Student Award Winners
Live Art Duel
Sponsor: FIT Foundation
Challenge: As artists work, spectators can watch the creative process come to life. At the end
of each round, the judges will vote for their favorite pieces of art in real time.
The top artists will advance to the final round and battle it out for the championship.
One-of-a-kind works of art will be available for auction following the event. All
funds raised will benefit FIT students.
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).
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
BVLGARI – The Art of Living with Allegra Baciami Passioné Project Student Design Contest
Sponsor: BVLGARI
Challenge: Design a work that elicits the emotion and passion of the Allegra Baciami Eau de Parfum
while recognizing Bulgari’s history, heritage, and dedication to Italian culture.
The parameters surrounding the works are open-ended but should be expressed through
the typical medium used in the student’s major.
Participants: Open to all FIT students
Outcome: 1st Place: Jessie Xu (Illustration BFA); 2nd Place: Alice Chekunova (Textile/Surface
Design AAS); 3rd Place: LinYing Liu (Illustration AAS).
Contact: Illustration and Interactive Media Department Professor Lily Qian ([email protected]).
Articles: FIT Student Jessie Xu Wins Design Challenge Created with Bulgari, Illustration Student Wins Bulgari Fragrance Design Competition
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: Nicholas Alexis (Advertising and Marketing Communications AAS); 2nd Place:
Vera Braniff (Fashion Business Management BS); 3rd Place: Lea DeCicco (Cosmetics and
Fragrance Marketing BS, History of Art Minor).
Contact: Entrepreneurship (Business Enterprise) Department Chair William Reinisch ([email protected]) and Professor Renee Leibler ([email protected]).
Articles: Gala Music Announces Student Entrepreneurship Pitch Competition With FIT, Teaming up with New York’s Fashion Institute of Technology to Empower the Entrepreneurs
of Tomorrow, Gala Music X Fashion Institute of Technology Announce Student Entrepreneurship Pitch
Competition, FIT Entrepreneurship: Pitch FIT Student Competition, "Pitch FIT" Student contest winners
FM 422 (Merchandise Strategies Capstone Project)
Sponsor: Ann Taylor
Challenge: Create a brand merchandise strategy plus marketing development of the strategy idea
for Ann Taylor.
Participants: Open to FIT students enrolled in the Fashion Business Management's Spring 2024 FM
422 (Merchandise Strategies Capstone Project Course).
Outcome: 1st Place Winning Team: Eva Brown (Fashion Business Management BS), Dia Gauthier (Fashion
Business Management BS), Martin Paredes (Fashion Business Management BS), Shayna Smith
(Fashion Business Management BS); 2nd Place Winning Team: Lily Gray (Fashion Business
Management BS), Zachary Marx (Fashion Business Management BS), Claire Shin (Fashion
Business Management BS), Anna Tappen Aranda (Fashion Business Management BS); 3rd
Place Winning Team: Milena Abramova (Fashion Business Management BS), Francesca Catena
(Fashion Business Management BS), Miri Han (Fashion Business Management BS), Yujia
Jiang (Fashion Business Management BS).
Contact: Fashion Business Management Professor Nancy Sheridan ([email protected]), Fashion Business Management Professor Saundra James ([email protected]), Fashion Business Management Professor Vincent Quan ([email protected]).
IHG US Open Tennis Ball Dress Student Design Contest
Sponsor: IHG Hotels & Resorts
Challenge: FIT students from Fashion Design Program were challenged to design a tennis ball dress
which would incorporate tennis balls/ tennis ball material, be wearable by a model,
and embraced the IHG and US Open tennis tournament brand.
Participants: Open to all 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th and 7th semester Fashion Design Students.
Outcome: 1st Place: Liangji Chen (Fashion Design BFA); 2nd Place: Hsin-Ju Cheng (Fashion Design
BFA); 3rd Place: Taina Laurent (Fashion Design AAS).
Contact: Fashion Design Professor Michael Kaye ([email protected]).
Articles: Serving Up Tennis Ball Fashion for the U.S. Open
AXA Art Prize Student Art Competition
Sponsor: AXA XL
Challenge: The competition is open to figurative paintings, drawings and prints.
Participants: Open to U.S. residents, 18+, who are enrolled in a full time or part time undergraduate
or graduate educational program at an accredited college, university, or academic
institution.
Outcome: FIT Finalists: Kailee Finn (Illustration BFA) May '24, Eliana Garcia (Illustration
BFA, Latin American Studies Minor) May '24, Alana Moy (Illustration BFA) May '24,
and Norberto Perez (Illustration BFA) May '24.
