Fashion Institute of Technology

12/12/2022

Campus aglow! Tis the season.

We love to see our students during the holidays, don’t forget to tag us in your posts!

12/08/2022

On view now: A Work of Art. Students from the Fashion Design AAS program were asked to think of themselves as fashion designers collaborating with famous artists on their designs. They visited museums and art galleries, drawing inspiration from sculptures, paintings, and even poems to create garments with movement, volume, space, and light. This exhibition presents selections that speak for themselves emotionally—like a work of art. Art & Design Gallery at FIT, December 7-January 29

11/29/2022

Francesca Bornancini , BFA, Fashion Design, '22 is featured in 's Fashion School Diaries series. Bornancini talks about her journey designing an award-winning capsule collection for while still a student at FIT; to scoring a job at the famed retailer as an assistant designer for their private label, Bar III.

"Ask most fashion students, and they'll tell you their biggest dream is to see others wearing their work. Usually, it'll take a while for that to happen — but this dream came true for recent Fashion Institute of Technology graduate Francesca Bornancini a lot faster than anticipated."

Read more about in by visiting the link in our bio.

11/28/2022

For the American Style issue of Hue magazine, Film and Media alum Will Mun ’21 crafted a personal response to the theme. His 90-second video, “American Noise,” portrays some of the tricky, troubling intersections of identity. Fellow alum Diamond Abreu ’21 composed the music. Watch the video here: hue.fitnyc.edu/-noise.

11/24/2022

Grateful for our followers and the entire FIT community. Happy Thanksgiving! 🦃🍁

11/23/2022

Save the date!

Mark your calendars- Giving Tuesday is November 29!

In preparation of one our biggest celebrations of the year, we’re asking you to consider what makes FIT special to you. Every program, and every student, stands to benefit from the generosity expressed on . From strengthening programs and services, to bolstering scholarships and emergency aid, you’ll have the opportunity to celebrate FIT in your own personal way.

To make your gift today, visit:
http://ow.ly/kuea50LLBBy

11/17/2022

Congratulations to FIT Graduate Exhibition & Experience Design Exhibition and Experience Design students Jenny Hsin-Yi Chang, Lyka Williams, and Ciera Iveson. They were selected to present alongside industry experts at Society for Experiential Graphic Design's (SEGD) Branded Environments and Xlab. Naz Ertugrul, 2021 program graduate, also participated.

Presentation highlights include:

Chang presented her rebrand for the Museum of the Moving Image, including interior and exterior wayfinding and placemaking.

Williams shared her concept for a retail pop-up for Allbirds, in the Times Square Foot Locker store.

At Xlab, Ertugrul presented her thesis, Flow, a proposed installation about female motocross racing at Superblue Miami. It demonstrates the use of smartphones to enable exhibition visitors to chronicle their experiences and foster a deeper connection.

Iveson presented her thesis, Seldom Is Heard: Voices of the Cowgirl, a proposed exhibition at the Autry Museum of the American West in Los Angeles that employs adaptive storytelling, using technology to allow a visitor's decisions to affect their experience. The exhibition reveals the mindset of the cowgirl, who creates new possibilities for women across the country despite many obstacles.

11/16/2022

Handmade antimicrobial and aromatic jackets, statement-making totes, and hand-printed scarves are among the items on view at Loop for Good, FIT's annual sustainable fashion pop-up exhibition held at the Feldman Center through December 6. Loop for Good is a college-wide interdisciplinary experiential learning project focused on sustainability and technology, led by Fashion Business Management Professor Jennifer Lee. An FIT group comprised of more than 100 students, faculty, and staff participated.

Watch here to learn more about how this year's theme, "The Metaverse: Love for All," inspired the design journey: https://bit.ly/3AkCxS5

11/14/2022

Is Peter Do the next great American designer? The FIT alum, whose designs are “elegant, adult, and polished, with a bit of an edge,” is making a strong case for the crown. Read about him in Hue magazine here: https://bit.ly/3UEfrOo

11/11/2022

Congratulations and job well done to our students from the Illustration and Interactive Media class of 2023 on their work for this year's ChalkFIT! The theme was "The Illustrated Song," with work inspired by songs from a wide range of musicians, from emerging artists to rock 'n' roll legends.

