In early August, dresses by five Fashion Design students were on display in the lobby of The Museum at FIT—finalists in a contest sponsored by InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG), sponsor of the U.S. Open Tennis Championships. Students were tasked with creating wearable dresses that incorporated tennis balls and/or tennis-ball material and that embodied the IHG and U.S. Open brands. The winning garments have been displayed at the 2024 U.S. Open in Queens since it began on August 26 and modeled throughout the tournament grounds, drawing spectators to designated IHG sponsor areas.
On August 28, the rankings of the five winners were announced, with Charles Chen taking first prize. Check out images from the celebration on FIT’s Instagram account where you can see Chen with the model wearing his dress. Chen is also doing an FIT Instagram takeover at the U.S. Open on Sept. 5.
Below are photos of each of the entries with statements from each of the designers.
1st Place: Liangji Charles Chen, Fashion Design ’25
Chen on his inspiration for the dress:
“In designing this dress, I have blended two distinctive sources of inspiration: the dynamic spirit and competitive precision of the U.S. Open and the raw beauty of the desert planet along with the grace and power of the female characters from Dune. From the U.S. Open, I captured the essence of speed and precision. The dress is designed with modern, clean lines to ensure comfort and freedom of movement, using a palette of classic tennis white and green grass that echoes the iconic tennis court colors.
“The structural design takes cues from the powerful and elegant female characters in Dune, who demonstrate outward grace, inherent resilience, and strength. This design approach is not just about aesthetics; it symbolizes the empowerment and independence of women. This dress is intended to project a new vision of womanhood: one that is brave and decisive on the tennis court, yet as deep and complex as a traveler among the stars.”
2nd Place: Hsin Ju Cheng, Fashion Design ’25
Cheng on what athletes and designers have in common:
“I think the most common thing athletes and designers have is their determination. In my opinion, pursuing an athlete’s dream is very similar to a designer’s dream in the way that they are both very risky paths. Only the best of the best will be recognized, and there’s no guaranteed return for the work they’ve put in. But they still love what they do, and they don’t stop until they’ve done everything they want to and say everything they have to say.”
3rd Place: Taina Laurent, Fashion Design AAS ’24 (December)
Laurent on the theme of her dress:
“My design is an ode to three women who played in the U.S. Open and made a historical impact in tennis: Maureen Connolly, Billie Jean King, and Serena Williams. The title, ‘Feminine and Strong,’ emphasizes that women can simultaneously be strong and dainty. What we perceive as strong is often tied to masculinity. This garment has a slight touch of menswear mixed with feminine silhouettes to create a balance of hard and soft.”
4th Place: Alexis Hoffman, Fashion Design ’25
Hoffman on inspiration for the tennis dress:
“I pulled from my own experience with tennis. I’ve been playing forever, and I even played with the team at FIT (go, Tigers!). Tennis is such a beautiful sport, from the actual motions to the rich history behind it. My design is specifically inspired by the way the body and ball looks right before the point starts. Passing the ball to another player, bouncing it around to get a feel, tossing it for the serve. It also represents my tennis story, having the ball passed onto me and my siblings by my mom, who also loves tennis.”
5th Place: Zoe Huang, Fashion Design ’25
Huang on research for the dress:
“I did research at FIT’s Gladys Marcus Library, exploring historical materials used in tennis apparel, what people wore over the years, how they played tennis, and the construction, etc. I was particularly inspired by the movement of the dresses when athletes play tennis; with each swing and step their dresses or skirts float like a hemisphere. I knew I wanted to incorporate this element of movement into my design. I developed my skirt silhouette with that in mind. Additionally, while doing my research, I noticed that during 1895–96, women’s dresses often had two interesting puff sleeves that resembled tennis balls. I combined these elements to balance the overall shape of the dress.”