On September 9, FIT presented Act 5, the 2025 Fashion Design Master of Fine Arts (MFA) graduate runway show, spotlighting the collections of 18 emerging designers. This culminating presentation in the days leading up to New York Fashion Week showcased each student’s individual journey through creativity, culture, and craft—all developed over two years in FIT’s dynamic Fashion Design MFA program. The innovative show, featuring 90 looks, was presented to a packed house of industry insiders, press, and VIPs in FIT’s Art and Design Gallery.
“The 18 talented designers in our 2025 MFA fashion show prove that they are ones to watch in the world of global fashion,” said President Joyce F. Brown. “Launching their inaugural collections as part of New York’s celebrated Fashion Week is a remarkable opportunity to showcase their talents before the biggest names in the business—and we are proud, for the second time, to be hosting the runway show right here on the FIT campus.”
“We are so proud to share the thesis collections of our 18 Master of Fine Arts graduates during New York Fashion Week,” said Cathleen Sheehan, chair and professor of the Fashion Design MFA program. “The show represents the finale of their FIT journey as they launch their careers and join the ranks of our award-winning program alumni. We look forward to seeing what they do next.”
The designers shared the following collective statement:
Act 5 marks the closing chapter of our shared journey as FIT Fashion Design MFA students—a time defined by experimentation, introspection, and vision. Like the fifth act of a play, this moment is one of resolution, reflection, transformation, and revelation. Although we have arrived at this point through different stories and paths, we are bound by a shared purpose: to push fashion beyond the familiar and into the realm of dialogue. Each designer brings a distinct world to life, united by a desire to stretch the limits of what fashion can express—across memory, culture, technology, and form. From the deeply personal to the radically futuristic, our studio unfolds onto a stage—offering a view of who we have become and a bold introduction to what comes next. Together, we invite you to our final act as a class—not an ending, but the moment before the curtain lifts once more.
FIT’s Fashion Design MFA is the newest of seven programs in its School of Graduate Studies. In the two-year program, students conduct rigorous research that culminates in the creation of eight-look collections, thesis papers and presentations, videos, look books, brand business plans, and portfolios. Graduates leave the program prepared to make a positive impact as industry professionals by working within existing fashion companies or launching their own brands.
Participating designers:
Yawen Chen, Runtan Desmond Du, Evelina Epp, Mai Nou Her, Ethan Horing, Layla Dian Jin, Luna Eunsol Kang, Mina Khademi, Genevieve Zhuoran Li, Jinling Li, Matilda Tongying Liang, Peng Han Beckham Lin, Lawson Park, Amrutha Ramkumar, Jackie Schmidt, Sanyam Sharma, Kiki Wanjing Zuo, Peichen Zhou
Find details about each of the designers on the Act 5 website.
Watch a recording of the show below or on Vimeo: