When FIT’s supporters came to the college’s Annual Gala to celebrate President Joyce F. Brown, they were invited to interact in person with fashion illustrators and fine artists.
Striking a Pose
In the lounge of the Glasshouse, six illustrators were situated around the room, while a seventh illustrator worked in the adjacent VIP room. Gala attendees who stopped by the illustrators’ tables and struck a pose later received 5-by-7-inch portraits, most of which were rendered in the style of fashion sketches—gracefully elongated to exaggerate garments’ details and heighten glamour. FIT has long been a leader in fashion illustration education and the illustrators chosen to work at the gala were among the best of the best: Renaldo Barnette, adjunct assistant professor, Fashion; Mary Bridgman, adjunct assistant professor, Fashion; Steven Broadway, adjunct assistant professor, Fashion; Meiling Chen, adjunct faculty member, Fashion; alumna Brooke Hagel, Fashion Design ’03; and alumnus Michael Hazard, Fashion Design AAS ’23.
Chen describes fashion illustration as “a powerful tool for bringing designs to life.” Like the other faculty members who sketched gala guests, Chen both teaches at FIT and also works as an industry professional. In her classroom, she emphasizes drawing from live models, because it helps students learn to capture the way garments move, the energy of the design, and the attitude of the model. “I encourage my students to use sketching as a means of storytelling, a way to communicate their vision with both creativity and precision. I want students to be original in their thinking and develop their own style.”
Indeed, each illustrator’s original sketching style was evident as they worked the event. Barnette focuses on keeping the head and body size proportionate, and illustrates no more than three details on the model, merely hinting at other details in the drawing. Broadway, a speedy sketcher, occasionally focuses his illustrations solely on one garment, like a shoe that made a statement, or a headshot of a guest wearing stylish glasses.
Hagel, who is regularly hired by celebrities to illustrate them, says the key to a great fashion sketch is “capturing an element of the person’s look and personality that makes them really recognize themselves in the drawing, like a signature hair flip, a big smile, or an exaggerated sleeve.”
Shawn Lanier, a current student in Fine Arts, was also an illustrator at the event, but instead of focusing on fashion, he chose to sketch portraits of his sitters. “This was my first time drawing live in front of people while talking to them,” Lanier said. “It felt surreal to see the reactions of those I drew and to have more people request portraits afterwards. I love this approach because it allows me to connect with new people and capture their essence in my sketches.”
Murals of Reflection
As guests entered the gala on Tuesday night, they saw two artists putting the finishing touches on large, 36-by-72-inch paintings, which are now up for silent auction as part of the gala fundraiser. The artists were Charles Esperanza, Illustration BFA ’10, and Victor A. Saint-Hilaire, Illustration BFA ’13. The two alumni were tasked with creating work on the theme of “reflection” but were free to interpret that however they wanted.
Esperanza, best known for his children’s book illustrations, has won a prestigious Caldecott Honor for My Daddy Is a Cowboy. His gala painting depicts a hip girl in sunglasses and sneakers. A closer look reveals that one sneaker is emblazoned with 1998, the other with 2025—the first and last years of President Brown’s tenure. The girl’s sunglasses reflect the street signs at the corner of West 27th Street and Seventh Avenue—FIT’s address.
Saint-Hilaire, a multidisciplinary artist who specializes in murals, currently has a mural on display at the Museum of Modern Art. He has also been an alumni manager of ChalkFIT for many years. For his gala painting, he used the theme to reflect on his Dominican heritage, with bright colors and a spiritual, totemic feel.
Saint-Hilaire said he relies on his FIT education every day. “All of my professors truly emphasized the importance of consistently creating and being on top of one’s artistic practices,” he said. “It was a high honor to be part of a gala celebrating Dr. Joyce Brown. She’s truly a tremendous force, and it’s humbling to have been creating in the presence of such a person.”
Both paintings are among other items up for bid in the silent auction that is an extension of the gala festivities. Each artist will receive 50% of the final auction bid, directly supporting their creative endeavors; the other 50% supports college initiatives. Bid on Esperanza’s painting or Saint-Hilaire’s online. The auction ends May 8.