Here you'll find highlights of news stories featuring FIT programs, faculty, students, or alumni. The links on this page will be functional for at least seven days from the date of the story.  

Week of June 22-28

• The blog Shoe Smitten congratulated Rachel Fishbein, winner of the FN Shoe Star competition, and posted a recap of this FIT contest. (June 21).

• The exhibition Daphne Guinness was mentioned in a profile of Guinness that ran in the UK Telegraph (June 25) and on the blog Nowness (June 6). Nowness included a riveting short film, Daphne Guinness Undressed, which follows Guinness in New York for a day.

• The exhibition Sporting Life, which is currently on display at the museum, was featured on the blog of The Fashion Historian Polly Guerin (June 22).

 

Week of June 15-21, 2011

• Vermont’s Shelburne Museum sponsored a competition this past year titled Complete the Look, in which Fashion Design students were challenged to create a contemporary skirt that would coordinate with an antique bodice from the museum’s collection. The designs of all eight finalists are currently on display in a major exhibition at the Shelburne Museum titled In Fashion: High Style, 1690-2011 (June 19 - October 30).  The contest and exhibition were recently featured in the Burlington Free Press (June 11) and on New England Cable News (June 17). For more information about the contest, visit contest.shelburnemuseum.org.

• Adweek interviewed Jeffrey Buchman, professor of Advertising and Marketing Communications, and quoted him extensively in a June 16 article comparing a 1950s Jockey advertisement with a 1990s Calvin Klein ad.

• The exhibition Daphne Guinness, which opens at The Museum of FIT on September 16, was featured on Mediabistro’s blog Unbeige (June 15) and on Retrofuture (June 13). Both articles featured a short film by Guinness. Additionally, Ines Ligron, director of Miss Universe Japan, wrote about the exhibition on her official blog (June 20).

• The current museum exhibition, Sporting Life, is the subject of an article on Sportswear International’s website (June 20). It was also reviewed in M Magazine (June 1).

Week of June 8-15

• The capstone presentation of the Cosmetics and Fragrance Marketing and Management master’s program was featured in Women’s Wear Daily (May 24 online and June 3 in print). The event was also featured in an article on the website Drug Store News (May 20).

• In the June issue of AARP The Magazine – the world’s largest-circulation magazine, with over 47 million readers – Vasilios Christofilakos, chair of Accessories Design, confirmed that high heeled shoes are indeed higher today than they were in the past.

• The June issue of Earnshaw’s featured this year’s BFA graduates fashion show, The Future of Fashion, alongside a photo of the garment designed by Cotton Award winner Eun Mi Sohn (page 6).

• Sporting Life, the new exhibition at The Museum at FIT, was reviewed in the Financial Times (June 10). The exhibition also received coverage in Threads magazine (June 7) and ZIP magazine (June 7).

Week of June 4-7

• A New York Times (June 2) Fashion & Style section cover story about Marc Jacobs’ career and impact on fashion quoted two FIT Fashion Design students on his current relevance.

• An article in Bloomberg Business Week (May 26) quoting Salvatore Giardina, adjunct assistant professor of Textile Development and Marketing, explored ways in which clothing designers are saving on fabric costs in garment production.

• NBC New York’s fashion blog, Thread, addressed the dearth of women nominated for CFDA awards this year (June 3). The piece included extensive quotes from Museum at FIT Director Valerie Steele on possible reasons for the gender disparity.

• Sporting Life, a new exhibition at The Museum at FIT, was featured in an article and slideshow on DNAinfo, the Manhattan news website (May 26). The exhibition also received coverage on the blogs Exhibiting Fashion and Fashion News and Events (both May 26).

Week of May 17-June 3

• Last week’s commencement ceremony received significant media attention. Women's Wear Daily published a short article on the ceremony alongside a photo of Aerin Lauder, the morning speaker (May 25). Footwear News published an article and photograph of Tony Hsieh, who spoke in the afternoon (May 27). Mr. Hsieh’s remarks were also the subject of a feature article on the website of Accessories magazine (May 25). And Simon Doonan, the creative ambassador for Barney’s who was honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award, was featured on NBC New York’s fashion blog, Thread, with excerpts of his speech.

• Earnshaw’s announced the number of graduating Fashion Design BFA students specializing in children’s wear in its May issue. The BFA Fashion Show, The Future of Fashion, was also featured in Glam, the blog of Glamour magazine (May 10) and in the Carib News (May 17). Both stories included photo galleries of notable garments from the runway show.  

• Yasemin Celik Levine, chair of Social Sciences, discussed the symbolism of clothing in women’s religious dress in the Pittsburgh Tribune Review (May 22).

