For nearly eight decades, the Fashion Design program at FIT has been a crucible for cultivating creative and innovative leaders, individuals who consistently redefine the global fashion industry through their artistic vision and groundbreaking designs. As one of the world’s leading programs, it provides unparalleled industry access, empowering students to develop revolutionary designs grounded in market research and deeply inspired by history, fine art, and global culture. Our faculty, deeply connected within the fashion world, are dedicated to mentoring you into not just a designer with a distinct artistic voice, but a poised professional ready to excel in this demanding yet rewarding field.
Explore the Future of Fashion On-Demand
The Future of Fashion showcase presents a curated collection of looks from the graduating class of 2024 in FIT’s Fashion Design BFA program. This exhibition of Fashion Design Art spans across diverse concentrations, including childrenswear, knitwear, sportswear, intimate apparel, and special occasion designs, highlighting the breadth and depth of student talent.
Programs in Fashion Design Art
Fashion Design AAS
The AAS program serves as the cornerstone for your fashion design art education. It delivers a vital foundation in essential skills such as computer-aided design, fashion sketching, draping techniques, patternmaking, garment construction, sewing mastery, and textile knowledge. Upon completing your AAS degree, you gain eligibility to apply for the prestigious BFA in Fashion Design, furthering your artistic and technical expertise. Additionally, this AAS degree opens pathways to BFA programs in Fabric Styling, Textile/Surface Design, and Toy Design, alongside BS programs in Production Management: Fashion and Related Industries, Technical Design, and Textile Development and Marketing, offering diverse avenues within the fashion and related creative industries.
Fashion Design BFA
The BFA program in Fashion Design offers specialized concentrations in key areas of the industry: children’s wear, intimate apparel, knitwear, special occasion wear, and sportswear. Throughout this program, you will refine your fashion design art skills, creating collections that are not only aesthetically driven but also strategically informed by in-depth market research and enriched by explorations into history, art movements, and global cultures. You’ll master cutting-edge technologies relevant to contemporary fashion design art, hone crucial presentation skills, and select from a range of design electives to tailor your education to your unique artistic and career aspirations. The program culminates in a required professional internship and the development of a senior collection, mentored by acclaimed designers who provide invaluable industry insights and guidance. Exceptional student work may be chosen to be showcased in FIT’s professionally produced runway show, the Future of Fashion.
Graduates holding an AAS in Fashion Design from FIT are eligible to apply for this advanced BFA program, taking their fashion design art journey to the next level.
Showcasing Our Fashion Design Art
FIT’s Fashion Design program boasts a 75-year legacy of preparing students for impactful careers across all sectors of the industry, from the exclusivity of haute couture to the accessibility of ready-to-wear and the broad reach of mass market fashion. Our commitment to nurturing fashion design art is evident in the achievements of our students and alumni.
The RealReal, a leading online marketplace for authenticated luxury resale, collaborated with FIT to challenge Fashion Design students to create luxury, sustainable outerwear. Students were tasked with upcycling unsold luxury items from The RealReal’s inventory, pushing the boundaries of sustainable fashion design art. This innovative partnership marked the company’s first venture into higher education collaboration, recognizing the fresh perspectives and artistic talent emerging from FIT.
The Future of Fashion runway show, proudly presented by Macy’s, spotlighted the exceptional fashion design art of 73 select graduates from FIT’s Fashion Design BFA program in the class of 2024. The show is a testament to the culmination of their artistic and technical skills developed throughout their studies at FIT.
FIT student club Runway27’s 2023 show, Synergy, explored thematic fashion design art inspired by the four elements: air, earth, fire, and water. This student-led initiative highlights the vibrant and collaborative spirit of fashion design art at FIT.
Sumin An and Blake Dewitt achieved recognition by winning a prestigious contest sponsored by the luxury Italian brand Loro Piana. This accolade awarded both students scholarships and coveted employment contracts, acknowledging their exceptional talent in knitwear fashion design art.
