For the 65 graduating BFA students whose 72 looks were sent down the runway in the 2015 Future of Fashion show Thursday, April 30, the year culminated with a great big successful bang. For the nearly 400 celebrities, designers, fashion industry insiders, and media in attendance — as well as the more than 15,000 who participated to watch live online — it was a glimpse into fashion’s future.
Nicole Richie hosted the highly anticipated, professionally produced, end-of-year runway show featuring stunning, innovative looks for fall 2015 created by FIT’s top graduating Fashion Design students. Included were the Critic Award–winning looks in sportswear, special occasion, knitwear, intimate apparel and children’s wear, plus this year’s new feature, the winner of the People’s Choice Award. Richie, a creative director, entrepreneur, philanthropist, writer, and actress, wore Calvin Klein Collection to the event, and showed her support for the emerging designers.
“This evening celebrates the culmination of months of hard work,” Richie said in her opening remarks. “I know how much blood, sweat, and tears go into making a dream a reality….These students’ creativity, dedication, and professionalism will no doubt inspire the future of the fashion industry for years to come.”
Trends seen on the runway this year included fur (both real and fake), oversize coats, uneven and bi-level hemlines, hand embellishment, fringe, patchwork, chunky knits, ponchos, high-waisted pants paired with crop tops, and monotone head-to-toe looks. Specific techniques that appeared include laser cut-outs, hand painting, screen printing, felting, coating canvas with plastic, hand- or “finger-knitting,” and the incorporation of LED lighting to a look, as well as holographic panels.
Nine major designers and design houses mentored the students as they created their final collections, visiting classrooms throughout the spring semester to critique the students’ designs. This year’s critics were Reem Acra (Special Occasion), Jason Mahler and Annalise Frank from American Eagle Outfitters (Knitwear), Victoria Bartlett (Sportswear), Morgan Curtis (Intimate Apparel), Tess Giberson (Knitwear), Azede Jean-Pierre (Sportswear), Phillip Lim (Sportswear), Nicholas and Christopher Kunz from Nicholas K (Sportswear), and Bonnie Young (Children’s Wear). Each selected the most exceptional garment created by a student in their group for special citation as a Critic Award winner. This year’s winners are Lisaneyla Almonte (Special Occasion), Jose Camacho (Sportswear), Ting He (Knitwear), Esmeralda Fyhr (Intimate Apparel), Sofia Menasse (Sportswear), Luis Peralta (Sportswear), Chanan Reifen (Knitwear), Veronica Romero Schon (Sportswear), and Anjani Yarlagadda (Children’s Wear).
Fashion Design faculty members selected 27 garments (three from each of nine classes) to be eligible for the first-ever People’s Choice Award. More than 17,000 total votes were cast, with more than 25,000 unique visitors. The contest was promoted through social media. The People’s Choice winner was Caroline Vagnone.
For the first time, the show was streamed live on Yahoo! Style website and on Not Just a Label. Watch the video from the show at fitnyc.edu/futureoffashion.
Six outstanding fashion and media professionals judged the students’ designs to determine which garments were exceptional enough to earn a spot on the runway. This year’s judges were Bryan Grey Yambao (blogger, Bryanboy.com), Rachel Besser (assistant market editor, Refinery29), Anne Keane (fashion director at Lucky), María Marrero (group content chief of Meredith Hispanic Media, publisher of Siempre Mujer and Ser Padres magazines), Lilliana Vazquez (founder, CheapChicas.com; author of The Cheap Chica’s Guide to Style), and Colleen Sherin (senior fashion director for Saks Fifth Avenue).
The Future of Fashion is supported by a $2 million multiyear gift from FIT alumnus Calvin Klein through the Calvin Klein Family Foundation and the company he founded, Calvin Klein, Inc. The show is also made possible by a generous grant from MAC. Support for the show’s video presentation is provided by Chico’s FAS.