Contact: Illustration and Interactive Media Department Chair Daniel Shefelman ([email protected])
Articles: The AXA Art Prize US 2024 Finalists Announced!
Fabriq Labs Web3 NFT Student Contest
Sponsor: Fabriq Labs
Challenge: Design an NFT under the established guidelines.
Participants: Open to all FIT students.
Outcome: 1st Place: Kendyl Woodruff (Entrepreneurship for the Fashion and Design Industries
BS); 2nd Place: Vera Braniff (Fashion Business Management BS); 3rd Place: Priscilla
Ghaznavi (Entrepreneurship for the Fashion and Design Industries BS); Community Prize:
Emily Aabbad (Advertising and Marketing Communications BS).
Contact: Entrepreneurship (Business Enterprise) Department Chair William Reinisch ([email protected]) and Professor Renee Leibler ([email protected]).
The Underfashion Club Student Contest
Sponsor: The Underfashion Club
Challenge: Create one original design/garment utilizing this year's theme "Creative Recycling
for a Sustainable Fashion Future”.
Participants: Open to FIT's seventh semester intimate apparel concentration Fashion Design students.
Outcome: 1st place: Kea Oudom Seng (Fashion Design BFA, Concentration: Special Occasion);
2nd place: Peilin Cheng (Fashion Design BFA, Concentration: Special Occasion); 3rd
place: Jessica Wartman (Fashion Design BFA, Concentration: Intimate Apparel); Participants
prizes: Lisbeth Abreu (Fashion Design BFA, Concentration: Intimate Apparel), Daniel
Bochkov (Fashion Design BFA, Concentration: Special Occasion), Julia Rutherford (Fashion
Design BFA, Concentration: Intimate Apparel).
Contact: Fashion Design Professor Michael Kaye ([email protected]).
Articles: 2024 Student Design Contest Winners
We Stand as One for Pride Student Design Contest
Sponsor: WestPoint Home
Challenge: FIT students were challenged to create designs that celebrate, elevate and commemorate
PRIDE and #LoveWins movement in the context of the fashion and textile industry.
Participants: Open to FIT students enrolled in the Spring 2024 Textile Surface Design's TD 206-102
(Advanced Home Textiles) class.
Outcome: 1st Place: Lesly Lozano (Textile Surface Design AAS); 2nd Place: Sophie Mcreynolds
(Textile Surface Design AAS); 3rd Place:Toby Wyman (Textile Surface Design AAS).
Contact: Textile Surface Design Professor Professor Ruth Jeyaveeran ([email protected]).
Theraplant Cannabis Brand Concept Student Design Contest
Sponsor: Theraplant
Challenge: FIT students were challenged to create brand name, logo(s), a custom 1/8th ounce cannabis
mylar bag, a custom jar label design and a brand style guide with typography, colors
and logo standards for digital applications.
Participants: Open to FIT students enrolled in the Spring 2024 Packaging Design's PK 354 (Packaging
Design Strategy) and PK 319 ( Packaging Design Studio II) classes.
Outcome: 1st Place: Hailey Weber (Packaging Design BFA); 2nd Place: Jason Reitsma (Packaging
Design BFA); 3rd Place: Megan Liu (Packaging Design BFA).
Contact: Communication Design Pathways Department, Packaging Design Program Professor Sandra
Krasovec ([email protected]) or Communication Design Pathways Department, Packaging Design Program Professor
Sonia Sussman ([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 and 7th semester Fashion Design Students.
Outcome: 1st Place: Emma Leng (Fashion Design BFA); 2nd Place: Grace Cooper (Fashion Design
BFA); 3rd Place: Geonhyung Yu (Fashion Design BFA); Runner Up: Juyeon Kim (Fashion
Design BFA).
Contact: Fashion Design Apparel Professor Andrea Diodati ([email protected]).
Folio Book Illustration Award 2024
Sponsor: The Folio Society
Challenge: Provide one illustration based solely on the Approved Text.
Participants: Open to 18+ entrants worldwide.
Outcome: Longlisted for the Folio Book Illustration Award 2024 - Norberto Perez (Illustration
BFA) May '24.
Contact: Illustration and Interactive Media Department Chair Daniel Shefelman ([email protected])
Articles: Longlist for the Folio Book Illustration Award 2024
NYSR Student Design Rendering Contest
Sponsor: New York Society of Renderers
Challenge: Submit a rendering (any media, hybrid or hand) that best promotes technical excellence
and creativity of student's designs.
