Graduating Class of FIT is the Future of Fashion

The runway at the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) will once again be the place for established designers, editors, and other VIPs to preview the fashion industry's most promising young designers when the college presents The Future of Fashion, the annual end-of-year runway show, on May 1 at 6:30 p.m. Approximately 80 outstanding looks created by graduating Fashion Design students will be selected from a field of 330, including sportswear, special occasion, knitwear, intimate apparel, and children's wear designed for fall 2013. This year's show will also showcase a capsule collection by graduating Fashion Design students who spent their final year at the college's Milan campus at the Politecnico di Milano.

The professionally produced show is supported by a $2 million gift from alumnus Calvin Klein, and the company he founded, Calvin Klein, Inc.

Nine major designers and design houses, including Amsale Aberra (special occasion),Maggie Norris (special occasion), Lisa Perry (sportswear), David Neville and Marcus Wainwright of rag & bone (sportswear), Gary Graham (sportswear), Flora Nikrooz (intimate apparel), Tom Scott (knitwear), Lars Andersson (knitwear), and Bonnie Young (children's wear), serve as mentors to the students. They are visiting classrooms throughout the spring semester to critique the students' designs, and each will select the most exceptional garment created by a student in their group for special citation as a Critic Award winner.

Six fashion and media professionals will judge the completed pieces to determine which garments are outstanding enough to earn a spot on the runway. This year's judges are Kate Betts (Time, Inc.), Alana Kelen (VH1), Lilliana Vazquez (NBC), Bryan Grey Yambao (BryanBoy.com), Colleen Sherin (Saks Fifth Avenue), and Joe Zee (Elle).

The designers selected for the fashion show will also vie for cash awards from Cotton Incorporated, a longtime show sponsor. Students who display the best use of cotton in their garments will compete for prizes of $10,000 for first place, $5,000 for second place, and $3,000 for third place.

Siempre Mujer magazine is sponsoring a new award: The Siempre Mujer Best Use of Color Award, which will be given to the student whose use of color best enhances the design of their garment. The award will be judged by Mara Cristina Marrero, editor-in-chief of Siempre Mujer.

For the second year, cosmetics will be provided by MAC, along with a team of makeup artists led by Lyne Desnoyers, executive director of Makeup Artistry at MAC. Leading makeup artist Janice Kinjo will return for her third year.

Celebrity stylist John Barrett of John Barrett Salon, located on the penthouse floor of New York's Bergdorf Goodman, will direct a team of hairstylists.

The Future of Fashion will take place in the John E. Reeves Great Hall on the FIT campus. While admission is by invitation only, the 6:30 p.m. show will be streamed live on the web at fitnyc.edu/futureoffashion and projected live in 3D in FIT's Katie Murphy Amphitheatre.

To follow the lead-up to The Future of Fashion, visit fitnyc.edu/futureoffashion.

The internationally renowned Fashion Design program at the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) was established in 1944, the year the college was founded. The program's close ties to industry help ensure that the curriculum continually evolves, immersing students in current real-world practice. The program provides both an essential foundation for creating apparel and advanced study in specialized areas. Students intern with leading designers and design houses, and have the opportunity to study abroad, in FIT's programs in Florence and Milan. Notable alumni include Calvin Klein, Michael Kors, Nanette Lepore, Amsale Aberra, Reem Acra, Nina Garcia, Francisco Costa, Brian Atwood, Ralph Rucci, Michelle Smith, Andrew Fezza, Dennis Basso, Norma Kamali, John Bartlett, Stephen Burrows, Jhane Barnes, Miranda Morrison, Kari Sigerson, and Rebecca Moses.

The Fashion Institute of Technology, a college of the State University of New York, has been a leader in career education in art, design, business, and technology for nearly 70 years. With a curriculum that provides a singular blend of hands-on, practical experience, classroom study, and a firm grounding in the liberal arts, FIT offers a wide range of outstanding programs that are affordable and relevant to today's rapidly changing industries. The college offers more than 45 majors and grants AAS, BFA, BS, MA, MFA, and MPS degrees, preparing students for professional success and leadership in the global marketplace. Visit fitnyc.edu.