Student Award Winners

FM 422 (Merchandise Strategies Capstone Project)

Sponsor: Walmart
Challenge: Create a brand merchandise strategy plus marketing development of the strategy idea for Walmart.
Participants: Open to FIT students enrolled in the Fashion Business Management's Spring 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); 2nd Place Winning Team (Bella Vista): Anna D’Ambrosio (Fashion Business Management BS), Ella Hart (Fashion Business Management BS), Claire Holm (Fashion Business Management BS), Eva Melecio (Fashion Business Management BS); 3rd Place Winning Team (Unbound): Elle Bernier (Fashion Business Management BS), Gabrielle Rogoff (Fashion Business Management BS), Antonia Rojas Meza (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 leather handbags, across three timed knockout rounds. As students worked, the audience had a close view of the creative process, watching the artists paint on canvas. The canvases and art supplies, clothing, and handbags were generously provided by Blick Art Materials, Marc Jacobs, and The RealReal respectively. 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: Brooke Ledda (Illustration BFA); 2nd Place: Eyoab Desalegn (Fashion Design MFA); 3rd Place: Hailey Lee (Fashion Design AAS). Other finalists: Jacob Frazier (Illustration BFA); Wiktoria Klimczuk (Fine Arts BFA); Elijah Ogbomo (Fine Arts AAS); Jialun Tong (Fine Arts BFA); Amelia Weitknecht (Illustration AAS).
Contact: Fine Arts Professor Josef Zutelgte ([email protected]).
Articles: Eight Fashion Institute of Technology Students Duel for a $10,000 Prize, Live Art Duel Artists, Creating Masterpieces Before Your Eyes, FIT Students Show Their Artistic Talents During Inaugural Live Art Duel, A Live Art Duel and a $10K Prize: How One FIT Student Came Out on Top

The RealReal x FIT Student Upcycled Collection Design Contest

Sponsor: The RealReal
Challenge: Take The RealReal's inventory of clothing and accessories made of quality materials that are suited for second life but unfit for sale in their current condition and design an eventwear garment.
Participants: Open to all 5th, 6th and 7th semester Fashion Design, Production Management and Technical Design Students
Outcome: 1st Place: Sara Khadirsharbayani (Fashion Design BFA, Concentration: Special Occasion); 2nd Place: Jueun Jung (Fashion Design BFA, Concentration: Knitwear); 3rd Place: Asalya Samieva (Fashion Design BFA, Minor: History of Art, Minor: Asia Studies Minor).
Contact: Fashion Design Professor Michael Kaye ([email protected]).
Articles: FIT and The RealReal Partner for a Second Upcycled Collaboration, The RealReal and FIT Launch Second Upcycled Fashion Collaboration

Justin Alexander Wedding Gown Student Design Contest

Sponsor: Justin Alexander
Challenge: Students were asked to dive deep into the decadent bridal fashion history of the 1920s to 1970s and re-imagine these styles for the contemporary Justin Alexander bride.
Participants: Open to all Bridal and Special Occasion Concentration Students
Outcome: 1st Place: Varda Patel (Fashion Design BFA, Minor: History of Art, Concentration: Special Occasion); 2nd Place: Alyona Koval (Fashion Design BFA, Concentration: Special Occasion); 3rd Place: Nadia Phie – (Fashion Design BFA, Concentration: Special Occasion).
Contact: Fashion Design Professor Michael Kaye ([email protected]).

Facets of Light for Grown Brilliance Student Design Competition

Sponsor: Grown Brilliance
Challenge: Design a one-of-a-kind chandelier for Grown Brilliance’s flagship store in Soho, NY. The masterpiece will serve as the permanent centerpiece, making headlines and shining bright on the boutique’s opening night.
Participants: Open to FIT's upper-division (5th, 6th, 7th, and 8th semester) students in School of Art & Design
Outcome: 1st Place: Sienna D'Andrea (Spatial Experience Design BFA); 2nd Place: Kendall Ballode (Interior Design BFA); 3rd Place: Keonwook Park (Spatial Experience Design BFA).
Contact: Interior Design Professor Christina Wang ([email protected]).