ChalkFIT can be viewed on 7th Avenue between West 26th – 28th streets.

More information here: https://news.fitnyc.edu/2022/11/07/chalk-fit-is-music-to-our-eyes/

11/09/2022

John Dessereau, MFA '19, placed a fanciful illustration of the New York City Marathon in the November 6 issue of . "The assignment was essentially to create a piece about the marathon," Dessereau explained. "There is no article attached to the piece, the piece is the article. My inspiration was how the marathon takes over the city and what training in the city feels like. So the piece features both a visual of the full marathon in action and a montage of trainers prepping in view with the city skyline. We went with a flat and limited palette to simplify the many complex aspects contained in the artwork."

11/08/2022

What is American style?
What are American interiors?
What is American makeup?
What are American textiles?
What is American fashion?
Hue magazine polled the FIT community ... the answers may surprise you.

https://hue.fitnyc.edu/theargument/

11/04/2022

Don't miss Unseen Memory, an exhibition featuring the extraordinary work of students FROM? the Photographic Concepts and Exhibition classes. On view in Gallery FIT at through November 13, Unseen Memory tackles memories - both real and imagined - and is a creative exploration of personal narrative, identity, and truth. Part two of the exhibition will be on view November 19–December 11.

10/26/2022

Congratulations to women’s tennis team on winning the Region 15 Championship this past Friday - and to extraordinary head coach Lynn Cabot-Puro on being named Region 15 Coach of the Year! The team will represent the region in the NJCAA DIII National Championship Tournament in Georgia November 3rd-6th. Go Tigers! 🐯

10/25/2022

Autumn in New York

10/24/2022

Thank you to and for today's coverage announcing the first cohort of Social Justice Scholars at FIT and the appointment of Nicole Finigan Ndzibah as executive director the Social Justice Center at FIT. Highlights from WWD:

“For me, the SJC started as a vision — a theoretical concept,” said president Joyce F. Brown. “Nurturing it to reality, watching it take shape as a viable program that today has recruited students for the fall semester, has been invigorating and gratifying, and it has created a new sense of hopefulness, not only for FIT but among enlightened corporations, especially those that are supporting our efforts.”

, creative director of , and supporter of the program said it’s an “honor” to award FIT student Paloma Sanchez Maria as the first recipient of the Carolina Herrera Social Justice Scholarship, supporting her with finances and resources during her first year at FIT. “For Carolina Herrera and the entire fashion industry, it is critical to have access to a diverse pipeline of talented individuals who bring fresh perspectives and new ideas,” said Gordon.

“As someone who has worked in the fashion retail industry for most of my career, I have seen and experienced firsthand the challenges faced by people of color,” Ndzibah told WWD. “The feeling of needing to be twice as experienced, educated and skilled is a real concern of many BIPOC employees. I am encouraged that so many companies are shining a light on inequities and are willing to address systemic issues at all levels and I am excited to join with them to create long-lasting solutions.”

Congratulations to our deserving SJC Scholars and a big thank you to program sponsors CAROLINA HERRERA] , , Capri Holdings, and .

10/20/2022

Flourishing this fall like never before! In celebration of Sustainability Week, check out recent images from FIT’s Natural Dye Garden, an educational tool managed by the Textile Development and Marketing Department, intended to provide alternatives to toxic synthetic dyes. For more information, visit the link in bio.

10/14/2022

A lot of young writers are afraid to revise, but as a fashion design major, I actually received a lot of training in revision," says author Angie Cruz, '94. "One professor made us do 100 different sketches for a single outfit, and when we were done, she said, 'This is the beginning of the design process.' It's about digging in and seeing all the possibilities." During Hispanic Heritage Month, Cruz spoke to us about her career, her transition from fashion to fiction writing, and her new novel, How Not to Drown in a Glass of Water.

