A Creative Compass: How Ben Marsigli Brings Collegiate Spirit into the Apparel Market

Ben Marsigli has made a successful career designing apparel for the brand Rhoback. But it wasn’t always a straightforward path. Before finding himself at a company he loves, he started as a business major at NC State. Now, that experience is helping him strengthen a growing brand of active lifestyle wear and allowing grads like himself to show their love for NC State. 

Growing up with a mother who was a vocational artist, Ben was always drawn to arts and crafts as a child, even selling commissioned artwork as early as middle school. “I was always doing artwork and freelance work,” he says. “So early on, whether it was drawing pictures of people’s cars or houses or dogs, I learned to work with clients and enjoy the business aspect of design.”

As an undergraduate student at NC State, Ben pursued business for his first two years before realizing that he wanted a career with more creativity. He quickly landed on the Design Studies major, which provides a broad overview of design in a non-studio setting. “It felt like an interdisciplinary degree where I could forge my own path, while still having the College of Design degree on my resume, with the weight that holds,” he says. 

Still, his years as a business student helped him tap into the entrepreneurial spirit that drives the founders of Rhoback. But it’s his time as a design student that truly prepared him for his role. 

One of his first lessons post-graduation was how much is learned on the job. Ben worked hard during the first few years of his career to earn the respect of his peers. “I graduated without actually having studied apparel design, so I did question whether I could make a career as a designer,” he admits. “With business, I saw that traditional pathway, but I wanted to pivot into something more creative. It wasn’t until I joined Rhoback  that I really felt I could carve out a career for myself in design, where I have a lot of creative freedom and can impact the brand’s trajectory and feel that I’m bringing value to the company.”

He formed key skills as a design student that stuck with him throughout his career: working with other creatives, understanding the value of research, and learning how to refine his creative thinking. 

Taking a gamble with a smaller company like Rhoback gave him the potential to grow into a career that he loves. Over the past 3.5 years, Ben has moved from apparel designer to his current role, creative director of product. “It’s a small and nimble team that prides itself on community, creativity and the ability to tell a story that consumers want to be a part of,” he says. 

He describes the company as pushing outside of what they know works while also honing in on who exactly they want to be – not chasing trends, but providing products that meet their consumers’ needs. 

That attention to detail has made collaborating with NC State to develop collegiate apparel a strong partnership. “When we design product, we want to make sure it all works together – from not only a merchandising and outfitting perspective, but also from a brand standpoint. We strive to tell a brand story through clothing that’s relatable and familiar while also being fresh,” Ben says.

The company is working with 58 colleges and universities this fall and plans to add 30 more in the next year. “It’s exciting and fulfilling to see something you’re so closely related to, that so many of your peers get excited about, come to fruition,” he adds. 

Having alumni and fans purchase from the collection gives back to the university in ways they might not be aware of. NC State allocates 95% of net revenues generated by its trademark licensing program to support student scholarships across campus. 

“That’s the beauty of the collegiate licensed model – we’re excited to be able to give back to these schools, and the fans can feel like they’re doing their part by buying something that they’re excited about and knowing the university benefits from it as well,” he says. 

When asked what advice he could give to students, he focused on three things: be curious, work independently, and understand the value of research. “When you ask questions, it shows that you’re engaged, that you care. If you didn’t care, you wouldn’t ask – so dive in, research, and ask questions.”

He encourages students to work independently – not just on coursework – to pursue challenges and find interests beyond the classroom. Ben’s own connection with golf and experience working in a pro shop helped him design products for a purpose he enjoys and for an audience he understands. 

“Blend your skill set, your interests, and meet other people who share those interests – together you can offer something great to the world,” he says.