Class of ’24 students Benjamin Halunen, Nkenglack Nchopa, and Cassius Read received three highly sought-after CFDA awards, further establishing FIT’s prominence in nurturing future leaders in fashion design art.
Three Fashion Design students received recognition at The Metropolitan Museum of Art for their powerful dress design commemorating the Triangle Shirtwaist Fire, demonstrating the intersection of fashion design art with historical narrative and social commentary.
Francesca Bornancini, Fashion Design Class of ’21, winner of the Macy’s Mission Every One competition, collaborated closely with Macy’s designers and executives on the production of her capsule collection. This experience provided invaluable real-world application of her fashion design art skills.
The PETE Prize administered by the FIT DTech Lab, is a merit-based competition recognizing excellence in innovative, design-oriented thinking. It celebrates fresh and insightful ideas that push the boundaries of fashion design art through technological advancements and creative problem-solving.
Impacting the World Through Fashion Design Art
Design beyond … It’s not just about fashion; successful careers in today’s industry demand a diverse skillset. Designers need proficiency in merchandising, fabric research, and even content direction to establish a strong presence and influence. Fashion design art education at FIT prepares students for this multifaceted reality.
| If you’re not in it for the work, forget about it.
BYRON LARS
Fashion Design alum, owner of In Earnest fashion line
Beyond the Classroom: Real-World Experience in Fashion Design Art
FIT’s Fashion Design program strongly emphasizes practical experience. Students have secured prestigious internships at industry giants like Calvin Klein, Donna Karan, Ralph Lauren, Tommy Hilfiger, Josie Natori, J. Mendel, Michael Kors, and Victoria’s Secret. Graduates have gone on to build successful careers at Donna Karan, Tommy Hilfiger, Calvin Klein, Polo Ralph Lauren, and Giorgio Armani, among others. Career paths range from assistant and technical designers to leading head fashion designers for globally recognized design firms. Many alumni also venture into entrepreneurship, managing boutiques or launching their own fashion lines, further contributing to the landscape of fashion design art. For those seeking advanced academic pursuits, FIT also offers a Fashion Design MFA, allowing for continued growth and specialization in fashion design art.
Peter Do, Fashion Design Class of ’14, exemplifies the program’s impact, creating sophisticated and highly sought-after looks that are making waves on red carpets and capturing the admiration of fashion enthusiasts worldwide, showcasing the power and reach of fashion design art from FIT.
Explore Further into Fashion Design Art
Related Minors
Other Degree Programs
Learn from Leading Experts in Fashion Design Art
Our faculty are seasoned professionals with extensive industry experience, dedicated to opening doors and connecting you to the dynamic and evolving world of fashion. They are not only educators but also active participants in fashion design art, ensuring students receive relevant and cutting-edge instruction. Meet more Fashion Design faculty.
Asta Skocir
Professor Skocir, within FIT’s Fashion Design Department, integrates her deep industry knowledge with a passion for sustainable fashion innovation. Her experience as a design director and knitwear designer for leading fashion houses, coupled with co-founding AlgiKnit/KEEL.LABS, a pioneering biomaterials research group, positions her as a leader in future-forward fashion design art education.
Amy Sperber
Amy Sperber is a multidisciplinary fashion designer concentrating on innovative technical approaches and design thinking, aiming to develop sustainable systems and creative solutions in clothing design. Holding both BFA and MFA degrees in Fashion Design from FIT, she imparts her expertise to undergraduate Fashion Design students, shaping the next generation of fashion design art professionals.
Connect With Us
Fashion Design Department
Business and Liberal Arts Center, Room B701
(212) 217-5000 (Apparel)
(212) 217-5280 (Art)
Su Ku
Chair
Asta Skocir
Assistant Chair
Lisa Donofrio
Assistant Chair
Christopher Uvenio
Assistant Chair
