FIT Events

Writing for Change Workshop
2024-09-24 13:00 - 14:30 (America/New_York) | Writing and Speaking Studio, Room C612, 227 West 27th Street, New York, NY, 10001, United States
Letter writing is a strong vehicle of change, even in our modern world, from letters to business leaders, elected representatives, editors, and landlords, to petitions for causes large and small … and more. Join the Writing and Speaking Studio to explore and practice writing for civic engagement and change.
This workshop will be facilitated by Writing and Speaking Studio consultant, Claire Caverly, Exhibition and Experience Design.
Additional workshops will be held on the following dates:

October 8, 1–2:30 pm
October 23, 6:30–8 pm

This event is part of FIT’s civic education activities and voter registration drive. Find out more at fitnyc.edu/vote.
This event is for the FIT community only.

Fashion Culture: Spanish Fashion in the Age of Velázquez
2024-09-24 17:30 - 19:00 | Katie Murphy Amphitheatre, Pomerantz Art and Design Center, Fashion Institute of Technology, New York City, NY, United States
Courtesy of Yale University Press.
In this lecture, cultural historian Amanda Wunder will talk about researching her book Spanish Fashion in the Age of Velázquez, the first archival study of dress at the court of Philip IV, as told through the life and work of royal tailor Mateo Aguado. Tailor to the queens of Spain from 1630 to 1672, Aguado was the most influential dress designer in 17th-century Spain.
Fashion Culture programs are organized by The Museum at FIT to provide new perspectives on the culture of fashion. All programs are free unless otherwise indicated. However, reservations are strongly encouraged, as space is limited. See a full calendar of fall 2024 Fashion Culture Program events on the museum website.
This event is free and open to the public; REGISTER HERE.

FIT Authors Talk: Emil Wilbekin
2024-09-25 17:00 - 18:00 | Virtual event
Join us as FIT Professor Emil Wilbekin talks about his notable career in fashion and journalism and beyond!
Emil Wilbekin is an American journalist, media executive, content creator, culture critic, and human rights activist. He has written for a number of publications, including People, the Associated Press, and The New York Times. He was a founding editor of Vibe magazine and eventually named editor-in-chief.
In 2004, Wilbekin was hired as vice president of brand development for Marc Ecko Enterprises and became a contributor and editorial board member of Complex magazine. In 2012 he was then appointed as editor-at-large of Essence magazine until 2014.
Wilbekin is the founder of Native Son, an organization dedicated to empowering and lifting up Black gay men through positive representation and business opportunities.
This virtual event is free and open to the public; REGISTER HERE.

FIT Study Abroad Fair
2024-09-26 11:00 - 14:00 | Breezeway, between Business and Liberal Arts Center and Dubinsky Student Center, Fashion Institute of Technology, New York City , NY, United States
Join the Office of International Programs at FIT’s Study Abroad Fair to explore global programs and partnerships. Learn about winter/summer offerings, meet with representatives from partner institutions, and hear from students who’ve experienced studying abroad. It’s a great chance to discover how you can support international initiatives and collaborations.
This event is for the FIT community only.

Civic Engagement: Our Voices, Our Future
2024-09-26 12:30 - 14:00 | John E. Reeves Great Hall, Conference Center, Fashion Institute of Technology, New York City, NY, 10001, United States
SUNY is committed to civic engagement as an essential outcome of higher education and has created a new competency called Civic Discourse in Democracy. At FIT, we are initiating conversations both in and outside of the classroom on what it means to be engaged and empowered within our community and how to shape the future.
This student-faculty roundtable discussion on civic engagement is an opportunity for our community to talk about:

The upcoming election
Standards for community engagement
Social issues that directly affect everyday life at FIT
Inclusive classroom discussions
Strategies for creating dialogue on campus

Lunch will be provided. Please contact Brian_Fallon@fitnyc.edu with questions!
Find out more about civic engagement at FIT here.
This event is for the FIT community only; RSVP HERE by September 20, 2024.

