Alumni Weekend 2026 Schedule
October 23–25 | Fashion Institute of Technology
A weekend of festivities welcoming alumni back to campus.
This fall FIT welcomes alumni back to campus for our third annual Alumni Weekend. The days will be filled with exciting opportunities to reconnect with classmates and faculty, make new connections, and discover what’s changed on campus.
Alumni Weekend tickets start at $35, with optional add-ons.
Traveling in?
Book accommodations by September 29, 2026 using the dedicated booking link below for guaranteed group rates at MADE Hotel Chelsea.
Schedule Legend
^ add-on purchase required
* kid-friendly events
Are you an FIT parent or family member of a current student? Family Weekend registration opens Monday.
Thursday, October 22
Preweekend Activities
Alumni and Family Weekend officially begins on Friday, but you may be interested in
these FIT activities happening on Thursday, October 22.
An Alumni Weekend ticket is not required to attend; see below to find out how to attend.
Gotham Hall, 1356 Broadway, New York, NY 10018
The Couture Council of The Museum at FIT (MFIT) will honor Diane von Furstenberg—fashion designer, entrepreneur, and philanthropist—with the 2026 Couture Council Award for her transformational influence on women’s fashion. Von Furstenberg will receive the award during MFIT's annual Couture Council Luncheon. The fundraising event benefits The Museum at FIT, the only museum in New York dedicated exclusively to the art of fashion. Couture Council board members Anne Baker, jewelry designer at Anne Baker Collection, and Alida Boer, CEO and founder of Nolé Care and Marias, serve as the event co-chairs.
Katie Murphy Amphitheatre
Hosted by the Baker Scholars Program
Join a high-energy panel of FIT alumni trailblazers who turned side hustles, unexpected
pivots, and bold leaps into thriving, one-of-a-kind careers. Learn how to transform
your diverse interests into your greatest professional asset and confidently build
a career that excites you every single day.
Panelists include
- Natalie Holloway, AAS Fashion Merchandising Management ‘08, co-founder of Bala and author
- Kristina Velkova-Levine, BSc Fashion Merchandising Management ‘15, co-founder of Vitaclean
- Ramona Dunlap, assistant professor, Fashion Business Management
- Christopher Wallace, BSc Production Management ‘16, director of Global E-Business at Thom Browne
- Namra Khan, BSc Fashion Business Management ‘22, program manager at Fashion Scholarship Fund
Good Behavior Rooftop, 44 W 29th St, 18th Floor
Join Interim Dean Brooke Carlson, PhD, and faculty from each graduate program to kick off Alumni and Family Weekend a day early:
- Brenda Cowan, chair, Exhibition and Experience Design
- Hilary Davidson, chair, Fashion and Textile Studies: History, Theory, Museum Practice
- Sarah Holbrook, faculty, Global Fashion Management
- Stephan Kanlian, chair, Cosmetics and Fragrance Marketing and Management
- Brendan Leach, chair, Illustration
- Paul Melton, chair, Art Market Studies
- Cathleen Sheehan, chair, Fashion Design
Connect with fellow graduate studies alumni, take in panoramic skyline sunset views, and enjoy drinks and light bites. It’s the perfect way to get in the spirit for a festive weekend at FIT. All attendees receive a complimentary drink ticket.
Register for Graduate Studies Social
This event is open to guests 21+.
Friday, October 23
Location information to come.
When you arrive on campus, check in with the FIT Foundation team to receive your lanyard and badge, which you will use for access to campus throughout Alumni and Family Weekend.
Stop by for a quick one-on-one career coaching session with Career and Internship Services counselor Josephine Jee, and learn how to leverage FIT’s career services, including resume reviews, cover letter workshops, and the FIT Career Services Job Bank. Come ready to chat about your professional goals and share your career journey, and leave with clarity and confidence on your next steps.
Spots are available on a first come, first served basis; sign up to reserve a slot.
Concurrent with tours; choose one. Space is limited. Register now!
Woodworking: Make a Coat Rack^
Dubinsky Student Center, AC08, Basement Level
Did you know that FIT has a woodshop? Get to know your way around tools, material processing, and fabrication techniques at a hands-on woodworking workshop with Continuing and Professional Studies faculty member Steve Ceraso!
Learn how to assemble a functional, quick-to-make wooden peg rail and coat hanger.
