50th Anniversary

GK Designs $5,000 Couture Leotard for USAG 50th Anniversary

Aug 7, 2013 by Anne Phillips
GK Designs $5,000 Couture Leotard for USAG 50th Anniversary
GK Designs $5,000 Couture Leotard for USA Gymnastics 50th Anniversary



READING, Pennsylvania (August 7, 2013) – GK Elite Sportswear, L.P., along with the support of SWAROVSKI ELEMENTS, is pleased to announce the donation of the second gymnastics leotard from their couture collection. In honor of the 50th Anniversary of USA Gymnastics, the proceeds from the charity raffle of this patriotic leotard design will benefit Right To Play, a non- profit organization whose mission is to use sport and play to educate and empower children and youth to overcome the effects of poverty, conflict, and disease in disadvantaged communities. This one-of-a-kind leotard design boasts an approximate retail value of $5,000 and is part of GK’s 2013 Couture Collection.
The charity raffle will be held August 15 – 17, 2013 during USA Gymnastics National Congress & Trade Show in Hartford, CT. Donors may purchase raffle tickets for five dollars each, and 100% of the proceeds will go directly to Right To Play. The winner will be drawn at 12 noon on Saturday, August 17th at the GK booth. The winner need not be present to win.

This SWAROVSKI ELEMENTS encrusted long sleeve competitive gymnastics leotard evokes both pride and patriotism, featuring over 7,000 handset and heat transferred SWAROVSKI ELEMENTS atop Rich Royal Mystique fabric. Due to the generosity of Swarovski, the leotard designer, Erica Jones, was able to select an array of gorgeous jewel types and hues to illuminate the leotard. Erica chose a variety of stone colors including Topaz, Dark Indigo, Sapphire Satin, Chalk White, Golden Shadow, Air Blue Opal and Indian Siam, all donated by the premium brand for the finest crystal elements in the world, SWAROVKSI ELEMENTS. This never before seen design carries an approximate retail value of $5,000, and both GK & Swarovski look forward to the proceeds of the charity raffle benefiting Right To Play.

Erica Jones, a GK designer for over six years, graduated from Albright College with a degree in fashion design. Erica recently said, “To honor USA Gymnastics’ 50th Anniversary, I started with an elegant base design and incorporated the colors of the American flag. The design was then refined with golden crystal accents throughout. I chose a rich blue as my base with nude mesh inserts on the front and sleeves.    I wanted to create a design that captured the mood of our flag, but utilize traditional elements in a more abstract, non-traditional way. This asymmetrical design features stars that radiate from the shoulders down through the bodice and eventually fade into the blue. Stripes are depicted as radiating from stars on the sleeves and upper bodice. The design uses a variety of colors and sizes of Swarovski Elements that intermix together into a unifying piece."