On May 22, two students from the School of Graduate Studies each received a $25,000 Bob Fisch Award for Entrepreneurial Excellence. Robert (Bob) Fisch, founder and former chairman and CEO of rue21, award-winning author of the bestseller Get a Life: A Roadmap to Rule the World, and an FIT Foundation board member, established the awards to help advance the careers of the students.
Gina Ciarrocchi, Global Fashion Management ’24, of Pittsburgh, creator of Silversleeve, identified the problem of insulin pumps emitting very small amounts of radiation. The solution, she found, lies in silver-based products, which are highly effective in blocking radiation. She created a protective silver cover for insulin pumps that serves as a radiation-blocking barrier between a user’s body and the device.
Talia Abbe, Fashion Design MFA ’24, of New York City, creator of Tabbe Designs, developed a ready-to-wear brand based on the negative and positive stimuli in the world and how it affects people, both internally and externally. Created during the COVID pandemic with the goal of trying to end the stigma associated with mental health, Abbe’s collection is focused on people’s emotions and experiences. With her garments, she aims to produce a more inclusive, freeing, and joyful environment for the wearer.
“I was diagnosed [with diabetes] at a very young age, and growing up, I was very, very discreet about it,” Ciarrocchi said. “When I was 18, I got my first insulin pump and always wore it hidden and really close to my body. Eventually, my biggest fear went from ‘Can anybody see my pump?’ to ‘Is wearing this pump going to give me breast cancer because I wear it tucked inside my bra?’”
“In response to receiving this award, I told Bob, ‘I’m not just seeking funding, I’m looking for a mentor whose support will be invaluable,’” Ciarrocchi added. “I feel so honored and am grateful for his confidence in me.”
“Since COVID, I’ve been focused on mental health,” Abbe explained. “I didn’t do well being locked inside all the time. The only way I felt I could really express myself was through fashion. I started making all my clothes about mental health in 2020, meaning that my work began to reflect how I was feeling, what I was going through, and what my friends and family were going through. I felt like I wanted to be able to give myself an outlet—and to give people around me a voice and make them feel like they were not alone, like I understood.”
Fisch, widely recognized for his bold innovations in value-priced, fast fashion retailing, said to the students during the awards event: “I’ve enjoyed working with you and helping you to be bold and fearless in your careers and potential life adventures. It’s important to stand up for what you believe, and, as I always say to you, to not be afraid to take risks and to face the fear. That is our mantra this year. Nothing can be more important than facing the fear. When you face the fear things really open up for you both in your business and your life opportunities.”
Fisch added, “I think what I’ve learned later in life is it’s the word empathy that’s really important—that caring about other people is what makes you successful. It’s not just caring about yourself. Curiosity is also incredibly important. Keep that curiosity up.”
Past recipients of the Bob Fisch Awards for Entrepreneurial Excellence include:
- Lindsey Mortensen, of Dallas, Mubarak Abliz, of Xinjiang, China, and Victoria Shchepakina, of Saratov, Russia, all Global Fashion Management, for POSSE, the Innerwear as Outerwear luxury lingerie brand created for sizes D cup and up;
- Valeria Watson, Fashion Design MFA, of Guadalajara, Mexico, creator of Valeria Watson, a clothing line that explores the blend of cultures between the United States and Mexico;
- Amanda Brown, of New York City, and Eva Carelus, of Freeport, NY, both Global Fashion Management, for Maid to Alter, a circular bridesmaid dress brand with rentable dresses that have self-adjustable features that allow one garment to serve many customers, saving bridesmaids time and money on dress alterations; and
- Stephanie Kim, Fashion Design MFA, of South Korea, for The Yearbook Committee, a film and design production company in New York.
Launched in 2021, the Entrepreneurial Excellence Awards are an extension of the comprehensive Bob Fisch graduate student program, which celebrates entrepreneurial excellence and intergenerational mentoring through gifts from Fisch of over $400,000 to date. The program includes thesis project completion grants, scholarships for FIT’s Fashion Design MFA and Global Fashion Management MPS programs, year-round educational “fireside chats” led by Fisch, and extraordinary one-on-one and group mentoring sessions.