Participants will gain an understanding of basic material processing and fabrication
techniques and create a practical piece to take home. In addition to supporting departments
across campus, the woodshop regularly hosts non-credit woodworking and furniture-making
classes on evenings and weekends.
Learn more about woodworking classes
Fragrance Development Workshop^
Annette Green Fragrance Foundation Studio, Dubinsky Student Center, Sixth Floor, Room
A-682
Express yourself by customizing FIT’s Scentwear Fragrance in the Fragrance Studio at FIT with Cosmetics and Fragrance Marketing Professor Virginia Bonofiglio.
Participants will customize their fragrance based on the addition of a personal choice top note and learn how to use materials indispensable to the creation of your favorite perfumes and colognes.
School of Graduate Studies Information Session
Location to be announced.
Take the next step in your professional journey with FIT’s School of Graduate Studies. Whether you’re looking to advance your career or are a student exploring future career paths, this session offers an overview of FIT’s seven master’s degree programs across museum conservation, design, illustration, and the business of fashion, cosmetics, and art. Discover our curriculum, application process, and industry networks, followed by a live Q&A with admissions counselor Stefania Chomczyk.
Needle Felting with Locally Sourced Wool^
Location to be announced.
Fashion Design professor Andrea Diodati and Susan Easton from the New York Fashion Innovation Center will lead a hands-on workshop exploring felting as a material for fashion and interiors. Participants will learn the basics of needle felting while exploring New York–grown fibers. Through fiber samples and hands-on trials using a felt loom, designers and students will discover how wool characteristics influence felted materials and come away with a personal creation from the workshop.
Beading Workshop: String to Your Heart’s Content*
Feldman Center, C816, 8th floor
Explore the fascinating history of beads and pearls with Gemology Professor Michael Coan and learn the basics of bead stringing from jewelry designer Kimberley Fiterman-Duepner (Fashion Design ‘79), assisted by her son, Matthew Duepner, a current student in FIT’s Jewelry Design program.
You’ll create a one-of-a-kind piece for yourself or someone you love using a selection of gorgeous semiprecious stones and organic materials, including pearls and coral. All materials are being donated by the workshop leaders, allowing the entire event fee to directly support FIT’s growing Jewelry Design Department.
^ Additional ticket purchase required.
* fun for all ages!
Concurrent with workshops; choose one. Space is limited. Register now!
Campus Highlights Tour*
Location to be announced.
Discover the dynamic spirit of FIT on a tour designed to showcase our distinctive academic environment and hands-on learning facilities. This guided experience takes you through the key creative and technical spaces where student innovation comes to life across art, design, business, and technology.
Doll Dressing Guided Tours
The Museum at FIT Lobby
2–2:30 pm
Join museum staff Raissa Bretaña (Fashion and Textile Studies MA '19) or Kristen Stewart (Fashion and Textile Studies MA '08), for a tour of Doll Dressing. The exhibition features aproximately 170 objects, including dolls, photographs, video, and clothing by designers such as Balenciaga, Jeremy Scott for Moschino, and Anna Sui. The exhibition highlights the longstanding relationship between dolls and fashion, with emphasis on how dolls have inspired clothing design.
Highlights and New Collections From the FIT Special Collections and FIT Archive
FIT SPARC Reading Room, Goodman Center, Fifth Floor, Room E-435
The FIT Library’s unit of Special Collections and FIT Archive, also known as SPARC, is excited to share with alumni selections from its rare book and manuscript collections. Explore the exceptional special collections from the FIT Library with unit members Tiffany Nixon and Julie Sandy-Boyle. They will lead tours of the vaults and have on display collection highlights, which include college yearbooks, designer sketches, rare fashion prints, 1800s fashion magazines, surface and textile design, and much more.
* fun for all ages!
John E. Reeves Great Hall
Connect with fellow members of your undergraduate academic department at our inaugural Department Networking Mixers. Designed as a community-building open house, join students, faculty members (current and retired), and fellow alumni to foster reconnections and grow professional networks. Whether you are looking to share memories or forge new partnerships, join us to celebrtate shared experiences and learn what's happening today in your FIT department.
Katie Murphy Amphitheatre
Join us for an inspiring fireside chat as FIT President Jason Schupbach sits down with SKIMS Chief Communications Officer Tracy Nguyen (Fashion Design '01). In a candid interview, President Schupbach will discuss Nguyen’s remarkable journey from the C-Building¹ to the C-suite, exploring the pivotal moments that defined her career.
