Two students from FIT’s Precollege program appeared on ABC’s Good Morning America on Tuesday, August 25 for a back-to-school fashion styling contest—and one of them won. Olivia Priolo took home the trophy. Priolo participated in the contest with fellow FIT Precollege student Alyssa Gottlieb and Jaheem Clarke, from the Parsons Scholars program at The New School. The three high school students accepted the challenge to shop for a back-to-school outfit for $75 or less at Macy’s and H&M. They modeled their ensembles live on TV and explained their sense of style and how it influenced the outfit they chose. All three students got to keep the clothes.
The segment was hosted by ABC’s Amy Robach, and the students’ outfits were judged by stylist June Ambrose, who selected Priolo’s slim black pants, bejeweled yellow sleeveless sweater, and boots, saying: “When I hear the word powerful, that wins, and Olivia’s powerful color is what I’m going for.”
Priolo, 16, a high school junior who took the Ins and Outs of Fashion Merchandising course at FIT this summer, says the class and being at FIT made her realize that fashion is the field she wants to pursue. She is particularly interested in the public relations side of fashion. She is interning at accessories company Charlotte Olympia. Her personal shopping philosophy is to buy pieces that can be used in multiple ways so her money is wisely spent.
Gottlieb, also 16 and a junior, took two courses this summer, Ins and Outs of Fashion Merchandising and Fashion Forecasting for the Future. Her takeaway from her experience at FIT is the knowledge that she definitely wants to be involved on the business side of fashion. The courses gave her direction, purpose, and a renewed enthusiasm for the field. She is currently interning at Ralph Lauren.
Priolo and Gottlieb were selected by Good Morning America from a pool of outstanding students in FIT’s Precollege program.