FIT Partners With Macy’s for Future of Fashion Runway Show

Lisa Lockwood
·3 min read

Macy’s for the first time will present the Fashion Institute of Technology’s “The Future of Fashion Runway Show,” which takes place May 11 at 7 p.m.

The show will feature looks created by FIT’s 2022 Fashion Design BFA program graduates and will span five concentrations: knitwear, sportswear, intimate apparel, special occasion and children’s wear. The show will take place at FIT on the outdoor breezeway on West 27th Street, between Seventh and Eighth Avenues. Designs are inspired by personal stories and address wide-ranging themes such as heritage appreciation, sustainability, gender neutrality, accessibility and mental health awareness.

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As part of Macy’s enterprise-wide social purpose platform, Mission Every One, the retailer is supporting the Future of Fashion through two new programs.

For the Macy’s capsule collection, the company’s in-house design team will select one student look — based on design quality, commercial appeal and originality — to be sold at Macy’s Herald Square in New York in the fall. The hang tag will feature the name, photo and biography of the winning student.

In addition, Suzanne Anderson, vice president, design apparel, Macy’s and Michelle Wang, vice president, Retail Diversity Strategy, Macy’s, will select three looks for the Macy’s inaugural Bold Representation Awards, which will recognize Best Use of Sustainable Materials, Most Commercial Look, and Most Inclusive/Gender Neutral Design.

“We are thrilled to partner with FIT to present this year’s Future of Fashion Runway Show,” said Nata Dvir, chief merchandising officer at Macy’s. “Every day Macy’s inspires customers to own their style with the nation’s best brands, and we are proud to promote and embolden the next generation of prolific designers while offering our customers one-of-a-kind products.”

The designs selected by Macy’s will be featured in the Future of Fashion runway show. The designs from the class of 2022 will also be included, selected by a group of industry professionals who will serve as judges. They include Macy’s Anderson and Wang; Kesha McLeod, image consultant and wardrobe stylist; Emilia Petrarca, senior fashion writer, The Cut; Nicole Phelps, global director, Vogue Runway, and Zanna Roberts Rassi, cofounder of Milk Cosmetics and style host, E!.

Throughout the spring semester, students were mentored by designers, who served as critics covering the five specializations: Jason David Mahler, associate vice president of design, Victoria’s Secret (knitwear); Stacey Tester, senior design director, Coach (knitwear); Jeffrey Dodd, designer of his namesake label, (sportswear); Danielle Elsener, designer of Decode (sportswear); Kimberley Gordon, creative director and designer, Selkie (sportswear); Sally LaPointe, womenswear designer, Lapointe (sportswear); Jacky Marshall, design consultant (sportswear); Mary Ping, founder and fashion designer, Slow and Steady Wins the Race (sportswear); Flora Backer, founder and designer, Rya Collection (intimate apparel); Keith Lissner, executive vice president of design, Vera Wang (special occasion); Andrea Pitter, founder and designer, Pantora Bridal (special occasion), and Halla Elias, founder and designer of Halabaloo (children’s wear). Macy’s assistant designers also mentored the finalists for the Macy’s Capsule Collection. The critics will name 12 Critic Award winners who will be recognized with the distinction during the runway show.

Admission to the show is by invitation only, with a livestream available to the public on FIT’s site. The entire class of 2022 designs will also be visible on FIT’s website.

For 10 years, Calvin Klein has underwritten FIT’s runway show. In 2012, Calvin Klein himself made a $1 million gift to FIT in support of the college’s spring runway show, and Calvin Klein Inc. matched the gift with an additional $1 million donation.

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