SERENA WILLIAMS, AERIN LAUDER, DEBRA MARTIN CHASE, AND BRANDICE DANIEL TO BE HONORED AT FIT'S ANNUAL AWARDS GALA

NEW YORK, Feb. 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) announced that its Annual Awards Gala, benefiting the FIT Foundation, will honor a group of multifaceted visionaries whose achievements create purpose-driven, sustainable solutions for the new creative economy: television and film producer Debra Martin Chase; FIT alumna Brandice Daniel, founder and CEO of Harlem's Fashion Row and an advisory council member of the Social Justice Center at FIT; Aerin Lauder, founder of AERIN and style and image director of Estée Lauder; and Serena Williams, 23-time Grand Slam champion and entrepreneur.

The black-tie gala will take place Wednesday, April 13, at The Shed in New York City and will be hosted by FIT alumni Nina Garcia, ELLE editor-in-chief and Project Runway judge, and Michael Kors, chief creative officer of the Michael Kors brand.

Debra Martin Chase will receive the Vanguard in Entertainment Award for rewriting the rule book in Hollywood. She has broken barriers by becoming the first Black woman to produce a movie grossing over $100 Million (The Princess Diaries) and to have a major studio producing deal (Disney) while consistently creating film and television that empowers women, shatters stereotypes, and promotes diversity in the industry. Her reboot of The Equalizer franchise starring Queen Latifah was the number one new television show last season. 

Brandice Daniel will receive the Outstanding FIT Alumni Award for her groundbreaking work in creating a platform for designers of color during New York Fashion Week and supporting women in building thriving businesses. 

Aerin Lauder will be recognized with the Business and Entrepreneurship Award for the entrepreneurial spirit, business acumen, and creative vision that has helped build her eponymous brand AERIN into a globally recognized luxury lifestyle brand. 

Serena Williams will receive the Fashion Icon Breakthrough Award for her boundary-breaking achievements both on and off the court, from investing in companies that embrace diversity to launching her own clothing line, S by Serena, and a collection with Signet Jewelers, Serena Williams Jewelry available exclusively at Zales, that helps empower young women. 

"We are so proud to recognize these outstanding leaders—women who have made a profound impact in their respective industries spanning fashion, beauty, sports, and entertainment," said Dr. Joyce F. Brown, president of FIT. "Each one—in her creativity, determination, drive, and self-confidence—serves as a role model for FIT's talented students who are inspired by their many achievements."

The annual gala benefits the FIT Foundation, which helps nurture the next generation of the college's students. In addition to facilitating programs and developing new initiatives, the foundation provided scholarships totaling more than $3 million in 2021.

For information regarding tickets and sponsorship opportunities, visit fitnyc.edu/gala or email [email protected].

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ABOUT FIT
A part of the State University of New York, FIT has been a leader in career education in art, design, business, and technology throughout its history. Providing almost 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, Norma Kamali, Reem Acra, Brian Atwood, Stephen Burrows, Dennis Basso, Francisco Costa, Nanette Lepore, Bibhu Mohapatra, Ralph Rucci, John Bartlett, Peter Do, 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. fitnyc.edu

ABOUT THE FIT FOUNDATION
Started in 1944, when apparel industry leaders obtained a charter to establish a "fashion institute of design and technology," the FIT Foundation was created to nurture and educate the future leaders of the fashion industry. Today, the FIT Foundation serves as an advisory and fundraising body to FIT. Board members, who include today's leaders and innovators, serve on panels and appear as special lecturers, enabling students to meet and learn from outstanding representatives from the fields of industrial production, labor, design, merchandising, and the arts. fitnyc.edu

ABOUT THE HONOREES

DEBRA MARTIN CHASE
Debra Martin Chase, entertainment industry icon and trailblazer, is the first Black female producer to land a major studio deal and to produce a film grossing over $100 million. Garnering just over a half-billion dollars at the box office to date, her work has received Academy, Emmy, Golden Globe, Critics' Choice, and SAG award nominations, just to name a few. Her company, Martin Chase Productions, is affiliated with Universal Television, a division of NBCUniversal. With many film and television credits to her name, her most recent movie was Harriet starring Cynthia Erivo and she is an executive producer of CBS' The Equalizer starring Queen Latifah, which was the number one new television series last season. In addition to being an Amsale Aspire Ambassador, an initiative that creates pathways for Black students in the fashion industry in partnership with FIT, Chase sits on the boards of the New York City Ballet, the Second Stage Theatre, B&G Foods, Inc. and Bridge Investment Group, Inc. 