Fashion Culture: Crafting Circular Solutions in Fashion Retail
2024-09-26 17:30 - 19:00 | Katie Murphy Amphitheatre, Pomerantz Art and Design Center, Fashion Institute of Technology, New York City, NY, United States
Courtesy of Eileen Fisher Renew.
Join circular-design consultants Lauren B. Fay and Cynthia Power as they discuss the work of brands and retailers that are transitioning to a circular economy. A model of production and consumption, circular economy involves sharing, reusing, repairing, and recycling existing materials and products for as long as possible.
Fashion Culture programs are organized by The Museum at FIT to provide new perspectives on the culture of fashion. All programs are free unless otherwise indicated. However, reservations are strongly encouraged, as space is limited. See a full calendar of fall 2024 Fashion Culture Program events on the museum website.
This event is free and open to the public; REGISTER HERE.

Fashion Culture: Yakampot: Fashion and Social Responsibility
2024-10-01 17:30 - 19:00 | Katie Murphy Amphitheatre, Pomerantz Art and Design Center, Fashion Institute of Technology, New York City, NY, United States
Yakampot dress, 2023 Circular Collection. Photo: Nuria Lagarde; courtesy of Yakampot.
Concepción Orvañanos, founder and creative director of the Mexican brand Yakampot, will be in conversation with Tanya Meléndez-Escalante, senior curator of education and public programs at The Museum at FIT. They will discuss how fashion can be a vehicle for social change, whether through fair trade practices that promote the development of artisan groups or through ecological practices such as upcycling. This event is supported by INNSiDE by Meliá New York NoMad Hotel.
Fashion Culture programs are organized by The Museum at FIT to provide new perspectives on the culture of fashion. All programs are free unless otherwise indicated. However, reservations are strongly encouraged, as space is limited. See a full calendar of fall 2024 Fashion Culture Program events on the museum website.
This event is free and open to the public; REGISTER HERE.

Globally Connected @ FIT: Confluence of Tradition and Modernity in Textile Art
2024-10-02 13:00 - 14:00 | Virtual event
Join Sunaina Bhalla for a fascinating exploration of how traditional textile techniques blend with modern artistic expressions.
Sunaina Bhalla is a contemporary artist of Indian origin, living in Singapore. Educated in India, she moved to Tokyo in the late ’90s and has spent the last two decades in various parts of North and South Asia. Having completed her formal education as a textile designer specializing in print, she chose to pursue an immersive education in the traditional art form of Nihonga in Japan, where she spent five years studying under Suiko Ohta-sensei of the Kyoshin-Do school. Bhalla completed her Masters of Fine Arts degree from Goldsmiths University, London, and Lasalle College of the Arts, where her thesis topic was “The Gesture and the Ritual of Pain.”
Her work revolves around the repetitive and ritualistic nature of gestures and their traces. She explores the transformative effects of the deliberate infliction of pain on the human body during the curative process of alleviating disease and decay. By using industrial materials analogous to the fragile nature of the body, juxtaposed with fabric and embroidery, she examines the passage of time and the mark-making that documents this process. Bhalla is currently researching traditional healing practices in Singapore and South East Asia that employ natural remedies like herbs in chronic health conditions.
Globally Connected @ FIT is hosted by the Office of International Programs, History of Art, and the Cultural Fellows.
This virtual event is free and open to the public; REGISTER HERE.

2024 Sustainability Awareness Week
2024-10-07, 2024-10-08, 2024-10-09, 2024-10-10, 2024-10-11 | Various locations on campus, Fashion Institute of Technology, 227 West 27th Street, New York City, NY, 10001, United States
October 7–11
Sustainability is a key component of FIT’s mission and is embedded in the college’s curriculum and operations. During Sustainability Awareness Week, from October 7 to 11, we invite our community to learn about recent innovations from leaders in the industry, experience FIT’s efforts to make a positive impact on the earth, and discover new ways to live with a smaller footprint.
Sponsored by the FIT Sustainability Council.
Find a full schedule of events at fitnyc.edu/saw.

Writing for Change Workshop
2024-10-08 13:00 - 14:30 | Writing and Speaking Studio, Room C612, 227 West 27th Street, New York, NY, 10001, United States
Letter writing is a strong vehicle of change, even in our modern world, from letters to business leaders, elected representatives, editors, and landlords, to petitions for causes large and small … and more. Join the Writing and Speaking Studio to explore and practice writing for civic engagement and change.
This workshop will be facilitated by Writing and Speaking Studio consultant, Claire Caverly, Exhibition and Experience Design.
An additional workshop will be held on the following date:

October 23, 6:30–8 pm

This event is part of FIT’s civic education activities and voter registration drive. Find out more at fitnyc.edu/vote.
This event is for the FIT community only.

