Jiwon Park’s participation in the inaugural Roc Nation x FIT Design Competition highlighted a strong intersection between contemporary streetwear and cultural storytelling. Launched through a partnership between Roc Nation and the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT), the competition invited students to develop a capsule collection that reflected Roc Nation’s creative identity while pushing forward the next generation of fashion design talent.
As part of the competition, students were tasked with designing streetwear staples including hoodies, sweatshirts, pants, hats, and accessories. Jiwon’s project, presented in the accompanying PDF, explored the idea of “rebellious wild streetwear,” combining distressed visual language, collage-inspired typography, and a gritty New York aesthetic. The collection’s ransom-note inspired graphics and monochromatic palette reflected both underground street culture and Roc Nation’s bold creative identity.
The competition concluded with a live presentation at Roc Nation headquarters, where finalists presented their collections before a judging panel and audience. FIT described the initiative as a celebration of “diverse cultures and influences,” emphasizing innovation, creativity, and mentorship within fashion education.
Jiwon Park ultimately earned second place in the inaugural competition and received a $5,000 grant from Roc Nation. While Beatrice (Xuan) Mak won the top prize, Jiwon’s recognition positioned the project among the strongest submissions in a highly competitive field of emerging designers.
Overall, Jiwon’s participation demonstrates how initiatives like the Roc Nation x FIT Design Competition create opportunities for emerging designers to merge storytelling, branding, and apparel design into a cohesive creative vision rooted in contemporary street culture.