• Katherine Michaelsen, associate chair of Art Market: Principles and Practices, spoke with the Hong Kong daily newspaper The Standard about the program's industry-specific training (May 31).

• Mark Evan Blackman, assistant professor, Menswear, spoke with the Wall Street Journal about the increasing popularity of men’s short sleeve dress shirts (May 22).

• George Simonton, assistant professor, Fashion Design, was quoted on the practice of vanity sizing – and why women shouldn’t expect standardized sizing – in Retail Me Not Insider, an online trade publication (May 20).

• Sporting Life, the current exhibition at The Museum at FIT, was featured on the website of Elle magazine alongside a short interview with the show’s curators, Jennifer Farley and Colleen Hill (May 26).  The exhibition was also chosen as a Critics’ Pick by Time Out New York (May 26).

Week of May 11-18

• The annual FIT/Educational Foundation for the Fashion Industries benefit gala, which this year honored Tim and Johnny Belk of Belk, Inc., was featured in Women’s Wear Daily (May 13), both in print and online. The online article included a slideshow of notable attendees. A photograph of President Brown with Tim and Johnny Belk appeared in the New York Times’ Style section’s Evening Hours column (Sunday, May 15). The event was also featured in Accessories magazine (May 9) and the Epoch Times (May 11).

• Community College Times (May 16) included FIT’s upcoming commencement in a roundup of commencements nationwide. The New York Daily News (May 15) named FIT’s commencement speakers to its list of Top Ten 2011 Commencement Speakers.

• And after a decade of long swim trunks being the style choice in men's swimwear, shorter trunks are coming back to the beach. Mark Evan Blackman, assistant professor, Menswear, spoke with the Wall Street Journal (May 14) about the meaning of this shifting trend.

Week of May 4-10

• FIT's annual Graduating Fashion Design Students Runway Show, The Future of Fashion, is garnering media coverage. Women's Wear Daily (May 9) published a print article that included a full-page lead-in photograph of Calvin Klein and Norma Kamali, along with other photos. The online version was accompanied by a slideshow of the 15 Critic and Cotton Award-winning garments. The Cut (May 6), the fashion blog of New York Magazine, also ran an article and slideshow of the award-winning garments. Elle wrote about The Future of Fashion on its blog (May 5) and included remarks from Calvin Klein and Colette Wong on the garments. DNAinfo, the Manhattan news site, published an article and slideshow (May 5) and also featured a long video segment of the fashion show.

• And proving once again that doggie fashions do have legs with the media, Fashion After Bark, FIT’s third annual Pet Apparel Fashion Show, was the subject of an article on Dog Channel on May 9.

Week of April 27-May 3

• The annual FIT/Educational Foundation for the Fashion Industries benefit gala was the subject of articles in the Charlotte Business Journal  (April 27) and Home Textiles Today (April 26). This year’s gala will honor Tim Belk and Johnny Belk, CEO and COO of Belk, Inc., the Charlotte, NC-based department store chain.

• The New York Times (April 28) quoted Daniel Levinson Wilk, professor of History of Art, in an article about the history of New York City’s subway elevator attendants and the five remaining attendants.

• A Wall Street Journal article (May 2) that reported that Pierre Cardin is looking to sell his company quoted MFIT director Valerie Steele on Cardin’s licensing practices.

• Fashion After Bark, FIT’s third annual Pet Apparel Fashion Show, received much positive press coverage. Among the highlights: Glamour magazine’s daily style blog, Slaves to Fashion, published an article with photo highlights (April 29). The Manhattan news website DNAinfo ran an article and slideshow (April 28) and also featured the show in that day’s Daily News Update video. An article and slideshow also appeared on Metromix (April 27) and on Examiner (April 29).

Week of April  20-26

• Chelsea Now, Gay City News, The Villager, and Downtown Express (April 20) ran a story in advance of this week’s Pet Fashion Apparel Show, including a photo of President Brown’s dog, Bebe, taken at last year’s show.

• The Architects’ Paper (April 20) announced that David Rockwell is the recipient of the 2011 Lawrence Israel prize and will give a public talk at FIT on April 28. The prize is awarded by the Interior Design Department.  

• The New York Times quoted Valerie Steele in a front-page article in the Fashion & Style section about fashion exhibitions in museums (April 20).

Week of April 13-19

• The New York Times (April 15) quoted Stephan Kanlian, chair of Cosmetics and Fragrance Marketing and Management, in an article about the changing role of fragrance models in department stores.

• The Times also published a short article in the "Weekend Miser" (April 14) on the "Drawing Inspiration" exhibition series at the W hotel, which features work by FIT Illustration students and Professor Steven Stipelman and is curated by Karen Santry, associate professor of Illustration.

• Black Book Magazine also featured "Drawing Inspiration," including seven photographs (April 18).

