Disney On Broadway Partners With FIT In Celebration Of Its 25th Anniversary

10 FIT Fashion Design students create contemporary looks inspired by Disney on Broadway's leading female characters

Garments on display in FIT's Art and Design Gallery September 19-October 6

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Aug 20, 2019, 09:36 ET

NEW YORK, Aug. 20, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Disney on Broadway continues its 25th anniversary celebration in partnership with the Fashion Institute of Technology, creating a unique design challenge for students to reimagine contemporary designs for some of Disney on Broadway's iconic female characters. The partnership is a first between Disney on Broadway and the college, which will soon be celebrating its 75th anniversary.

The design challenge represents the work of 10 FIT Fashion Design students whose designs were selected from among nearly 100 submissions.

Disney on Broadway Logo

The student finalists, who are from all over the world, will have their garments on display in an exhibition at the Art and Design Gallery located in FIT's Pomerantz Art and Design Center from September 19–October 6. A press preview will be held on September 24 at 3 pm in the same space.

The students and their Disney on Broadway design inspirations are:

Marianna Gonzalez, a fourth-year student from Brownsville, Texas, designing for Jane from Tarzan
Eunhye Jo, a third-year student from Seoul, South Korea, designing for Rafiki from The Lion King
Ashna Moogi, a third-year student from Bangalore, India, designing for Elsa from Frozen
Yelayny Placencia, a fourth-year student from Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, designing for Anna from Frozen
Ruby SeoHee Shin, a fourth-year student from South Korea, designing for Nala from The Lion King
Annette Stone, a fourth-year student from northern California, designing for Jasmine from Aladdin
Paige Walker, a fourth-year student from Ontario, Canada, designing for Belle from Beauty and the Beast
Georgianna Wells, a fourth-year student from Memphis, Tennessee, designing for Katherine from Newsies
Baoqing Yu, a second-year student from Taishan, Guangdong, China, designing for Ariel from The Little Mermaid
Sooyoung Yun, a fourth-year student from South Korea, designing for Mary Poppins

"We are delighted to partner with FIT and their talented students on this special design challenge," said Robin Wyatt, vice president, Marketing, Disney Theatrical Productions. "Each designer created contemporary sketches that are all unique interpretations of our beloved Disney on Broadway characters and we look forward to seeing their garments come to fruition."

"FIT is thrilled to be part of Disney on Broadway's 25th anniversary celebration," said Dr. Joyce F. Brown, president of FIT. "Our students—who share the Disney spirit of innovation—embraced the opportunity to participate in this project. My congratulations to the winners and to Disney Theatrical Productions for 25 years of extraordinary entertainment on Broadway."

The success of the students in this project is in part due to the fact that FIT offers five concentrations—Sportswear, Knitwear, Children's Wear, Special Occasion, and Intimate Apparel—and many of the reimagined designs incorporate elements of those concentrations, according to Gerard Dellova, assistant professor of Fashion Design and one of two faculty advisors on the project, along with Michael Kaye, adjunct assistant professor in Fashion Design. "For example, Ariel from The Little Mermaid incorporates elements of swimwear and special occasion, whereas with Belle from Beauty and the Beast, there are elements of intimate apparel coming through," Dellova said. "That makes a big difference in the way the students are trained."

About Disney Theatrical Productions
Disney Theatrical Productions (DTP), a division of The Walt Disney Studios, operates under the direction of Thomas Schumacher. The group produces and licenses Broadway productions around the world, including Beauty and the Beast, The Lion King, Elton John and Tim Rice's Aida, TARZAN^®, Mary Poppins, a co-production with Cameron Mackintosh, The Little Mermaid, Peter and the Starcatcher, Newsies, Aladdin, and Frozen. Other successful stage ventures have included the London hit Shakespeare in Love, stage productions of Disney's High School Musical, Der Glöckner Von Notre Dame in Berlin and King David in concert. DTP has collaborated with the country's leading regional theaters to develop new stage musicals including The Jungle Book, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, and Freaky Friday.

About FIT
FIT, a part of the State University of New York, has been a leader in career education in art, design, business, and technology for almost 75 years. Providing its 9,000 students with an uncommon blend of hands-on, practical experience, theory, and a firm grounding in the liberal arts, the college offers a wide range of affordable programs that foster innovation and collaboration. Its distinctive curriculum is geared to today's rapidly growing creative economy, including fields such as computer animation, toy design, production management, film and media, and cosmetics and fragrance marketing. Internationally renowned, FIT draws on its New York City location to provide a vibrant, creative community in which to learn. The college offers nearly 50 programs and grants AAS, BFA, BS, MA, MFA, and MPS degrees, preparing students for professional success and leadership in the new creative economy. Among notable alumni in fashion are Calvin Klein, Michael Kors, Reem Acra, Brian Atwood, Dennis Basso, Francisco Costa, Norma Kamali, Nanette Lepore, Bibhu Mohapatra, Ralph Rucci, John Bartlett, and Michelle Smith. Other prominent graduates include Leslie Blodgett, creator of bareMinerals; international restaurant designer Tony Chi; and Nina Garcia, editor in chief of Elle.