Khoboso Nale, Fashion Design–Knitwear ’25, clearly knows what the stylish young professional woman is looking for: Nale’s debut Macy’s Bar III capsule collection nearly sold out in-store during its March 11 launch. Nale, who now works as an assistant sweater designer at RDG Global, won the Macy’s Capsule Collection competition and gained real-world experience by working alongside Macy’s executive mentors at retail and manufacturing locations to implement her designs.
The collaboration culminated in the production and sale of Nale’s collection under Macy’s private label Bar III, now available at the Macy’s Herald Square flagship store in Manhattan, select stores nationwide, and online.
For four consecutive years, Macy’s has partnered with FIT to support burgeoning student designers by launching exclusive capsule collections from the school’s Fashion Design BFA program. Through this program and partnership, Macy’s gives FIT students the opportunity to gain real-world experience while working with mentors and gaining access to Macy’s facilities. Then, ultimately, Macy’s produces and sells the student collection, as part of the retailer’s private brands, in stores nationwide.
“I am so grateful for this opportunity,” Nale said. “Especially as a young designer, this is like kind of a dream, to work with a big brand like Macy’s and to be able to express myself on such a large scale. Macy’s insights gave me real world experience, and I appreciated seeing the production process firsthand.”
Nale, whose concentration was in Ethics and Sustainability while in school at FIT, did a lot of research in fabrics and dyeing, and took a lot of time, care and thought with all the details of her collection. For the launch, she was joined by friends, FIT alumni, and faculty who gathered to toast Nale and admire (and purchase) the garments, each with an FIT-branded hangtag bearing Nale’s image and statement of purpose.
“We are so incredibly proud of the partnership we have had over the years with FIT,” said Emily Erusha-Hilleque, senior vice president of private brands at Macy’s. “We have such a large commitment to the partnership, as well as to bringing the creativity and fostering the talent we see in the students at FIT.”
“Macy’s is this wonderful institution that has been doing this great work for all these years and it’s been successful because it continues to invest in fashion, and in the future of fashion, and we see that investment continue here with Khoboso,” said Troy Richards, dean of the School of Art and Design.