10/13/2022

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10/12/2022

Congratulations to Haley Schwartz (AAS Fashion Design 2022) - and her company Vertige - for being awarded FIT's first-ever PETE Prize for Entrepreneurs! Vertige, a brand specializing in fashion-forward adaptive clothing, was created for people who wear medical devices (including heart monitors, feeding tubes, ports, colostomy bags, among other) to help them feel confident, comfortable and ready to take on whatever they set their mind to. With the $30,000 prize money, Schwartz plans to get samples into production to enable product testing by as many people as possible. One of the things Schwartz is most excited about is receiving office space for one year at FIT's new Center for Innovation at the Brooklyn Navy Yard - along with marketing, legal, financial, creative, and operational guidance on how to build and launch an innovative company. The prize is inspired by Peter G. Scotese, chairman emeritus of the FIT Board of Trustees and a pioneering entrepreneur. Initial funding is provided by Edwin Goodman, former chair of the FIT Board of Trustees and a partner of Activate Venture Partners, an investment firm with a mission to develop a new generation of venture capitalists whose aspiration is to leave a lasting impact on the industry. Learn more about Vertige here: https://news.fitnyc.edu/

Schwartz is pictured here with (from l-r): FIT President Dr. Joyce F. Brown; Edwin Goodman; and FIT DTech Lab Executive Director Michael Ferraro.

10/11/2022

Today, on International Day of the Girl, we celebrate the recent FIT alumni who created some of the doll clothing designs for the Karma's World toy collection from Mattel. The designs were inspired by 10-year old Karma Grant, star of the hit Netflix animated series developed by Ludacris (aka Chris Bridges), now in its fourth season. Karma is an aspiring musical artist and rapper with big talent and an even bigger heart, who brings to life messaging about diversity, empowerment and creative expression. The project was produced in partnership with FIT DTech Lab and 9 Story Media Group.

10/06/2022

October is month, and Yoko Katagiri, assistant professor of Economics and survivor of stage IV breast cancer, created this collage of her fashion styles throughout the academic year. , who has helped develop garments for people with breast cancer, also writes a blog, Heal in Heels (https://www.healinheels.com), on which she documents how fashion helps her look and feel better. "I passionately feel the need" to inspire people with cancer, she says.

10/03/2022

During this 2022, FIT congratulates Bryan Barrientos, who participated Design Competition during . Currently in his first year in the Fashion Design MFA program, Barrientos is also of the Fashion Design BFA program, with a specialization in Special Occasion. His collection was a nod to his Peruvian heritage, focusing on the artisanal practices of the Peruvian highlands. He sought to tell a story with messages and symbolism through the manipulation of fabrics, silhouette shaping, and experimentation in creating volume. “My concept for the Supima collection comes from artisanal practices and storytelling inspired by my culture first-hand,” Barrientos said.

09/30/2022

FIT Sustainability Ambassador 🌱 and Foundation Board Member recently visited our rooftop Dye Garden 🌼 🌻 🌸 where we're currently growing 28 species of plants, including 21 that can be used for natural dyeing and many of which are pollinator species 🐝 that support the urban agricultural environment. Everything was grown from seed starting last spring, led by a highly engaged and supportive group of students from a range of programs. Valletta is shown here with Evelyn Rynkiewicz, PhD (center), assistant professor of Ecology, and Idil Bayik (left), a senior Fashion Design student who serves on FIT's Sustainability Council and was on the 2021 winning Biodesign () team. Valletta’s ambassadorship is a natural extension of her ongoing contributions to FIT, all of which have focused on sustainability. 💚 FITSustainability

09/29/2022

Sneak Peek: The New Hue Magazine

"What is American Style?" The latest issue of the newly redesigned Hue, FIT's official magazine, asks this question. Visit hue.fitnyc.edu to explore and read the new issue. Video teaser by Will Munn, Film and Media '21

We’re excited to tell you that *Hue* magazine has launched with a brand new design—and we think you’ll like it. Visit hue.fitnyc.edu to read the…

09/23/2022

Congratulations to Hua Wen Kao (), Exhibition and Experience Design MA student (’22), who was selected as one of the winners of Prada’s Action in the Year of the Tiger competition, which invited students from around the world to produce their own interpretation of the tiger to raise public awareness about the legendary animal's serious risk of extinction.

Kao’s design, called “Restore Balance,” features a tiger – symbolizing strength in China – and the colors black and white, which represent the yin and yang of Taoism, as well as the balance between humans and the environment. According to Kao, these representations of strength and balance are also inspired by elements of Prada's branding and retail space designs. She shared that the goal of the design is to bring together people from different neighborhoods and cultures, and to raise awareness of Prada’s mission for ecological conservation and efforts to restore balance. “I was honored that my design was selected by Prada,” she said. “This definitely shows how I learned from the Exhibition and Experience Design program, and my ability to create a story from an individual perspective and observations in everyday life.”

09/16/2022

In celebration of the Tennis Championships, five FIT student-designed gowns - each inspired by and featuring , the official tennis ball of the - were created for public viewing as part of a contest sponsored by and . The winning design from .germano, Fashion Design BFA '23, was also featured on-site this past weekend during the US Open Finals. https://bit.ly/3BteyRG

09/08/2022

A group from FIT recently had the chance to see some of their doll clothing designs unveiled at by ! These were created for , the hit kids series from (aka Chris Bridges) who also joined the exciting event. The project was produced in partnership with and .

Congratulations to the FIT designers: Juliana Bui, Brianna Castillo, Jacob Desvarieux, Desiree DiCarlo, Hawwaa Ibrahim, Carly McBride, Jake Valliere, and Jada Wilkerson.

“It was a really fulfilling experience being able to walk into a store and see a variety of Karma’s World dolls from Mattel that featured my designs,” said Valliere, an Accessories Design grad. “Knowing that people will be purchasing and using something I designed is one of the main reasons I decided to follow design as a career. Meeting and having him thank our team for our work felt really sincere. This is truly a milestone, being the first of my designs to reach the shelves.”

"Fashion plays a huge part in Karma's World; it's one of the many ways that Karma and her friends express themselves," said Chris Bridges. "When designing these pieces, it was important to us to partner with creatives who share our commitment to diversity. FIT has really gotten behind our story of empowerment by creating fashionable pieces that are authentic to the characters. I am so proud of what we have done together and I am thrilled that Mattel is featuring these designs in such a big way."


Photo left to right: FIT fashion and accessories design alumni Juliana Bui, Jake Valliere, and Desiree DiCarlo join Chris (Ludacris) Bridges during the FAO Schwarz "Kick It with Karma's World" event celebrating the launch of the toy line.

08/23/2022

The Queen of Slow Fashion on the Art of a Slow Exit

Vincent Tullo, Photography ’16, took the portrait photos for a New York Times profile of the sustainability pioneer and fashion designer Eileen Fisher, who is stepping down as the head of her namesake brand. The article discussed her legacy and her plans for retirement.

Eileen Fisher went from industry outlier to godmother of a movement. Now, she is getting ready to pass the torch, starting with a new chief executive at her company.

08/16/2022

FIT Students Return to Study Abroad in Italy

The Study Abroad program resumed this summer after two years of the program being paused due to the pandemic. FIT faculty member Salvatore Giardina held International Italian Product Development, a short-term three-week course for students in Italy to learn how high-quality fabrics are designed, produced, and marketed globally for use in apparel.

This summer, the Study Abroad program resumed for FIT students seeking an educational experience off American soil after two years of the program being paused during the height of the pandemic. On…

08/09/2022

FIT Authors

Happy ! Each semester, the Fashion Institute of Technology Library collects submissions from authors within the FIT community to feature their works and host events to highlight them. Visit authors.fitnyc.edu to find a listing of recently published books by FIT authors.

Discover the depth and breadth of authors who teach, work, and study at FIT!

08/04/2022

Five Standout Design Students From Class of 2022 on the Future of Fashion

WWD's senior reporter Misty White Sidell highlighted five standout design students, including Future of Fashion 2022 Critic Award winner in sportswear Monica Palucci '22! Palucci spoke with WWD about her graduating thesis collection, “Closer to Home,” and her design ethos.

Fashion design students from five U.S.-based schools share their creative ethos and muse on the future of a more sustainable, inclusive industry.

08/03/2022

Kilo Kish on Finding Herself Through Experimenting With Fashion

Vogue interviewed singer-songwriter Kilo Kish, Textile/Surface Design ’12, about the imagery and style for her new album, American Gurl, which features American designers.

“It was me dissecting where I’ve been up until this point, my upbringing, the different subcultures that I’ve been a part of, and some of the tropes and identities associated with those,” she said of the album.

The artist talks about the power of phases, clothes, and not being in the gaze of others.