Participants: FIT AAS students actively enrolled in the Interior Design program during the spring
2022 academic semester.
Outcome: 1st Place: Madina Jah (Interior Design AAS); 2nd Place: Jessica Liang (Interior Design
AAS); 3rd Place: Kristen Lavalle (Interior Design AAS); Honorable Mention: Susan Sawyer
(Interior Design AAS).
Contact: Interior Design Professor Sven Johnson ([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 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) '25.
Contact: Fashion Design Apparel Professor Susanna Moyer ([email protected]).
Articles: SUPIMA Announces the 17th Annual SUPIMA Design Competition Hosted by Phillip Lim
Graphic Placemaking and Wayfinding Design for Gotham Park including Brooklyn Banks Skate Park Educational Project for ED 542 (Exhibition Design Graphics)
Sponsor: Brooklyn Bridge Manhattan Inc. d/b/a Gotham Park
Challenge: ED 542 explores graphic design communication systems, including graphic identity
and program development. Imagery and typographic solutions, with an emphasis on two-
and three-dimensional design development, are covered. This class project was developed
in collaboration with the Brooklyn Bridge Manhattan. The objective of this project
was to introduce students to experiential graphic design through the proposal of concepts
for placemaking and wayfinding graphics and related components for a client. Working
with the client representatives, students have first documented the types of existing
graphics, created a graphic placemaking and wayfinding design package, conducted a
site survey and audience analysis to design an experiential graphic placemaking and
wayfinding proposal for Gotham Park, specifically for the stairway leading from the
Brooklyn Bridge and assisting visitors with navigation to Park Row and then into different
destination points, including the Banks, Chinatown, South Street. Student also designed
interpretive graphics to highlight the revitalized and soon to open, skate park known
as “Brooklyn Banks”.
Participants: All students enrolled in Spring 2024 ED 542 (Exhibition Design Graphics) course.
Contact: Exhibition and Experience Design Associate Chairperson Christina Lyons ([email protected]).
Pinnacle and Sony Honda Mobility Experiential Pop-Up for Activation Educational Project for ED531 (Presentation Techniques)
Sponsor: Pinnacle and Sony Honda Mobility
Challenge: Pinnacle and Sony Honda Mobility partnered with FIT's Graduate Exhibition & Experience
Design Department to generate proposals for experiential activations to drive brand
awareness, social media engagement, and press coverage of their AFEELA prototype to
encourage pre-orders. Students designed an experiential activation for deployment
to key cities in target markets: Los Angeles, Austin, and New York City. Students
obtained real world design experience in alignment with current protocols and design
deliverables as required for a commercial exhibit project.
Participants: All students enrolled in Spring 2024 ED531 (Presentation Techniques) course.
Outcome: All projects were graded by the instructor as part of the class.
Contact: Exhibition and Experience Design Professor Pedro Mota ([email protected]).
Rubin Museum of Art “The Wheel of Life” Exhibition Educational Project for ED 523 (Exhibition Design for the Museum Setting)
Sponsor: The Rubin Museum of Art
Challenge: This educational project is a joint collaboration between Exhibition and Experience
Design MA Department and The Rubin Museum’s divisions of Visitor Experience, Interpretation
and Design. The student objective of this project was to undertake the subject of
utilizing content and collections as determined by the museum so as to understand
how exhibits are developed and physically interpreted within a museum exhibition environment.
Students were responsible for adhering to all rules and requirements of a museum venue,
developed by the faculty instructor in collaboration with the The Rubin Museum of
Art.
Participants: All students enrolled in Spring 2024 ED 523 (Exhibition Design for the Museum Setting).
Outcome: All projects were graded by the instructor as part of the class.
Contact: Exhibition and Experience Design Professor Brenda Cowan ([email protected]).
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 - Olivia Masters-Schneiderman (Fashion Design BFA, May '24) and Riley
Grossman (Fashion Design BFA, May '24).
Contact: Fashion Design Professor Tom Scott ([email protected]).
Articles: Loro Piana Announces Winners of Renowned Knit Design Award, Loro Piana Knit Design Award 2024
FIT Constitution Day Postcard Competition
Sponsor: School of Liberal Arts
Challenge: Students were asked to design the front and back of a postcard (3X5 or 4X6 inches)
that illustrates their beliefs about any part of the United States Constitution.
Participants: Open to all part-time and full-time FIT students.
Outcome: 1st place: Dean Li (Illustration AAS).
Contact: Social Science's Professor of American History Daniel Levinson Wilk ([email protected]).