ARTSpeak Talk: Josephine Halvorson
2024-10-08 14:00 - 15:30 | Katie Murphy Amphitheatre, Pomerantz Art and Design Center, Fashion Institute of Technology, New York City, NY, United States
Painter Josephine Halvorson, a subject of ART21’s documentary series, will give a talk on her artwork and her artistic practice.
Josephine Halvorson‘s work focuses on firsthand experience and observation. Halverson grew up on Cape Cod and studied at the Cooper Union (BFA 2003), Yale Norfolk (2002), and Columbia University (MFA 2007). Her work has been exhibited extensively and is represented by the galleries Sikkema Jenkins and Co., and currently has a solo exhibition at James Fuentes Gallery in Los Angeles. She is the recipient of numerous residencies and fellowships such as a U.S. Fulbright to Vienna in 2003–04, and a Guggenheim Fellowship in 2021.
The 2024–25 ARTSpeak lecture series is presented by the Fine Arts department and has been made possible by a generous grant from Susan Daykin.
This event is free and open to the public.

Author Talk and Sustainability Networking Reception: "Unraveled: The Life and Death of a Garment" with Maxine Bédat
2024-10-08 17:00 - 19:00 | Katie Murphy Amphitheatre, Pomerantz Art and Design Center, Fashion Institute of Technology, New York City, NY, United States
Maxine Bédat. Photo: © Bogdana Ferguson, via penguinrandomhouse.com.
Author Maxine Bédat will discuss her book, Unraveled: The Life and Death of a Garment, with FIT’s Sustainability Council chair, Dr. Karen Pearson. Unraveled was selected for FIT’s 2024 Common Read.
The book, which was longlisted for the FT/McKinsey Business Book of the Year Award, offers readers insights into the supply chain. It is described by the publisher as “a groundbreaking chronicle of the birth–and death–of a pair of jeans, that exposes the fractures in our global supply chains, and our relationships to each other, ourselves, and the planet.” Touching on issues related to economics, labor, fashion, sustainability, and the environment, this book has relevance to all of the creative industries.
This event will begin at 5 pm with a book signing, followed by a conversation with Bédat at 5:30, and then a networking reception.
This event is part of FIT’s Sustainability Awareness Week, a time when we invite our community to learn about recent innovations from industry leaders, FIT students, faculty, staff, and alumni through workshops, panels, tours, and interactive programs about the environmental, economic, and social aspects of sustainability. Experience FIT’s efforts to make a positive impact on the earth, and discover new ways to live with a smaller footprint.
This event is for the FIT community and by invitation only; FIT employees and students, RSVP here.

Documentary Screening: "The Young Vote" with Elizabeth Tippett
2024-10-09 18:00 - 20:00 | Haft Theater, Marvin Feldman Center, New York City, NY, 10001, United States
Documentary screening of The Young Vote exploring voter turnout amongst the youngest voters during the 2020 election. Brief presentation about voter suppression with attorney Elizabeth Tippett and Q&A.
This event is presented by the Presidential Scholars. It is also part of FIT’s civic education activities and voter registration drive. Find out more at fitnyc.edu/vote.
This event is for the FIT community only.

FIT Board of Trustees Meeting
2024-10-10 09:45 - 11:00 | Robert Lagary Board Room, Marvin Feldman Center, Ninth Floor, Fashion Institute of Technology, New York City , NY, United States
The FIT Board of Trustees’ next meeting will be held in person on Thursday, October 10, 2024.
Public session: 9:45 am
This event is open to the public.

Luxury Modular Fashion Book Talk and DIY Color Analysis Workshop
2024-10-10 12:00 - 14:00 | Gladys Marcus Library, Goodman Resource Center, Maker Minds Space, Sixth Floor, 227 West 27th Street, New York City, NY, 10001, United States
Join us as modular fashion expert, Pamela James, gives a book talk and signing about her book, Luxury Modular Fashion. She will give a DIY Color Analysis Workshop afterwards.
This event is for the FIT community only; REGISTER HERE.