Since joining SKIMS, Nguyen has been a driving force behind the brand’s global communications strategy and cultural relevance. Hear firsthand industry insights and practical wisdom from one of the industry’s leading voices.
¹The Feldman Center used to be referred to as the C Building…If you know, you know.
Fifth Floor Student Commons, Joyce F. Brown Academic Building
Building Tours offered at 7 pm
Kick off Alumni and Family Weekend at our Welcome Reception in the brand new Joyce F. Brown Academic Building! Hosted by FIT President Jason Schupbach, this is a chance to connect with alumni and faculty over light bites and beverages. Building tours will be led by the building's designers, ShoP Architects.
Welcome Reception Co-Hosts
- Irene Buchman, former director of Presidential Scholars program
- Roberta Elins, faculty, Advertising and Marketing Communications
- Lynn Glazer, former Student Life program advisor
- Yasemin Jones, interim vice president, Academic Affairs
- Patrick Knisley, dean, School of Liberal Arts
- Shannon Maher, dean, Jay and Patty Baker School of Business and Technology
- Troy Richards, dean, School of Art and Design
- Albert Romano, faculty, Marketing Communications
- Steven Stipelman, faculty, Fashion Design
- Linda Tain, faculty, Fashion Design
- Constance White, senior executive program director, FIT Social Justice Center
Sid Gold’s Request Room, 165 West 26th Street
Following the day's activities, join us for the afterparty at “Binsky’s”—a storied bar that once operated in the Dubinsky Student Center basement, restaged for one night only each year.
An annual Alumni Weekend tradition, this year we're taking it off campus to the grit and glamour of Sid Gold’s Request Room, a live piano karaoke bar just steps from FIT. Whether you're reminiscing about your time here or making new memories, the evening will be one you won't forget. Admission includes one drink ticket.
^ Additional ticket purchase required. This event is open to guests 21+.
Saturday, October 24
Location information to come.
When you arrive on campus, check in with the FIT Foundation team to receive your lanyard and badge, which you will use for access to campus throughout Alumni and Family Weekend.
Bob Fisch Presentation Hall, Joyce F. Brown Academic Building
Hosted by FIT's Social Justice Center
Start your morning with complimentary coffee and pastries followed by a fascinating
fireside chat featuring The Cheetah Girls creator Deborah Gregory and Constance White, Senior Executive Program Director of FIT’s Social Justice Center. Constance will
interview Deborah about her journey from an FIT student to becoming an acclaimed author.
Together, they will explore how to build a world-renowned creative franchise and discuss
what to expect with The Cheetah Girls: Next Gen movie filmed in South Africa and slated for its cheetahlicious release in 2027.
John E. Reeves Great Hall
10 am–12:30 pm and 2–4 pm
Need a new LinkedIn profile photo or just want a refreshed portrait? Get ready for your close-up at our headshot station! Two sessions will be offered; sign up now to reserve your time slot.
Photography services provided by White Honey, a full-service creative agency located in the Garment District. Check out their work on instagram @whitehoneynyc !
^ Additional ticket purchase required.
Dining Hall, Dubinsky Student Center
Enjoy 10% off at the Dining Hall, just show your Alumni and Family Weekend Lanyard!
Location to be announced.
Join fellow alumni and students for the Entrepreneurship Social, where you can network with like-minded founders, exchange ideas, and get advice from FIT alumni entrepreneurs.
Are you an entrepreneur, working on your own brand, or have an idea you want to test in front of a trusted audience? Participate in our 90-Second Open Mic—a fun, fast-paced opportunity to share what you’ve been working on! Pitch your latest idea, give a founder’s update, share your entrepreneurial insight, or seek advice within the community.
Whether you're just getting started, looking for collaborators, or scaling up, connect with the FIT entrepreneurial ecosystem to start conversations that lead to the next big thing.
Concurrent events; choose one. Space is limited. Register now!
Dress for the Career You Want: Personal Style Workshop
Location to be announced.
Celebrity stylist Jeffrey Ampratwum (CCPS Fashion Styling: Advanced Certificate '18) will give an interactive workshop covering color analysis, wardrobe coordination, fashion theory, and industry news—concluding with individual aesthetic assessments. This session is a great opportunity to invest in your personal look. Additionally, those interested in monetizing their closets will learn strategies for reselling pieces online, as well as the social media tactics to build your personal brand.