The Future of Morilee – Celebrating 70 Years of an Iconic Brand Student Design Contest
Sponsor: Morilee by Madeline Gardner
Challenge: Design one dress focusing on the future of the brand into the next 70 years.
Participants: Open to all FIT students
Outcome: 1st Place: Keyue Chen (Fashion Design BFA, Concentration: Special Occasion) May
'24; 2nd Place: Isabella Agate (Fashion Design BFA, Concentration: Special Occasion)
May '24; 3rd Place: Daniel Bochkov (Fashion Design BFA, Concentration: Special Occasion)
May '24.
Contact: Fashion Design Apparel Michael Kaye ([email protected]).
Articles: Celebrating 70 years of Morilee with FIT fashion design students from the Empire State
of Love
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 a coat.
Participants: Open to all 5th, 6th and 7th semester Fashion Design Students.
Outcome: 1st Place: Benjamin Halunen (Fashion Design BFA, May '24); 2nd Place: Nadia Phie
(Fashion Design BFA, May '25), 3rd Place: Emily Cha (Fashion Design BFA, May '24);
Other Finalists: Sophia Bonilla (Fashion Design BFA, May '25), Nuo Cheng (Fashion
Design BFA, May '24), Hemera Luo (Fashion Design BFA, May '24), Kenisha Seth (Fashion
Design BFA, May '24), Siew Xin Tian (Fashion Design BFA, May '24).
Contact: Fashion Design Apparel Professor Bernadette Grinley ([email protected]).
Articles: Students Redefine Sustainable Luxury Outerwear with The RealReal, The Upcycled Collection: Reimagining the Unwearable
The Curvy Awards by OneStopPlus Student Design Contest
Sponsor: OneStopPlus
Challenge: Design a garment that serves an inclusive size range 12W-32W for one of OSP's brands
(students choose which brand).
Participants: Open to all 4th, 5th, 6th and 7th semester Fashion Design Students.
Outcome: 1st Place: Mariela Garcia (Fashion Design BFA), Runner-Up: Jennifer Sandoval (Fashion
Design BFA).
Contact: Fashion Design Apparel Professor Gerard Dellova ([email protected]).
FM 422 (Merchandise Strategies Capstone Project)
Sponsor: Steve Madden
Challenge: Create a brand merchandise strategy plus marketing development of the strategy idea
for Steve Madden.
Participants: Open to FIT students enrolled in the Fashion Business Management's Fall 2023 FM 422
(Merchandise Strategies Capstone Project Course).
Outcome: 1st Place Winning Team: Kalie Patton (Fashion Business Management BS), Melany Rodriguez
(Fashion Business Management BS), Sofya Starikova (Fashion Business Management BS),
Paula Larazo Vasquez (Fashion Business Management BS); 2nd Place Winning Team: Mia
Cantelli (Fashion Business Management BS), Jessie Chen (Fashion Business Management
BS), Keila Garcia (Fashion Business Management BS), Minseo Han (Fashion Business Management
BS), Zihrou Hsu (Fashion Business Management BS); 3rd Place Winning Team: Trinity
Jones (Fashion Business Management BS), Alexandra Martinez (Fashion Business Management
BS), Leah Park (Fashion Business Management BS), Nicol Quijandria (Fashion Business
Management BS), Natalia Stamatatos (Fashion Business Management BS).
Contact: Fashion Business Management Professor Nancy Sheridan ([email protected]), Fashion Business Management Professor Linda Rooney ([email protected]), Fashion Business Management Professor Catherine Geib ([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 and 7th semester Fashion Design Students.
Outcome: 1st Place: Siew Xin Tian (Fashion Design BFA, May '24); 2nd Place: Hemera Luo (Fashion
Design BFA, May '24); 3rd Place -Nataasja Isard (Fashion Design BFA, May '25); Honorable
Mention: Hunter Oh (Fashion Design BFA, May '24).
Contact: Fashion Design Apparel Professor Andrea Diodati ([email protected]).
16th 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: 2023 graduating seniors from Academy of Art University, 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: Hee Jin Hwang (Fashion Design BFA, Concentration: Special Occasion)
'23.
Contact: Fashion Design Apparel Professor Susanna Moyer ([email protected]).
Articles: Jeremy Scott to Host 16th Annual Supima Design Competition, The 16th Annual Supima Design Competition Shines a Light on the Next Generation of
Fashion Designers, A Supima Competition Finalist’s Sculptural Works, Hwang’s Capsule Collection