Student Tour of 'Africa's Fashion Diaspora' with Curator Elizabeth Way
2024-10-10 13:00 - 14:00 | The Museum at FIT, 27th Street at Seventh Avenue, New York City, NY, 10001, United States
Are you a student interested in fashion history? Join Curator Elizabeth Way for a tour of Africa’s Fashion Diaspora, an innovative exhibition that explores fashion’s role in shaping international Black diasporic cultures.
This exhibition is the first to examine fashion as a mode of cross-diasporic cultural production. Sixty ensembles and accessories by Black designers from Africa, Europe, North and South America, and the Caribbean are placed in dialogue with each other, showing how these designers take complex inspirations from their own Black cultures and others across the diaspora.
Elizabeth Way is an associate curator at The Museum at FIT as well as a fashion historian whose personal research focuses on the intersection of Black American culture and fashion.
This event is for the FIT community only; REGISTER HERE.

Civility Week 2024
2024-10-14, 2024-10-15, 2024-10-16, 2024-10-17 | Various locations on campus, Fashion Institute of Technology, 227 West 27th Street, New York City, NY, 10001, United States
October 14–18, 2024
The Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion hosts Civility Week, a week of activities, talks, and workshops aimed at achieving the goals of FIT’s civility initiative.
The initiative is aimed at engaging our community in a discussion of respectful ways of living and learning in a higher education environment. FIT encourages our community to behave with civility. A community upholding civility respects the rights of individuals and groups. It is characterized by understanding and considerations of the differences among members of the community. The diversity of the college adds to the richness of campus life, and FIT expects all members of the community to respect both differences and commonalities.
This year’s Civility Week theme is Civic Engagement and Constructive Dialogue.
Visit fitnyc.edu/civility for a full schedule.
Civility Week activities are open to the FIT community only.

Academic Minors Fair
2024-10-14 12:00 - 14:00 | John E. Reeves Great Hall, Conference Center, Fashion Institute of Technology, New York City, NY, 10001, United States
By completing five courses in a subject area that interests you, you can earn an additional certification on your transcript: a minor in that topic. It could be a competitive advantage in the job market or simply a way to learn more about a topic you’re passionate about. See the full list at fitnyc.edu/minors.
Learn more about minors, talk to the minor coordinators, and ask questions!
This event is for the FIT community only.

'This Is Strategy' with Seth Godin
2024-10-15 15:00 - 17:00 | Katie Murphy Amphitheatre, Pomerantz Art and Design Center, Fashion Institute of Technology, New York City, NY, United States
The Entrepreneurship Department presents a fireside chat–style conversation with entrepreneur Seth Godin for the FIT community. This event will focus on Godin’s new book, This Is Strategy, and concepts. A Q&A will follow the conversation.
Seth Godin is an entrepreneur, best-selling author and speaker. In addition to launching one of the most popular blogs in the world, he has written 22 best-selling books, including The Dip, Linchpin, Purple Cow, Tribes, and What To Do When It’s Your Turn (And It’s Always Your Turn). His book This Is Marketing was an instant bestseller in countries around the world. His recent books are The Song of Significance and The Practice and creatives everywhere have made them bestsellers.
Though renowned for his writing and speaking, Godin also founded two companies, Squidoo and Yoyodyne (acquired by Yahoo!). By focusing on everything from effective marketing and leadership, to the spread of ideas and changing everything, Godin has been able to motivate and inspire countless people around the world.
This event is for the FIT community only; REGISTER HERE.

'NEGRITA' Documentary Screening with Q&A
2024-10-15 17:00 - 19:30 | John E. Reeves Great Hall, Conference Center, Fashion Institute of Technology, New York City, NY, 10001, United States
NEGRITA, the debut documentary film from director Magdalena Albizu, interrogates the cultural prejudice and presumptions surrounding the lives of Afro-Latina women in America. Albizu, a self-described negrita, explores an unconscious ideology of anti-Blackness in which both American and Latino cultures perpetuate a false narrative of Black as undesirable otherness. Through family pictures, childhood videos, and frank conversations with family members, scholars, and Latinas, NEGRITA uses the director’s own personal history to illuminate the larger tapestry of shared experiences throughout the Black and Latino community. Hand in hand with women from the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Honduras, and Panama, Albizu and her subjects collectively confront their own Black identities, empowering themselves as Afro-Latinas.
This event is part of this year’s Civility Week activities. Find a full schedule at fitnyc.edu/civility.
This event is free and open to the public.