Campus Highlights Tour*
Location to be announced.
Discover the dynamic spirit of FIT on a tour designed to showcase our innovative academic environment and hands-on learning facilities. This guided experience takes you through the key creative and technical spaces where student talent comes to life across art, design, business, and technology.
Doll Dressing Guided Tour
The Museum at FIT Lobby
noon–12:30pm
Join museum staff Raissa Bretaña (Fashion and Textile Studies MA ’19) or Kristen Stewart (Fashion and Textile Studies MA '08), for a tour of Doll Dressing. The exhibition features approximately 170 objects, including dolls, photographs, video, and clothing by designers such as Balenciaga, Jeremy Scott for Moschino, and Anna Sui. The exhibition highlights the longstanding relationship between dolls and fashion, with emphasis on how dolls have inspired clothing design.
Toy Design Studio Tour*
Toy Design Studio
Visit the Toy Design Lab, where you will hear from toy industry veteran Damian Mucaro, associate chair of the Toy Design program. Program graduates have designed some of the most popular toys of the last three decades, including Tickle Me Elmo.
* fun for all ages!
John E. Reeves Great Hall
Meet alumni, peers, and leaders in your field at our luncheon! Student leaders interested in mentorship opportunities will be invited as well. All attendees will share their top industry interests and be seated at a corresponding table hosted by an alum industry expert. Ticket price includes a buffet-style lunch featuring seasonal ingredients and dessert.
^ Additional ticket purchase required.
Dubinsky Student Center, Dining Room, 8th floor
Go inside the FIT classroom during this lively luncheon conversation with faculty representing some of the college’s most dynamic disciplines: Juliana Cho of Fashion Design in the School of Art and Design; Laticha Brown, Chair of Fashion Business Management in the Jay and Patty Baker School of Business and Technology; and Julia Jacquette of Fine Arts in the School of Art and Design.
Hear how FIT faculty are inspiring students, bringing industry and real-world perspectives into the classroom, and pushing creativity and innovation forward. From fashion design and business to the fine arts, this conversation will give alumni and families a fresh look at the breadth of the FIT academic experience and how today’s students are preparing to shape what’s next.
Come for lunch, connect with the FIT community, and get an inside perspective on the people and programs defining FIT today.
^ Additional ticket purchase required.
West 27th Street
It wouldn’t be FIT without a market! Partnering with the Style Shop and the Merchandising Society, we will have curated a bazaar featuring goods from alumni makers, entrepreneurs, and small business owners. From artisan jewelry and natural skincare to unique home decor, the Alumni Bazaar will have something for everyone.
If you preorder a sweatshirt during registration, you can pick it up here!
While you browse, enjoy complimentary coffee and a snack, and stop by the Street Fair planned by Student Life to check out student clubs, campus resources, and special performances.
* Fun for all ages! There’s something for everyone in the FIT family at the bazaar.
Location to be announced.
Session times:
2:00–2:45pm | 3:00–3:45pm | 4:00–4:45pm
Join the conversation and help shape FIT’s next strategic plan, FIT Future//Forward. This interactive listening session offers alumni a dedicated space to share perspectives and discuss the future vision for the college. Your valuable input will inform our strategic goals and help guide FIT’s continued impact across art, design, and business. This session will be led by Susan Hayes, executive director of Strategic Planning, Institutional Research, and Effectiveness at FIT.
Concurrent events; choose one. Space is limited, register now!
Highlights From the FIT Special Collections and College Archives
FIT SPARC Reading Room, Goodman Center, Fifth Floor, Room E-435
The FIT Library’s unit of Special Collections and College Archives, better known as SPARC, is excited to share with alumni selections from its rare book and manuscript collections. Explore the exceptional special collections from the FIT Library with unit members Tiffany Nixon, Samantha Levin, and Julie Sandy-Boyle. They will lead tours of the vaults and have on display SPARC highlights, which include college yearbooks, designer sketches, rare fashion prints, 1800s fashion magazines, surface and textile design, and much more.
Doll Dressing Guided Tour
The Museum at FIT Lobby
4–4:30pm
Join museum staff Raissa Bretaña (Fashion and Textile Studies MA ’19) or Kristen Stewart (Fashion and Textile Studies MA '08), for a tour of Doll Dressing. The exhibition features approximately 170 objects, including dolls, photographs, video, and clothing by designers such as Balenciaga, Jeremy Scott for Moschino, and Anna Sui. The exhibition highlights the longstanding relationship between dolls and fashion, with emphasis on how dolls have inspired clothing design.
