Cyclones Take New York is a design competition that partners a fashion design and merchandising class with a graphic design class to create a licensed Iowa State apparel product. Fashion design students use their fashion forecasting and trend skills, ideas are generated, and the graphic design students bring them to life! The best part? Selected winning designs will be produced by Charlie Hustle and the winning teams will receive a trip to New York!

By collaborating in teams, students gain experience that mimics what they’d find in the industry. They learn how to work within a licensed design framework, and students who create the winning products will learn how a product gets to market through collaboration with Charlie Hustle.

The contest began in 2024 and is a partnership among Iowa State’s Trademark Licensing Department, Athletics, the College of Health and Human Sciences and the College of Design.

Season 2 Winning Designs, Launched Fall 2025

Season 2 winning designs launched in fall 2025.

Lauren Goman: A tribute to the Cyclones and Iowa

Classification: Senior
Major: Fashion design and merchandising
Product: T-shirt
Hometown: Duluth, Minnesota

Lauren’s Design Inspiration: “I wanted to include Iowa staples like cornfields, sunrises, and the state flower. I also wanted to highlight how I’ve noticed people enjoy their leisure time, whether that’s spending time on their bikes or ‘packing the Jack’ on game days.” 

Piper Michalski: Connecting students and alumni

Classification: Senior
Major: Fashion design and merchandising
Product: Sweatshirt
Hometown: Elmhurst, Illinois 

Piper’s Design Inspiration: She leaned into the market looking for apparel that celebrates campus traditions and the student experience. Her design is a detailed campus map that highlights class routes and iconic buildings.  “The design connects students and alumni, fostering that nostalgia and unity while showcasing what it means to be a Cyclone.”

Season 1 Winning Designs

Season 1 products launched in 2024. Learn more about the launch through the official press release and Iowa Stater magazine article.

Elli Allen, Clone Cone Collection

Classification: Senior
Major: Apparel, Merchandising, and Design; focus in Creative and Technical Apparel Design 
Hometown: State Center, Iowa 
Products: Sweatshirt and t-shirt

Celebrating one of Iowa State’s most iconic (and delicious!) traditions, Allen aimed to create a design that evoked feelings of nostalgia, had a vintage feel and incorporated embroidery all while, “repping Iowa State without being spotted as a fan from a bajillion miles away.” She has fond memories of celebrating Cyclone wins and losses with a Clone Cone and wanted to create something that represented this unique tradition

Kai Huntoon, Vintage Cyclone Hooded Sweatshirt

Classification: Senior 
Major: Apparel Merchandising and Design  
Hometown: West Des Moines/Urbandale, Iowa 

Utilizing in-depth research, Huntoon knew that a design reflecting “vintage Cyclone pride, grounded with fluid and stationary graphics” would have broad appeal in the market. He started with the highest-performing product category, hoodies and fleece, as a base for the design. Huntoon leveraged data from the world’s top fashion forecasting companies and pulled inspiration from turn-of-the century Iowa State photography and vintage logos.

Piper Michalski, Cyclone Star Sweat Set

Classification: Junior 
Major: Apparel Merchandising and Design with a minor in Entrepreneurship 
Hometown: Elmhurst, Illinois 

Michalski leaned in to athleisure, creating a sweat set that can take a consumer through many aspects of their day, all while remaining comfortable and stylish. Her design inspiration came from various popular clothing lines featuring stars in their collections. Using the sweat set and idea of stars, Michalski then showcased Cyclone spirit by adding the words of the fight song and Iowa State marks.