Balancing Acts: Diversity and Civility in Media
2024-10-16 18:30 - 21:00 | Katie Murphy Amphitheatre, Pomerantz Art and Design Center, Fashion Institute of Technology, New York City, NY, United States
Don Lemon Emil Wilbekin
In an unprecedented year of social upheaval and civil unrest, citizens around the country feel challenged by violence, xenophobia, bullying, and threats to our humanity and our democracy. This has been a lightning rod in the center of the 2024 election—and the heart of America.
FIT invites renowned journalist Don Lemon to discuss the importance of civility while being a journalist of color during this intense and historic election cycle. Assistant Professor Emil Wilbekin will lead the conversation.
Balancing Acts is the signature event of Civility Week at FIT. Civility Week is held each fall as part of the college’s civility initiative. Learn more and see a full schedule of this year’s events at fitnyc.edu/civility.
This event is presented by the Office of the President, the Department of Marketing Communications, the Social Justice Center, and the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.
This event is for the FIT community and invited guests only; REGISTER HERE.

World Affairs Lecture Series: India And the U.S. Elections: Democracies at a Crossroads
2024-10-17 12:00 - 13:00 | Virtual event
Siddhartha Deb. Photo by Nina Subin.
In this virtual World Affairs Lecture, writer Siddhartha Deb will be in conversation with Dr. Souzeina Mushtaq, assistant professor of Communication and Media Studies at University of Wisconsin–River Falls, on the topic of “India and the U.S. Elections: Democracies at a Crossroad.”
Born in Shillong, north-eastern India, Siddhartha Deb lives in New York. His fiction and nonfiction have been longlisted for the International Dublin Literary Award, shortlisted for the Orwell Prize, and been awarded the Pen Open prize and the 2024 Anthony Veasna So Fiction prize. His journalism and essays have appeared in The New York Times, The Guardian, The New Republic, Dissent, The Baffler, N+1, and Caravan. His latest novel is The Light at the End of the World. His nonfiction collection of essays and journalism, Twilight Prisoners: The Rise of the Hindu Right and the Fall of India, came out this May. He is an associate professor of creative writing at The New School.
The Department of Social Sciences’ World Affairs Lecture Series fulfills FIT’s mission to foster an understanding of diverse cultures and politics within the international as well as domestic perspectives. It also embraces, supports, and expands upon the president’s campuswide initiative on civility.
Join using this webinar link:
https://fitnyc.webex.com/fitnyc/j.php?MTID=m7765bbf328466a7c6821870c01858d11
Webinar number: 2862 023 3961
Webinar password: [REDACTED] (348692 when dialing from a phone or video system)
Or join by phone:
+1-646-992-2010 United States Toll (New York City)
Access code: 286 202 33961
This virtual event is free and open to the public; join using the Webex link here and use the password fitnyc.

Drag Banned Book Story Hour and Voter Registration Drive
2024-10-17 12:00 - 14:00 | Gladys Marcus Library, Goodman Resource Center, Maker Minds Space, Sixth Floor, 227 West 27th Street, New York City, NY, 10001, United States
FIT student Artiegh Fischel.
Come out in support of LGBTQ+ History Month and your First Amendment freedoms and sign up to make your voice count in the upcoming election. Featuring readings of banned books by performers Arteigh Fischel and Scarlet Foxx, with special guest Stonewall veteran Joe Negrelli. Students and members of Services and Advocacy for GLBTQ Elders (SAGE) will be on hand to help you register to vote.
This event is sponsored by the FIT Library, along with the Counseling Center, Student Life, LGBTQ+ Student Alliance, Theatre Club, and SAGE.
Banned Book Story Hour is part of FIT’s civic education activities and voter registration drive. Find out more at fitnyc.edu/vote.
It is also part of the college’s Civility Week activities. Find a full schedule at fitnyc.edu/civility.
This event is for the FIT community only.