• The Wall Street Journal published an in-depth article (April 14) examining the features and quality of various men's suit labels. Salvatore Giardina, adjunct assistant professor of Textile Development and Marketing, was one of two experts consulted for the piece. He is quoted extensively and offers critiques on a representative range of garments.

• Examiner.com (April 19) publicized the His & Hers exhibition with an article and slide show.

 Week of April 6-12

• FIT's announcement of Aerin Lauder and Tony Hsieh as commencement speakers was featured on the websites Mediabistro and Fashion Windows (April 5). Both articles quoted President Brown.

• The Associated Press included FIT's popular Summer Live program in an article (April 4) about specialized summer camps and programs. The article also ran in the Washington Post (April 5), The Oregonian (April 5), and the Connecticut Post (April 4), among other outlets nationwide.

• The Village Voice (April 5) featured FIT's tenth annual Holocaust Commemoration event in a listing.

• Valerie Steele, director of The Museum at FIT, spoke with the Financial Times (April 8) about royal fiancée Kate Middleton's status as a fashion icon.

• Time Out New York (March 29) featured The Museum at FIT exhibition, His and Hers, as the final stop on "your perfect free weekend," along with photographs of the exhibition.

Week of March 30-April 5

• The Baltimore Sun (March 30) published an article and video on sneaker collectors, arguing that "collecting shoes is no longer a woman's game." Vasilios Christofilakos, chair, Accessories Design, is quoted extensively in the article.

• A Bloomberg News article (March 29) about the increasing popularity of flared jeans over skinny jeans quoted Art History Professor Lourdes Font.

• New Tang Dynasty Television, a Chinese-language TV station based in New York, recently featured a segment on His and Hers, the exhibition currently at The Museum at FIT through May 10. The segment broadcast several times March 22-23 and is now available online.

• The Financial Times published an article (March 25) about Vivienne Westwood's legacy, with additional coverage of the graduate student exhibition, Vivienne Westwood: 1980-1989. Also, Audrey Chaney, one of the exhibition's two curators, was profiled in her hometown newspaper, the Warwick Beacon (Rhode Island) on March 29.

• The San Francisco Chronicle published a profile (April 4) of the two academics who created the blog Threadbared, in which Museum Media Manager Tamsen Schwartzman is quoted on the prevalence of fashion blogs.

Week of March 23-29 

• The Wall Street Journal published an article (March 25) about the declining popularity of miniskirts. Colleen Hill, assistant curator, The Museum at FIT, is quoted on the history of the miniskirt.
• The San Francisco Chronicle published a piece (March 21) on Balenciaga and Spain, the traveling exhibition showing at the M.H. de Young Memorial Museum through July 4. Lourdes Font, associate professor, History of Art, is quoted in the story on the perception of fashion as an art form.
• The Epoch Times featured the various commemorative events at FIT in memory of the Triangle Shirtwaist Company fire (March 24) and included a photograph of the exhibition by Visual Presentation and Exhibition Design students on display in the Pomerantz Art and Design Center lobby.
• The Associated Press published an article (March 24) about Vivienne Westwood: 1980-1989, the exhibition curated by graduate students in the Fashion and Textile Studies: History, Theory, Museum Practice program. The piece was also picked up by the Washington Post (March 24).
• The Westwood exhibition was also featured in the Daily Mail (UK) (March 25), the Columbia Spectator (March 24), and on the website, Lucire (March 27).

Week of March 15-22  

• Mark-Evan Blackman, professor, Menswear, spoke to The New York Times (March 20) about the culture of wearing casual clothing among young entrepreneurs and in startup companies.
• The Korean Broadcasting System broadcast a 13-minute segment on New York Fashion Week and the City’s fashion industry (Wednesday, March 16). The segment featured interviews with FIT students and Joanne Arbuckle, dean, School of Art and Design.

• On March 18, The Cut, the fashion blog of New York magazine, covered an exhibition curated by Karen Santry, professor, Illustration, and featuring illustrations by FIT faculty, currently on display at the W Times Square hotel. The item included a slide show of the work. The exhibition will be on display for three months, and illustrations by both FIT students and faculty will be shown in April and May.
• Architect and designer David Rockwell is the recipient of this year's Lawrence Israel Prize, awarded by the Interior Design program. The website Dexigner (March 15), and Mediabistro’s UnBeige blog (March 16) both covered this news. The prize is awarded every year to an interior designer or architect whose work enriches FIT Interior Design students’ course of study. Rockwell will speak at FIT on April 28; click here for details.
• The New York Times published an article (March 16) about Vivienne Westwood: 1980-1989, the exhibition curated by graduate students in the Fashion and Textile Studies: History, Theory, Museum Practice program.  Co-curators Emma Kadar-Penner and Audrey Chaney are quoted discussing Westwood’s influence and why they chose to focus on 1980-1989. The article also appeared in the International Herald Tribune.
• The creative director of Calvin Klein collection – and FIT alumnus –  Francisco Costa joined MFIT director Valerie Steele last Tuesday to discuss the history of the minimalist movement and the way it has influenced the fashion industry. FashionEtc featured an article about the event (March 16).
• The Museum at FIT also made an appearance on the HGTV show, Selling New York, on Thursday, March 17 with a scene taking place in the Japan Fashion Now exhibition.

