FIT Fashion Design MFA Show Act 5: A Moment of Transformation, Dialogue, and Revelation

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NEW YORK, Sept. 10, 2025 /PRNewswire/ --

WHAT: On September 9, the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) presented ACT 5, the 2025 Fashion Design Master of Fine Arts (MFA)  graduate runway show, spotlighting the collections of 18 emerging designers. This culminating presentation in the days leading up to New York Fashion Week showcases each student's individual journey through creativity, culture, and craft—all developed over two years in FIT's dynamic Fashion Design MFA program.

"The 18 talented designers in our 2025 MFA Fashion Show prove that they are ones to watch in the world of global fashion," said Dr. Joyce F. Brown, president of FIT. "Launching their inaugural collections as part of New York's celebrated Fashion Week is a remarkable opportunity to showcase their talents before the biggest names in the business—and we are proud, for the second time, to be hosting the runway show right here on the FIT campus."

"We are so proud to share the thesis collections of our 18 Master of Fine Arts graduates during New York Fashion Week," said Cathleen Sheehan, chair and professor, Fashion Design MFA program, FIT. "The show represents the finale of their FIT journey as they launch their careers and join the ranks of our award-winning program alumni. We look forward to seeing what they do next."

The designers shared the following collective statement: "Act 5 marks the closing chapter of our shared journey as FIT Fashion Design MFA students—a time defined by experimentation, introspection, and vision. Like the fifth act of a play, this moment is one of resolution, reflection, transformation, and revelation. Although we have arrived at this point through different stories and paths, we are bound by a shared purpose: to push fashion beyond the familiar and into the realm of dialogue. Each designer brings a distinct world to life, united by a desire to stretch the limits of what fashion can express—across memory, culture, technology, and form. From the deeply personal to the radically futuristic, our studio unfolds onto a stage—offering a view of who we have become and a bold introduction to what comes next. Together, we invite you to our final act as a class—not an ending, but the moment before the curtain lifts once more."

FIT's Fashion Design MFA is the newest of seven programs in its School of Graduate Studies. In the two-year program, students conduct rigorous research that culminates in the creation of eight-look collections, thesis papers and presentations, videos, look books, brand business plans, and portfolios. Graduates leave the program prepared to make a positive impact as industry professionals by working within existing fashion companies or launching their own brands.

FIT has been a leader in career education in art, design, business, and technology throughout its history. Providing its approximately 9,000 students with a distinctive 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.

DESIGNERS:

Yawen Chen, Runtan Desmond Du, Evelina Epp, Mai Nou Her, Ethan Horing, Layla Dian Jin, Luna Eunsol Kang, Mina Khademi, Genevieve Zhuoran Li, Jinling Li, Matilda Tongying Liang, Peng Han Beckham Lin, Lawson Park, Amrutha Ramkumar, Jackie Schmidt, Sanyam Sharma, Kiki Wanjing Zuo, Peichen Zhou

Meet the Designers 

CONTACT:

[email protected] 

About FIT

A part of the State University of New York (SUNY), the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) has been a leader in career education in art, design, business, and technology throughout its history. Providing its approximately 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 majors 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, Peter Do, Daniel Roseberry, Victor Glemaud, Grace Chen, Randy Fenoli, Zaldy Goco, Ivy Ross, and Michelle Smith. Other prominent graduates include Leslie Blodgett, creator of bareMinerals; international restaurant designer Tony Chi; and Nina Garcia, editor-in-chief, ELLE. Visit fitnyc.edu.

Generous show sponsors include Armani Beauty; Bumble and bumble; Marcello Costa; Essie; and Valentino Beauty.

SOURCE Fashion Institute of Technology