A full house of industry VIPs, media, faculty, and students gathered on FIT’s campus on Thursday, May 8, to watch this year’s Future of Fashion, presented by Macy’s. The runway show featured 82 designs created by a select group of 67 graduates of FIT’s Fashion Design BFA program who were inspired by personal stories and anecdotes that addressed themes such as sustainability, technology, and cultural heritage.
The five specializations of the Fashion Design program are knitwear, sportswear, intimate apparel, children’s wear, and special occasion. No matter the category, students brought vibrant color and texture to their visionary and innovative fashions. Makeup services were provided by Dior Beauty.
The runway looks were selected by a group of distinguished judges:
- Joe Ando-Hirsh*, fashion designer and actor
- Kevin Bass, senior associate of programs and Fashion Calendar at the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA)
- Edmundo Castillo, fashion accessories designer
- Hollis L’Estrange Daniels, design director, Macy’s
- Vanessa Friedman, fashion director and chief fashion critic, The New York Times
- Kelly Geib, account executive, Avalon Apparel
- Phillip Lim, fashion designer and creative director
- Rebecca Moses*, fashion designer and author
- Dr. Valerie Steele, director and chief curator of The Museum at FIT (MFIT)
Thirteen of the designers won Critic Awards, given each year by the renowned industry mentors who work alongside students in their final semester. Each critic is a leader in one of the Fashion Design program’s areas of specialization; many are alumni of the program. Find detailed bios of our critics on the Future of Fashion website, fitnyc.edu/future.
The 2025 Critic Award winners are:
- Alexandra Dayton, Sportswear
- Evelyn Hernandez, Sportswear
- Leyi Huang, Special Occasion
- Lauryn Ilasco, Knitwear
- Hannah Kisilevich, Intimate Apparel
- Paris Liu, Knitwear
- Leah Robinson, Children’s Wear
- Allison Margaret-Smith, Sportswear
- Yuval Sorotzkin, Special Occasion
- Burak Turp, Sportswear
- Yuxiang (Peter) Xiong, Sportswear
- Xiangyu Yang, Sportswear
- Geonhyung Yu, Sportswear
“This is such a touchstone event for FIT—a chance for our young designers to give us the tangible representation of all they have learned over their academic journey here and a chance for us to highlight the value of an FIT education,” said FIT President Joyce F. Brown at the outset of the show. “For four years, the graduating designers have honed their skills and refined the tools they needed to best channel their creativity—and we are able to witness firsthand, the results of those efforts. Each year, the Future of Fashion show gives budding designers a unique opportunity to demonstrate for the world what they can achieve when their passion and training are synchronized and jointly applied.”
For the fourth consecutive year, Macy’s was the lead sponsor of the show. Through Macy’s social purpose platform, Mission Every One, the brand recognized the outstanding skills of graduates with two awards, uplifting and empowering the next generation of designers, trendsetters, and retailers through its Future of Style Fund. The Macy’s Capsule Collection winner, Khoboso Nale, will gain real-world experience by working alongside Macy’s executive mentors at retail and manufacturing locations. The collaboration will culminate in the production and sale of Nale’s collection under Macy’s private label Bar III, available at the Macy’s Herald Square flagship and select stores nationwide.
The Macy’s Empowered Design Award, which honors a student who powerfully conveys their inspiration through a final design, was awarded to Allison Margaret Smith.
In preparation for the runway show, students collaborated with leading designers who served as critics throughout the spring semester, offering expert insight across the five areas of concentration.
The distinguished critics were:
- Frederick Anderson, fashion designer, founder of Frederick Anderson (Sportswear)
- Esé Azénabor, owner and creative director for Esé Azénabor (Special Occasion)
- Ronnie Golden Engle, fashion stylist (Sportswear)
- Sally LaPointe, fashion designer (Sportswear)
- B Michael*, fashion designer (Special Occasion)
- Dushane Noble*, head of design, women’s, Theory (Knitwear)
- Albino Riganello, creative director, HERA (Sportswear)
- Judi Rosen, owner and designer for Judi Rosen New York (Sportswear)
- Bridget Stapleton*, design director, G&W Industries (Children’s Wear)
- Celina Szado*, multidisciplinary designer and creative director (Sportswear)
- Felicia Lynch*, knitwear designer, KHAITE (Knitwear)
- Tina Wilson, intimate apparel designer (Intimate Apparel)
- Bonnie Young, ready-to-wear fashion designer, founder, BY. Bonnie Young (Sportswear)
*Asterisks denote FIT alumni.
Watch the video of runway show below or experience it on the Future of Fashion website where you can also learn more about the Fashion Design students and their thesis designs, as well as details about the judges, critics, and FIT’s Fashion Design program.