Since its inception in 2006, the Vilcek Foundation has awarded more than $9.6 million to support the achievements of immigrants and other cultural leaders working across the arts, sciences, and humanities. This year, four members of the FIT community were among 14 individuals selected nationwide to receive the 2026 Vilcek Foundation Prizes.
Tanya Meléndez-Escalante and Natalie Nudell were recognized for their contributions to fashion scholarship, curation, and cultural history.
Tanya Meléndez-Escalante, MA ’04, senior curator of education and public programs at The Museum at FIT, received the $100,000 Vilcek Prize for Fashion and Culture. Born and raised in Mexico City, Meléndez-Escalante moved to the United States to pursue graduate studies and earned her MA in Museum Studies: Costume and Textiles from FIT. At The Museum at FIT, she curates exhibitions and develops public programs that highlight fashion practices across Latin America, amplifying historically underrepresented designers, makers, and narratives. Her work has been featured in leading outlets including WWD and Vogue México y Latinoamérica.
Natalie Nudell, a fashion and textile historian and adjunct assistant professor at FIT, received a $50,000 Vilcek Prize for Creative Promise in Fashion and Culture. Born in Canada to European and Middle Eastern immigrant parents, Nudell is recognized for her research on the social and historical foundations of the fashion industry. Her work on the Fashion Calendar Research Database extends the longstanding collaboration between FIT and the CFDA, documenting the contributions of underrepresented communities to the development of American fashion.
Two FIT alumni were also among this year’s recipients: Diego Bendezu, Photography ’15, born in Peru, received a $50,000 prize for his visual storytelling centered on Latin American and immigrant narratives, and Peter Do, Fashion Design ’14, born in Vietnam, received a $100,000 prize for his innovative and versatile clothing designs.