The Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) celebrated its graduate students’ careers with its annual gala in New York City. Presented by Macy’s at the Glasshouse, the occasion began with FIT’s Future of Fashion runway show with designs by 73 Fashion Design BFA students, including Namwoo Kim, Chloe Franzen, Madeline Hausner, Keyue Chen, Sofie Hultbom, Everette Landers, Ryan Depaolo, Yilei Qian, Irene Alexandra Cubides, Hayden Mullikin, Grace Cooper, Kea Oudom Seng, Stephanie She, and Sung Hye Park.
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- Keyue Chen
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- Everette Landers
Namwoo Kim, Chloe Franzen, Madeline Hausner, Keyue Chen, Sofie Hultbom, Everette Landers, Ryan Depaolo, Yilei Qian, Irene Alexandra Cubides, Hayden Mullikin, Grace Cooper, Kea Oudom Seng, Stephanie She, Sung Hye Park
“First and foremost, the younger generation is got a better understanding of the need for sustainability and innovation, and the need for our industry to really change to grow in a different way,” said supermodel Amber Valletta. “I do believe fashion can be an art form, and it is a form of expression and cultivating new talent is important—but also respecting the elder talents and the icons of legacy fashion is equally as important.”
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- Amber Valletta
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- Norma Kamali, Kenneth Cole
The accompanying awards gala hosted by Carolyn Murphy honored Kenneth Cole with the Social Impact Award, LoveShackFancy’s Rebecca Hessel Cohen with the Entrepreneurship Award, and Norma Kamali with the Outstanding Alumni Award. All honorees shared reflective speeches commemorating their fashion careers, industry successes, and wishes for innovative change within the industry—as well as future designers.
Rebecca Hessel Cohen
“A piece of advice that I wish was given to me was that fearlessness is always the most important thing,” Hessel Cohen told The Daily Front Row. “You have to put yourself out there and you’re going to be judged, and you’re going to be criticized and whatever else, but you have to just keep on going. Keep with your vision, stay true and authentic to yourself, and you can never steer in the wrong direction that way.”
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- Rebecca Hessel Cohen, Ken Downing, Joyce F. Brown
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- Fern Mallis
During the event, funds were raised for the FIT Foundation, which provides scholarships, initiatives, and more for future students. Tamron Hall, a presenter alongside Matthew Yokobosky and Jordan Roth, additionally announced the organization’s new Kenneth Cole Social Impact Award honoring a student that displays social impact engagement. The night’s guests included Dr. Joyce F. Brown, Fern Mallis, Frederick Anderson, Ken Downing, Victor Glemaud, Christian Cowan, Christopher John Rogers, Lara Eurdolian, Mara Hoffman, Candice Huffine, Noah Kozlowski, B Michael, Jean Shafiroff, Ramon Singer, Constance White, and Zaldy.
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- Norma Kamali
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- Jordan Roth, Tamron Hall
The moment also allowed attendees to reflect on fashion’s deeper meaning, specifically how other generations across design, modeling, and more create a legacy.
“It was my first time presenting,” said Murphy. “I was very nervous, but I was doing it for Ivan [Bart]. Honestly, I felt like he was the angel on my shoulder. The last time I was at FIT a few years ago, I was giving him an award for social impact. So, [this was] in honor of Ivan.”
Jane Hertzmark Hudis, Carolyn Murphy, Justin Boxford
At the end of the night, guests left Glasshouse with gift bags form Dior, complete with additional treats from Bumble & Bumble—which each provided makeup and hair services for the students’ runway show.
All images: Courtesy of Getty Images
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