ICFA Names 2024 Richard Frinier Design Scholarship Winner

Scott Grove has earned the ICFA/Richard Frinier Design Scholarship for his submission of “Seaside Sun-dance,” a collection of five textile patterns for luxury hotel and cruise pool furniture, presented in an innovative laser-cut umbrella and patio cover devised to interact with sunlight.

The Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) rising junior credits the time he spent in the ocean and swimming pools of his home state of Florida, observing the interplay of light and shadow on the water, for inspiring the blue and white tones and fluid shapes of his distinctive designs.

“This collection urges organic flowing lines into pool spaces and uses light to motivate people to sunbathe, swim and relax in a unique shaded area,” Grove said. “Ideas of navigation and travel are referenced through dashed lines and inspire hotel and cruise guests to explore the space.

“All patterns would be woven with acrylic to endure outdoor conditions, and the proposed laser-cut would be cut from a similar acrylic woven and overlaid on a transparent acrylic textile to allow areas of the sun to shine through the umbrella,” he added.

Encouraged by his artistic parents, Grove became interested in design starting with craft projects as a child. His grandmother was a gifted hand sewer and knitter, and his mother, a jewelry designer. One of his three brothers is a professional clarinetist, and another is an engineer working with computer numerical control (CNC).

“I was designing before I realized it, and by high school, fashion was my focus,” Grove said. “The little art education I got at my public school centered on visual arts, so I worked hard to educate myself, doing lots of research and learning hands-on crafts like how to weave, bead and embroider.

“I enjoyed using these skills in creating costumes for the theater department. Once COVID hit and impacted people-based activities, including theater-going, I redirected my design interest to textiles.”

Grove’s pivot produced a portfolio of work that resulted in his acceptance into the SCAD fibers department, where he immediately found his passion. One of the largest of its kind in the U.S., with a comprehensive curriculum and extensive facilities stocked with top-of-the-line tools and resources, SCAD was the perfect next step in his design education, he said.

“I fell in love immediately, fascinated by all the areas to explore,” Grove said. “I went deeper into weaving and learned how to crochet, knit, dye natural and synthetic materials, and create repeating patterns that are woven or printed.”

Always interested in interior design, home furnishings and accessories, he regarded the Richard Frinier Design Scholarship Competition as an opportunity to direct his design talents into a marketable product for the casual furnishing industry. His experiment with laser-cutting when creating lace for a fashion project provided the catalyst for the technology application required by the award’s challenge brief.

“I always considered design to be art with a purpose,” Grove said, “so creating a unique product that solves a problem by integrating aesthetics and technology while targeting a specific market seemed like an exciting way to apply my education and passion.”

Grove developed sketches, painted watercolors, tested laser-cut techniques, and researched consumer trends and manufacturing options to build his submission. “My objective was to reflect my love of water, nature, sunshine and the feelings of serenity, hope and spirituality that they inspire for a product that would attract luxury hospitality customers,” he said.

Along with a $5,000 stipend, Grove won airfare and lodging for a two-night stay in Atlanta during Summer Casual Market Atlanta, where he met top ICFA officials and industry mentors. He also spent an afternoon in conversation and showroom tours with Richard Frinier.

“I enjoyed talking to him about the industry,” Grove said. “He’s designed outside the box in many different areas and has such well-deserved confidence in himself. I wanted to learn how he’s succeeded and thank him for his commitment to helping students like me.”

Reflecting on meeting with Grove, Richard remarked, “When Catherine and I were reviewing entries for the 2024 design competition, Scott’s was definitely a standout. After meeting him and spending time together during the July Casual Market in Atlanta, I could see that his talents, people and communication skills far exceeded his years even though he is really just starting out.

“We live in a time where young designers can easily prefer to spend more time working on becoming an influencer on social media,” he continued. “Whereas with Scott, we could immediately see that he is not just experimenting with what he may want to do in the future, he is actually already doing the work and writing his story in very smart, clever and impressive ways.”

Judging Grove’s portfolio submission among all the entries, Frinier explained, “I was taken with how he was looking at ways to create and use textiles in a way that perhaps has not yet been achieved and/or not yet been perfected. His presentation and the story he wrapped around his designs were well-thought-out, illustrated beautifully, and in a compelling way that made you want to learn more.

“When Catherine and I launched this student design competition and scholarship program with ICFA it was strongly driven by our desire to not only solicit entries from college-level design students to help them, but also to help be a part of informing professors across the country about our great industry and to ask them to be aware of the many amazing opportunities we may offer to their students,” he added. “At the same time, our purpose was to invite and welcome young designers just starting out to discover our industry and also raise the level of awareness among our colleagues and friends in the business to be open to hiring such young talent and to mentor them and bring them up through the ranks today and tomorrow as they are the future.”

While Grove has two more years before he graduates and starts his career in design, he knows what he wants to do next.

“Surface design intrigues me. My ideal first job would be creating designs for carpet, wallpaper and woven patterns for upholstery, not just flat, but also transparency, and using technologies like laser-cut or 3-D or flatbed printing to develop innovative ideas that don’t exist yet,” he said. “I am excited about creating home furnishings and accessories that feel old but are made through advanced methods. Sustainability is crucial.

“I’m subtly advocating for natural surroundings and recyclable materials with this project. As much as I love nature, it is incumbent on all of us to ensure the next generations can experience it as we do. It would be so unfair to limit their access when we can make design and manufacturing decisions that are carbon neutral.”

For more about the ICFA/Richard Frinier Scholarship, visit https://www.icfanet.org/richardfrinierdesignscholarship.