Week of March 8-14

• In a Wall Street Journal article (March 10) about the popularity of garments with hoods on the runway during Fashion Week, Daniel James Cole, adjunct assistant professor, Fashion Design-Art, explained the history of hooded garments.
• Also in the Journal (March 10), Valerie Steele, director of The Museum at FIT, commented on the work of Italian designer Roberto Capucci in preparation for a retrospective of his work at the Philadelphia Museum of Art.
• Chelsea Now and Gay City News included two upcoming panel discussions at FIT in a March 11 compilation of citywide events commemorating the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire of 1911. The New York Times Community Calendar also listed one of the events this Sunday, March 13. The FIT programs, which take place March 18 and 23, are free and open to the public. They are part of a series organized by Daniel Levinson Wilk, assistant professor, School of Liberal Arts, commemorating this tragedy.
• Vivienne Westwood: 1980-89, the exhibition curated by graduate students in the Fashion and Textile Studies: History, Theory, Museum Practice program, currently on view at The Museum at FIT continues to receive positive media attention. Elle magazine showcased the exhibition in an online slideshow (March 9). Gotham magazine featured the exhibition on its homepage (March 10). Vogue Italia also ran an article (March 8), as did the Manhattan news site DNAInfo and Blancopop, a major Mexican web magazine (March 7).

Week of March 1-8

• Vivienne Westwood: 1980-89, an exhibition curated by graduate students in the Fashion and Textile Studies: History, Theory, Museum Practice program, opened March 8 at The Museum at FIT. The New York Times featured the exhibition in The Week Ahead page of Sunday's Arts & Leisure section, with an item written by Carol Vogel and a photograph.
• Full Frontal Fashion published a Q & A with the exhibition’s co-curators, Emma Kadar-Penner and Audrey Chaney, plus a slideshow on March 3.
• MRketplace, the magazine about the menswear business, featured the Westwood exhibition on March 3.
• Racked LA included Westwood in a March 4 roundup of “glorious upcoming exhibitions celebrating brilliant fashion design.”
• On February 17, The Museum at FIT presented Tokyo Fashion Festa 2: Cosplay. Part of the museum’s Fashion Culture programs, this lively event featured a fashion show with costumes inspired by favorite characters from manga and anime. The Japanese company Fujisankei Communication created this short video of the event.
• Desiree Koslin, adjunct assistant professor of Fashion and Textile Studies: History, Theory, Museum Practice, spoke with the Wall Street Journal (March 3) about embroidery and fabric ornamentation seen on the runway during the Fashion Week shows.   

Week of February 25-March 1

• Katelyn Bischof, a 2010 Fashion Design graduate who won the Special Occasion critics’ award in last spring’s BFA Fashion Show, was one of nine young designers invited to participate in the Oscars Designer Challenge. After the Associated Press story of February 15, DNAInfo profiled Katelyn on February 25.
• Current Fashion Design student Juan Mota can be seen on PBS’s new TV show, Design Squad Nation, which is available to view online. Juan appears in the two-part episode “A Cut Above.” Part 2 will air on WNET-TV March 27 at 11:00 pm. The show will also broadcast on PBS stations across the country.
• MSNBC interviewed Vasilios Christofilakos, chair, Accessories Design, for a February 25 article on biodegradable shoes.
• Ingrid Johnson, professor and assistant chair, Textile Development and Marketing, participated in a live forty-minute conversation about the history of silk on the WNYC radio program, The Leonard Lopate Show on February 25.
• The Associated Press ran a travel article during New York Fashion Week about fashion museums in the U.S., which featured The Museum at FIT.  This article was picked up by 85 media outlets nationwide, including the online editions of The New York Times and the Chicago Tribune. The AP also shot a video about the museum, narrated by Dr. Valerie Steele, director and chief curator.
• Japan Fashion Now was selected as a weekend “best bet” on WNBC-TV’s Weekend Today in New York Time Out New York (February 5) by Lauren Scala of , which has its own segment on the show. Watch the clip below:

  

FIT in the News is edited by Cheri Fein, executive director of Public and Media Relations, and Irina Ivanova, administrative secretary.