Photo Flash: FIT Students Reimagine Disney Fashion For Disney On Broadway 25th Anniversary Celebration

Disney on Broadway continues its 25th anniversary celebration in partnership with the Fashion Institute of Technology, creating a unique design challenge for students to reimagine contemporary designs for some of Disney on Broadway's iconic female characters. The partnership is a first between Disney on Broadway and the college, which will soon be celebrating its 75th anniversary.

The design challenge represents the work of 10 FIT Fashion Design students whose designs were selected from among nearly 100 submissions.

The student finalists, who are from all over the world, will have their garments on display in an exhibition at the Art and Design Gallery located in FIT's Pomerantz Art and Design Center from September 19-October 6. A press preview will be held on September 24 at 3 pm in the same space.

The students and their Disney on Broadway design inspirations are:

· Marianna Gonzalez, a fourth-year student from Brownsville, Texas, designing for Jane from Tarzan

· Eunhye Jo, a third-year student from Seoul, South Korea, designing for Rafiki from

The Lion King

· Ashna Moogi, a third-year student from Bangalore, India, designing for Elsa from Frozen

· Yelayny Placencia, a fourth-year student from Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, designing for Anna from Frozen

· Ruby SeoHee Shin, a fourth-year student from South Korea, designing for Nala from The Lion King

· Annette Stone, a fourth-year student from northern California, designing for Jasmine from Aladdin

· Paige Walker, a fourth-year student from Ontario, Canada, designing for Belle from Beauty and the Beast

· Georgianna Wells, a fourth-year student from Memphis, Tennessee, designing for Katherine from Newsies

· Baoqing Yu, a second-year student from Taishan, Guangdong, China, designing for Ariel from The Little Mermaid

· Sooyoung Yun, a fourth-year student from South Korea, designing for Mary Poppins

"We are delighted to partner with FIT and their talented students on this special design challenge," said Robin Wyatt, vice president, Marketing, Disney Theatrical Productions. "Each designer created contemporary sketches that are all unique interpretations of our beloved Disney on Broadway characters and we look forward to seeing their garments come to fruition."

"FIT is thrilled to be part of Disney on Broadway's 25th anniversary celebration," said Dr. Joyce F. Brown, president of FIT. "Our students-who share the Disney spirit of innovation-embraced the opportunity to participate in this project. My congratulations to the winners and to Disney Theatrical Productions for 25 years of extraordinary entertainment on Broadway."

The success of the students in this project is in part due to the fact that FIT offers five concentrations-Sportswear, Knitwear, Children's Wear, Special Occasion, and Intimate Apparel-and many of the reimagined designs incorporate elements of those concentrations, according to Gerard Dellova, assistant professor of Fashion Design and one of two faculty advisors on the project, along with Michael Kaye, adjunct assistant professor in Fashion Design. "For example, Ariel from The Little Mermaid incorporates elements of swimwear and special occasion, whereas with Belle from Beauty and the Beast, there are elements of intimate apparel coming through," Dellova said. "That makes a big difference in the way the students are trained."

Photo Credit: Disney