Student Award Winners

Boll & Branch x FIT Ordinary to Extraordinary Student Design Contest

Sponsor: Boll & Branch
Challenge: Students in the FIT's Fashion Design, technical Design and Production Management Programs were asked  to reimagine company’s materials through their own creative lens just as designer Praball Gurunggre imagined company’s sheeting into a stunning gown for the Met Gala.
Participants: Open to all 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th and 7th semester Fashion Design Students, Production Management and Technical Design Students.
Outcome: 1st Place: Ji Yun Lim (Technical Design/BS); 2nd Place: Jiaying Xie (Technical Design/BS); 3rd Place: Wajeeha Hassan​ (Fashion Design/BFA​), Doriean Jackson​ (Fashion Design/BFA​), Latecia Lester ​(Fashion Design/BFA​).
Contact:  Technical Design Professor Wonki Lee ([email protected]).
Articles: Boll & Branch, Fashion Institute of Technology Hold First Design Competition, Two Technical Design Students Take Top Honors in Boll & Branch Contest

FM 422 (Merchandise Strategies Capstone Project)

Sponsor: QVC
Challenge: Create a brand merchandise strategy plus marketing development of the strategy idea for QVC.
Participants: Open to FIT students enrolled in the Fashion Business Management's Fall 2025 FM 422 (Merchandise Strategies Capstone Project Course).
Outcome: 1st Place Winning Team (NoBo Formalwear): Gianna Germano (Fashion Business Management BS), Sarah Haber (Fashion Business Management-Florence BS), Fiona McCoppin (Fashion Business Management BS), 
Elizabeth Perrone (Fashion Business Management BS), Elizabeth Smith (Fashion Business Management BS); 1st Place Winning Team (QVC X Air BNB – Homes Worth Sharing: Wherever she Goes): Arianna Cherdyntseva (Fashion Business Management BS), Angelina Heng (Fashion Business Management BS), Jenni Lin (Fashion Business Management BS), Alina Tran (Fashion Business Management BS); 2nd Place Winning Team (Jewelry and Accessories Expansion: For the Gift Giver): Jing Jing Ko (Fashion Business Management BS), Natalia Kruszewski (Fashion Business Management BS), Yna Magnaye (Fashion Business Management BS), Claudia Schuman (Fashion Business Management BS); 3rd Place Winning Team (New You in Bloom: Menopausal Wellness & Lifestyle Edit): Vivian Chiang (Fashion Business Management BS), Kayla Molina (Fashion Business Management BS), Grace Muenks (Fashion Business Management BS), Stephanie Yoon (Fashion Business Management BS).
Contact: Fashion Business Management Professor Catherine Geib ([email protected]), Fashion Business Management Professor Nancy Sheridan ([email protected]).

Live Art Duel

Sponsor: FIT Foundation
Challenge: Eight students across varying majors competed in a Live Art Duel painting competition event on campus at FIT. During the event, students painted on different surfaces: traditional canvas, cotton clothing, and luggage, across three timed knockout rounds.  As students worked, the audience had a close view of the creative process, watching the artists paint on canvas. At the end of each round, the panel of esteemed judges voted in real-time for their favorite piece, with the top artists advancing to the final showdown. Students received awards for their placement in the contest and the audience had the opportunity to vote for their favorite artist, providing one artist with the Audience Choice Award. After the event, the one-of-a-kind pieces created were be available for auction to support the FIT Foundation's fundraising efforts.
Participants: Open to all FIT students
Outcome:  1st Place: Hwalan "Abigail" Hwang (Illustration MFA); 2nd Place: Dylan Keessen (Illustration BFA); 3rd Place: Ereden Cossia (Illustration AAS); Other finalists: Yuxuan Han (Illustration BFA); Simon Ho (Fine Arts BFA); Seonwoo Juong (Fashion Design AAS); Yuqing Liu (Art Market Studies MA); Nicole Sun (Fashion Business Management AAS).
Contact:  Fine Arts Professor Josef Zutelgte ([email protected]).
Articles: The Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) Presents Its Second Annual Live Art Duel—an Electrifying Night of Art, Competition, and Creativity, Second Live Art Duel Showcases FIT Creatives at Work

APICCAPS x FIT Student Design Competition

Sponsor: Portuguese Footwear Association (APICCAPSS)
Challenge: Students were challenged to design and physically produce a pair of leather footwear and present a project sharing their own ideas for how APICCAPS can continue to evolve and lead the industry in sustainable practices. 
Participants: Open to all AAS and BFA Footwear and Accessories Design Students.
Outcome:  1st Place: Michael Elliott (Footwear & Accessories Design AAS); 2nd Place: Aya Letzter (Footwear & Accessories Design AAS); 3rd Place: Yosely Felix (Footwear & Accessories Design AAS).
Contact:  Footwear and Accessories Design Chairperson Sarah Mullins ([email protected]).

Pitch FIT - FIT’s Student Entrepreneurship Pitch Competition

Sponsor: Gala Games
Challenge: Develop video pitch decks and presentations promoting new entrepreneurial business concepts, social entrepreneurship and new business concepts through projects, products, and services. 
Participants: Open to all FIT students.
Outcome:  1st Place: Alejandra Flamenco (Home Product Development BS); 2nd Place: Jordan Gottfried (Fashion Business Management AAS); 3rd place: Mikaylah Johnson (Cosmetics and Fragrance Marketing BS); Special Track Prize – Erin Jun (Entrepreneurship for the Fashion and Design Industries BS).
Contact: Entrepreneurship (Business Enterprise) Department Chair William Reinisch ([email protected]) and Professor Renee Leibler ([email protected]).

QI-Collective Incubator Brand Accelerator Student Contest

Sponsor: QI-Collective
Challenge: Students were challenged to think like the architects and designers and be entrepreneurial in designing  a digital 3D Metaverse Collection.
Participants: Open to all 5th through 8th semester Fashion Design Students.
Outcome: 1st Place: ​Tara Dietzel (Fashion Design BFA);  2nd Place: Alyona Koval (Fashion Design BFA);  3rd Place: Seeun Park (Fashion Design BFA).
Contact: Fashion Design Apparel Professor Andrea Diodati ([email protected]).

18th annual $10,000 Supima Design Competition

Sponsor: Supima
Challenge: Design a capsule collection of five women’s wear looks featuring the unique characteristics of Supima cotton.
Participants: 2025 graduating seniors from Academy of Art University, Fashion Institute of Technology, Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising, Kent State University, Parsons School of Design, Rhode Island School of Design, and Savannah College of Art and Design.
Outcome:  FIT Finalist: Geonhyung Yu (Fashion Design BFA, Concentration: Sportswear) '25.
Contact: Fashion Design Professor Juliana Cho ([email protected]).

PBE Awards Student Design Contest

Sponsor: Spearhead Global 
Challenge: Design a complete luxury packaging concept that includes both a 750ml glass bottle and a premium presentation box.
Participants: Open to all FIT students.
Outcome:  1st Place: Varvara Kazakova (Fashion Design BFA); 2nd Place: Jiayin Chen (Packaging Design BFA) and Lijuan Huang (Packaging Design BFA); 3rd Place: Mia Berninger (Packaging Design BFA) and Haesu Dawkins (Packaging Design BFA).
Contact:  Communication Design Pathways Professor Sebba Alqetrani ([email protected]).