On Thursday, May 7, FIT held its annual Future of Fashion runway show presented by Macy’s. The celebration of creativity was hosted in the college’s new Joyce F. Brown Academic Building, and featured 91 original designs from 80 graduates from the Fashion Design BFA Class of 2026.
The show was the first for the college’s new president, Jason S. Schupbach, who said: “I am so thrilled to see our incredibly talented Fashion Design students shine on this high-profile stage. Our annual fashion show announces to the world that they are truly the future of fashion.”
Students across all five specializations—children’s wear, intimate apparel, knitwear, special occasion, and sportswear—brought vibrant color and texture to their innovative fashions. Each design told a story, exploring themes of sustainability, artificial intelligence, music, and more. Visit the dedicated Future of Fashion website for an in-depth look.
The runway looks were selected by a group of distinguished judges including: Simbarashe Cha, staff photographer and visual columnist for The New York Times; Craig Connole, design director of G-III Apparel Group; FIT alum Kenneth Downing, chief creative officer of Xcel Brands and creative director of Halston; Maryanne Grisz, president and CEO of Fashion Group International; Trees Himpe-Depuydt, globalist at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts, Antwerp; Fern Mallis, founder, New York Fashion Week, and member of the FIT Foundation Board of Directors; FIT alum Buxton Midyette, vice president of marketing and promotions at Supima; and Andy Chia Yu, owner and designer of Bespoke Apparel.
“The Future of Fashion runway show offers a glimpse into where the industry is headed through the eyes of our students,” said Troy Richards, dean of the School of Art and Design. “Their work reflects new ideas, new technologies, and new perspectives on design. We are grateful for the continued partnership of Macy’s, whose support helps create opportunities for students to launch their careers, but the spotlight rightly belongs on the students, whose talent and determination make this event possible.”
Twelve student 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. The critics were: Daveed Baptiste, designer, interdisciplinary artist, and photographer (sportswear); Clifford “Cliff” Boone*, designer and founder of Cliff Boone (special occasion); Cherith Burke, CEO and designer of Cherith B Designs (special occasion); Gigi Burris, founder and milliner of Gigi Burris Millinery (sportswear); Peter Do*, founder and creative director of Peter Do (sportswear); Gale Epstein, founder and designer of Hanky Panky (intimate apparel); Sally LaPointe, fashion designer and founder of LaPointe (sportswear); Felicia Lynch*, knitwear designer for KHAITE (knitwear); Traci Reed*, founder and creative director of Knit Resort (knitwear); Utkarsh Shukla*, designer and design director of Seline Meisler (sportswear); Stephen Vernon, senior design director of Calvin Klein (sportswear); and Anna Wallace, children’s apparel designer (children’s wear).
[Asterisks designate FIT alums.]
The 2026 Future of Fashion Critic Award Winners
- Evan Ciurca, Sportswear
- Charlotte Falkman, Children’s Wear
- Ainsley Goldman, Special Occasion
- Selin Gültekin, Sportswear
- Ellen Kim, Sportswear
- Kat Lin, Special Occasion
- Xuan (Beatrice) Mak, Knitwear
- Rachel Marino, Knitwear
- Jonathan Marroquin, Sportswear
- Julia McClement, Intimate Apparel
- Tyler Mervine, Sportswear
- Naïma Naas, Sportswear
Macy’s Awards
Macy’s, through its social purpose platform Mission Every One, sponsored the Future of Fashion Runway Show for the fifth consecutive year and presented two awards:
Macy’s Capsule Collection Award
Winner: Athmiha Saravanen
This provides one student the opportunity to gain real-life experience, working with executive mentors from Macy’s at their retail and manufacturing locations—ultimately, producing and selling the student collection under the brand’s private label Bar III in Macy’s Herald Square flagship and 13 locations nationwide.
Macy’s Empowered Design Award
Winner: Marina Malkhasian
The award celebrates a student who deftly articulates his/her inspiration and brings it to life through the final design.
“Supporting the next generation of designers is essential to the future of our industry,” said Emily Erusha-Hilleque, senior vice president, Private Brands, Macy’s. “Through our continued partnership with FIT, Macy’s is committed to championing emerging talent and providing students with real-world experience as they prepare to become the fashion and retail leaders of tomorrow.”
Notable attendees included the K-pop band Big Ocean; TV personality and entrepreneur Ramona Singer, Textile and Apparel Marketing BS ’78; Jaqui Lividini, CEO and founder, Lividini & Co.; FIT alum B Michael, fashion designer; Mark-Anthony Edwards, co-founder, chairman, and CEO, B Michael Global; Kate McGuire, founder of Converted Closet; designer Rebecca Moses, Fashion Design AAS ’77; and more.
Catch the video of the Future of Fashion, presented by Macy’s, on below or on Vimeo, and visit the Future of Fashion website to learn more about the students and their thesis designs.