Wilson, IHG Hotels & Resorts & FIT Students Celebrate the US Open with Ball Gowns made of Tennis Balls

Learn about the incredible Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) students who repurposed US Open tennis balls to create fashionable ball gowns.

Wilson has teamed up with IHG Hotels & Resorts and FIT to create student-designed ball gowns in celebration of this year’s US Open Tournament. Each gown was designed with, and inspired by, Wilson’s official US Open tennis ball.

Five student winners were selected based on their final designs, and the first place winner’s dress will be showcased at an exclusive US Open Kickoff Party, hosted by IHG Hotels & Resorts on August 24th ahead of the tournament. The four runner-up dresses will be showcased to the public across our various Wilson retail locations for the duration of the US Open (August 25th - September 11th).

Full details on our various New York retail locations, where you can come to see the dresses, can be found here.

Let's introduce you to the talent behind the ball gowns:

Meet Hailey Germano, 1st place winner, from Smithtown NY. This fall marks her senior year in fashion design at FIT, where her concentration will be Special Occasion. Hailey has been passionate about fashion ever since she was seven years old.

“I have always sketched and designed clothing, specifically dresses,” said Germano. “My first ever design was a cocktail dress made from old sheets that I wore to an event at age 10.”

Germano finds similarities in sport and fashion. She specifically sees similarities between herself and her brother who is a visually impared collegiate wrestler.

“I see that both fashion design and sports require a lot of hard work and dedication, with many hours of training and practice,” said Germano. “Determination and the ability to overcome obstacles are traits that both athletes and designers share.”

Germano hopes to one day have her own evening wear line. She hopes her designs are able to raise awareness and funds to help find cures for visual loss.

The dress will be showcased at an IHG & FIT Event on August 24th ahead of the US Open tournament.

Next up meet Yoojin Lee, our second place winner, who is from South Korea.

Yoojin found herself drawn to fashion because of the confidence it ignited within her.

“I feel like I am more myself when I wear the look or the outfit I imagined,” said Lee. “I feel an incredible sense of joy and pride when I create clothes. I love the sense of accomplishment, as I navigate through tough processes, while it's all coming together.”

Lee believes both fashion and sports have large fan bases that allow for cross collaboration. They play off each other. “Seeing evening wear incorporated into sport ceremonies is a great way to showcase great design work,” explained Lee.

Lee was inspired by the shape of the tennis ball. She wanted her dress to mimic the movement of the tennis ball, so she linked elements of her dress with shoelace. This way when the model walks in the dress, the dress looks mobile. “It would look as if the ball was bouncing back and forth, cutting through the air,” said Lee.

In third place, we have Jingyi Xu.

Xu calls Changchun, China home, and she is in her 7th semester at FIT.

Xu drew her inspiration from the shape of the US Open trophy.”I wanted the design to have some sculptural elements to it that possess sanctity,” said Xu. “I also wanted the design to display the elegance of tennis. The wearer should feel like a goddess the moment she puts the dress on.”

She believes that sport challenges fashion. Sport influences fashion design by asking designers to create practical and functional pieces. “That is why streetwear and ready-to-wear fashion is so popular,” explained Xu.

Lastly, we have Julia Rutherford. Rutherford is from Blairstown, NJ and is in her 5th semester at FIT.

Rutherford got into fashion when she was seven years old. Her mother taught her to sew. “She was always a really creative person who encouraged me to be the same,” said Rutherford.

She started sewing clothes for her dolls, and from there it progressed to making clothes for herself and then others.

Rutherford's design inspiration came from tennis equipment. She made use of the tennis ball, racket and net.

Rutherford believes that sport has had a major influence on the fashion industry in recent years. “I think the rise in sales of athleisure apparel reflects the influence it has on consumers,” she explained. “Athletes’ need for flexible clothing that moves with them sparked a whole new way of pattern making and choice of materials being used in the industry.”

One day Julia hopes to create her own label that will be globally known. “To be able to have a brand that you love and other people love too would be a dream come true,” said Rutherford.

We will also be dropping our very own tennis performance and lifestyle collection. The pieces are inspired by the US Open, New York City and our legacy in tennis.

You can shop this collection on the ground at the US Open beginning August 23rd. The line will be available online and across all Wilson retail locations beginning August 25th.

We are beyond excited to celebrate the US Open and the intersection of fashion, sport and culture. We hope to see you at one of our retail locations to check out the ball gowns for yourself! & be sure to follow @wilsontennis to stay updated on all things US Open.

Updated September 7, 2022.