BRANDICE DANIEL
FIT alumna Brandice Daniel, fashion industry entrepreneur and creative, is the founder and CEO of Harlem's Fashion Row, a premier agency dedicated to creating a bridge between brands and multicultural designers by providing various opportunities for them to showcase their talent in an industry that is often inaccessible. Most recently, she was appointed an advisory council member of the Social Justice Center at FIT. Daniel has been featured in The New York Times, Vogue, Harper's Bazaar, WWD, Essence, BET, among other outlets, and has appeared on Good Morning America and The Drew Barrymore Show. In 2020, she founded ICON360, a nonprofit dedicated to funding designers of color. 

AERIN LAUDER
Aerin Lauder is the founder and creative force behind AERIN, a celebrated luxury lifestyle brand that launched in the fall of 2012. Inspired by Lauder's signature effortless style, AERIN has emerged as a distinct voice in the world of beauty, fashion, and home decor. Lauder began her career at Estée Lauder in 1992, where she held several executive roles, including senior vice president and creative director. In addition to running her eponymous brand, Lauder maintains her role as the style and image director of Estée Lauder. A longstanding philanthropist, Lauder is passionate about her work with the Breast Cancer Research Foundation, and is an active board member of The Boys' Club of New York; the International Council of the Museum of Modern Art; the Foundation for Art & Preservation in Embassies; and God's Love We Deliver. Lauder is a recipient of the God's Love We Deliver Golden Heart Award for Lifetime Achievement.

SERENA WILLIAMS
Serena Williams is the most successful female tennis player of the Open Era. Her athletic abilities combined with her off-court presence in fashion, entertainment, philanthropy, and business, make her one of the most recognizable names and faces in the world. Williams is the longest ranking No. 1 athlete in her sport, the most prized WTA player of all time, a three-time Olympic gold medalist, and has overcome insurmountable odds to win 23 career Grand Slams. Off the court, she has become a highly regarded entrepreneur, establishing her own venture capital firm, Serena Ventures, which focuses on investing in women and founders of color. A dedicated philanthropist, Williams focuses her efforts on the Yetunde Price Resource Center, which her family opened in their hometown of Compton, California, and named after her eldest sister, who was killed by senseless gun violence.

ABOUT THE HOSTS

NINA GARCIA
Nina Garcia is the editor-in-chief of ELLE, the number one fashion media brand in the world. She is the first Latina to lead a major American fashion title, and since she took the helm in September 2017, the brand's footprint has never been larger. 

Garcia oversaw a dynamic redesign highlighting the magazine's thought-provoking features and showcasing fashion in the context of culture, winning Adweek's Hottest Fashion Magazine in 2019. For ELLE's groundbreaking cover featuring FKA Twigs discussing intimate partner violence, Garcia received WomanKind's 2021 Phoenix Woman of the Year in Media Award. In 2021, she was also the recipient of the CFDA's Media Award in Honor of Eugenia Sheppard.

Garcia is a graduate of Boston University and FIT. She began her career at Mirabella and was fashion director of ELLE from 2000 to 2008 and creative director of Marie Claire before returning to ELLE. Garcia has also been a judge on Project Runway since 2004.

After undergoing a preventative double mastectomy in 2019, Garcia joined the board of the Breast Cancer Research Foundation (BCRF). She also serves on the board of Village Roadshow Entertainment Group.

Garcia lives in New York with her husband and their two sons. 

MICHAEL KORS
With a sharp focus on providing his customers with accessories and clothes that are consistently polished, chic, relaxed and glamorous, Michael Kors has created an enduring and iconic luxury lifestyle empire with a distinctive point of view and global reach.

Raised in Merrick, Long Island, Kors graduated high school in 1977 and enrolled in the Fashion Institute of Technology. He left school to start his own label in 1981, following accolades for his work at Lothar's, the trendsetting boutique on New York's West 57th Street. As he continued to build his own business, Kors also served as creative director of Céline, the renowned French luxury brand, from 1998 to 2004. Today Michael Kors is a global fashion luxury brand with an array of products under the Michael Kors Collection, MICHAEL Michael Kors and Michael Kors Mens labels.

As the Michael Kors brand began to expand globally, so too did its philanthropic efforts. For more than 25 years, the designer has been a passionate supporter of God's Love We Deliver. He also established an endowed scholarship at FIT, his alma mater. In 2013, the Michael Kors company launched "Watch Hunger Stop," partnering with the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) to help fight world hunger. The designer was named Global Ambassador Against Hunger, now Goodwill Ambassador, for the United Nations World Food Programme. To date, Michael Kors has helped WFP deliver over 24 million meals (and counting) to hungry children.

CONTACT: Alexandra Mann, [email protected]

SOURCE Fashion Institute of Technology