Reimagining The West With Stetson Student Design Contest

Sponsor: Bulova Stetson Fund
Challenge: Students in the FIT's Fashion Design Program were asked to reimagine western style through their own creative lens and design two looks that embody their personal design vision and aesthetic while also nodding to Stetson’s heritage as America’s indispensable western brand. Each look had to incorporate a Stetson cowboy hat.
Participants: Open to all FIT students
Outcome: 1st Place Co-Winners: Dahlia Gonzales (Fashion Design BFA, Minor: History of Art, Concentration: Sportswear) and Anabelle Huntzinger (Fashion Design AAS); 2nd Place: Ellie Reed (Fashion Design BFA, Concentration: Sportswear); 3rd Place: Manya Sharma (Fashion Design – Florence Program).
Contact: Fashion Design Apparel Professor Nicole Benedetto ([email protected]).
Articles: Where fashion meets frontier, In partnership with the Bulova Stetson Fund...

Justin Alexander Wedding Gown Student Design Contest

FM 422 (Merchandise Strategies Capstone Project)

Sponsor: Pac Sun
Challenge: Create a brand merchandise strategy plus marketing development of the strategy idea for Pac Sun.
Participants: Open to FIT students enrolled in the Fashion Business Management's Fall 2024 FM 422 (Merchandise Strategies Capstone Project Course).
Outcome: 1st Place Winning Team (Pacsun Homecoming): Claire Bellue (Fashion Business Management BS), Courtney Francisco (Fashion Business Management BS), Abigail Seifert (Fashion Business Management BS), Madison Westerfield (Fashion Business Management BS); 2nd Place Winning Team (The Ultimate Dorm Edit): Taylor Benda (Fashion Business Management BS), Izzy Herbert (Fashion Business Management BS), Sydney Marshall (Fashion Business Management BS), Viktoria Orlikowska (Fashion Business Management BS); 3rd Place Winning Team (Pac 1980 Reinvented): Maya Burke (Fashion Business Management BS), Kimiko Quayle (Fashion Business Management BS), Jaanavi Venkatachalam (Fashion Business Management BS).
Contact: Fashion Business Management Professor Nancy Sheridan ([email protected]), Fashion Business Management Professor Catherine Geib ([email protected]), Fashion Business Management Professor Vincent Quan ([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: Aditi Srivastava (Fashion Design BFA, Concentration: Sportswear); 2nd Place: Wajeeha Hassan (Fashion Design BFA, Minor: Creative Technology, Concentration: Special Occasion); 3rd Place: Yu Zhou (Fashion Design BFA, Concentration: Special Occasion).
Contact: Fashion Design Apparel Professor Andrea Diodati ([email protected]).

17th 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: 2024 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: Mina Piao (Fashion Design BFA, Concentration: Knitwear) '24.
Contact: Fashion Design Apparel Professor Susanna Moyer ([email protected]).
Articles: SUPIMA Announces the 17th Annual SUPIMA Design Competition Hosted by Phillip Lim

Loro Piana Knit Design Award

Sponsor: Loro Piana
Challenge: Reimagine how tradition and craftmanship can be combined with technical innovation and excellent performance to create a piece that will last for the next 100 years.
Participants: Talented students from leading design schools around the world.
Outcome: FIT Finalists - Isabella Fernandez (Fashion Design BFA, Concentration: Knitwear) and Madison Lee (Fashion Design BFA, Concentration: Knitwear).
Contact: Fashion Design Professor Tom Scott ([email protected]).
Articles: Dive into the 2025 Knit Design Award announced by Loro Piana

Close To Me Wheelchair Bag Student Design Contest

Sponsor: Eve Xanthopoulos
Challenge: This competition challenged students to innovate and create a functional and stylish bag tailored specifically for individuals using wheelchairs.
Participants: Open to all AAS and BFA Footwear and Accessories Design Students.
Outcome: 1st Place: Heaven Cluesman (Footwear & Accessories Design AAS); 2nd Place: Andrew Kaefer (Footwear & Accessories Design BFA); 3rd Place: Madison Gaworski ( Footwear & Accessories Design BFA).
Contact: Footwear and Accessories Design Chairperson Sarah Mullins ([email protected]).