Berkeley Haas undergrads shine at Fashion Scholarship Fund gala

Two Berkeley Haas undergraduate students chosen as national Fashion Scholarship Fund (FSF) Scholars were recognized this month for projects focused on the intersection of digital technology and fashion at the organization’s annual awards gala.

Adrianne Krivokapic-Zhou and Ryan Cheung, both BS 25, as 2025 FSF Scholars, attended the April 7 FSF event, hosted by fashion designer Christian Siriano and Canadian model Coco Rocha at the Glasshouse in Manhattan. This year’s theme asked students to consider the impact of advanced digital technologies on the future of the fashion industry. The FSF awards $1.9 million in scholarships annually to 160 undergraduate students from 75 partner schools.

Cheung, who started Saturn Los Angeles during his senior year of high school, was one of four 2025 scholarship finalists featured for innovative projects exploring four different areas of the fashion industry: business strategy, design and product development, marketing, and merchandising. His project, “Neuro Ascent,” won under the merchandising category. For the event, he designed and created a suit.

For the case study, he melded two brands—one similar to his own street style and the other a lifestyle sports brand that he thought had the potential to use rock-climbing gear. The idea came from his internship at Adidas this past summer, where a designer suggested he pursue a collection for rock climbers. The opportunity allowed him to tackle a niche relevant to both his brand and his interests, he said. 

“My vision is to create products that you can wear to rock climb and then go to a cafe or a fashion show right after because the clothes blend in with streetwear,” he said. 

Krivokapic-Zhou, whose parents are from Slovenia and China, said she’s no stranger to the power of digital technology, which has connected her family across borders. She applied to the FSF program in the business strategy project category, which aligned with her summer internship at Levi Strauss & Co., where she worked on the brand’s e-commerce platforms.

But the inspiration for her project came from the movies.

“Over the summer, I rewatched ‘Breakfast at Tiffany’s’ and found myself wishing I could explore The Landmark, Tiffany & Co.’s flagship store, just like Audrey Hepburn did in the film,” she said.

Her project, “Timeless Tiffany,” leveraged enhanced try-ons, immersion, modeling, and engagement to elevate the brand’s e-commerce experience. An avid scrapbooker and jewelry maker, she designed customizable consumer experiences, product interfaces, and online simulations of The Landmark. To bring the strategy full circle, she emphasized sustainability, including financial targets to reinvest in the brand’s 100% traceability and 2040 net-zero emissions goals. 

Krivokapic-Zhou said the FSF was the perfect opportunity to continue to build her skill set. Growing up watching the fashion reality show “Project Runway,” she said it was surreal meeting gala host Siriano, the series’s youngest winner, along with stylist Law Roach, and Vogue Editor-in-Chief Anna Wintour. 

“The network within the FSF is insane, and there are so many resources available for anyone pursuing a fashion career, which I’m super excited to utilize,” she said.

Throughout his time at Berkeley Haas, Cheung pursued his artistic and entrepreneurial passions. In spring 2024, he taught and designed his own DeCal course, “How to Build an E-commerce Brand,” which taught students marketing, supply chain operations, product management, legal structures, financing, and technical skills. 

“Berkeley has helped a lot with reshaping this vision, tapping into students, and seeing how they react to my products and view my brand,” he said. “They’re my target consumer in a way, though I may branch out when I eventually graduate.”

Krivokapic-Zhou plans to return to Levi’s as a strategy analyst after graduation. She said what drew her to the company—aside from loving Levi’s—was its strong emphasis on social justice and sustainability. 

“Coming to Berkeley, I really recognized the importance of sustainability, so I decided to co-found a ‘Sustainable Business and Global Public Health’ DeCal course,” she said. “Throughout the semesters, I’ve had the amazing opportunity to work with staff members, Haas faculty, and companies to inspire students to make sustainable choices.”