Each year, Threads sets a design theme for the members of the Association of Sewing and Design Professionals. In 2019, we asked the competitors to express the idea that, just as caterpillars transform into butterflies, change is good. The garments and ensembles they created had to be wearable in at least two ways. Any piece that was taken off one view had to be included in the alternate view, and the transformation had to be made on the runway.

The ASDP members devised many intriguing approaches to execute these metamorphoses, including making garments that are reversible, have interchangeable parts, are layered, or can be worn short or long. To assess the entries, Threads Editorial Director Sarah McFarland and Senior Technical Editor Carol J. Fresia were joined by previous challenge winner Susan Widawski and guest judge and Threads contributor Rhonda Buss. The judges selected four exemplary looks for awards, and the audience…