The Ruth Finley Fashion Calendar: Demo and Discussion
Bob Fisch Presentation Hall, Joyce F. Brown Building
Join Natalie Nudell, Art History and Museum Professions faculty, for a panel discussion on the history of New York Fashion Week and the calendar that sets the schedule. First published in the 1940s, Ruth Finley's Fashion Calendar laid the foundations of how New York's fashion and creative communities were structured. Today, the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) organizes and supports the industry with the CFDA Fashion Calendar. This talk will include a demonstration of FIT's Fashion Calendar Research Database (FCRD), an innovative open-source tool that combines Finley's Fashion Calendar with the CFDA's calendar, as part of an ongoing collaboration, Archiving New York Fashion Week: FCRD x CFDA.
Natural Dye Workshop^
Location to be announced.
Join us for a hands-on introduction to natural dyeing. Explore its history and techniques, and create your own unique design using logwood, a rich purple- and violet-hued dye derived from the heartwood of the logwood tree. Learn directly from Porscha Hill (Fashion Design ’14), founder of the London-based Porscha Hill Natural Dye Studio. Using logwood-dyed fabric, fresh lemons, and a special discharge paste made from citric acid and guar gum, you’ll experiment with creating patterns and textures. By the end of the workshop, you’ll have your own piece of textile art as an Alumni Weekend souvenir!
*fun for all ages!
^ Additional ticket purchase required.
Good Behavior
44 W. 29th Street, 18th Floor, New York, NY 10001
Reconnect with fellow recent graduates and enjoy great vibes at Good Behavior, an iconic New York rooftop bar. Don't miss this fun evening of networking, music, and celebration!
This event is intended for graduates of the last decade (class of 2017–2026), but all FIT alumni are welcome.
^ Ticket price includes a selection of light bites and one drink ticket. This event is open to guests 21+.
Dubinsky Student Center, Eighth Floor, Dining Room
End the evening with an enchanting fall feast at Decades Dinner, a golden celebration where alumni will be seated by decade, creating a journey through the eras as we share stories and rekindle friendships.
Guests are invited to interpret the golden theme in their own sparkling style over a seasonally curated meal. Raise a glass to the past, present, and future of FIT!
This event is intended for graduates from the class of 2016 and prior.
^ Ticket purchase includes seated dinner. This event is open to guests 21+.
Sunday, October 25
Rise Bar, 859 9th avenue, New York, NY 10019
Time warp your way into Sunday with an unforgettable Rocky Horror Picture Show–themed drag brunch hosted by the fabulous Brenda Dharling and Holly Box-Springs. Join fellow alumni for an afternoon of over-the-top performances, brunch, cocktails, and plenty of Rocky Horror fun at RISE Bar NYC. Come ready to brunch, sing along, and do the Time Warp again!
^ Your ticket includes an entrée and drink package, featuring bloody marys, mimosas, aperol spritzes, St-Germain spritzes, and mocktails. This event is open to guests 21+.
Campus Hours
| Location | Friday | Saturday | Sunday |
| Museum at FIT Goodman Center |
12 pm–8 pm |
10 am–5 pm |
10 am–5 pm |
|---|---|---|---|
| FIT Library Goodman Center, 5th floor |
9 am–7 pm |
CLOSED |
12 pm–8 pm |
| FIT Campus Store Dubinsky Student Center |
10:30 am–4 pm |
10:30 am–3 pm |
CLOSED |
| The Style Shop Dubinsky Student Center |
10 am–6 pm |
10 am–6:30 pm |
CLOSED |
| Dining Hall Dubinsky Student Center |
7:30 am–9 pm |
10 am–2 pm |
10 am–2 pm |
| Starbucks Dubinsky Student Center |
7:30 am–5 pm |
CLOSED |
CLOSED |
Get Alumni and Family Weekend Merch
Place your order during registration to pick up your sweatshirt at the Alumni Bazaar on Saturday, October 24.
Designed in collaboration with the students from the Product Development Team in the Style Shop, this crewneck sweatshirt pays homage to the campus itself, featuring an architectural illustration of the Goodman Center, Pomerantz Center, and the skybridge that connects the two. Wear it as a reminder of the bridges you've built, connections you've made, and hallways you've traversed—during your time as a student and beyond.