On Wednesday, the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) held its Annual Awards Gala, which included the Future of Fashion Runway Show presented by Macy’s, at The Glasshouse in New York City.
Hosted by Carolyn Murphy, the gala honored CFDA members Norma Kamali and Kenneth Cole, as well as designer Rebecca Hessel Cohen of LoveShackFancy, and the runway show featured outstanding looks from the Fashion Design BFA class of 2024.
The evening kicked off with Murphy’s heartfelt tribute to the late Ivan Bart, president of IMG Models for 29 years and her personal mentor. The model announced the Ivan Bart Memorial Scholarship Fund at FIT for an exceptional applicant who has been raised by a single parent.
TV talk show host and author Tamron Hall took the stage to present Kenneth Cole with the Social Impact Award.
“Kenneth Cole understood the assignment. The assignment was, of course, to be a successful businessperson, but the assignment was higher than any heel: the responsibility to humankind,” Hall said. “In honor of Kenneth Cole’s 40 years of leadership merging social impact with fashion, the FIT Kenneth Cole Social Impact Award has been established to benefit students who demonstrate a commitment to creating awareness for social justice issues while building their careers in the fashion industry.”
Cole’s early work in HIV/AIDS awareness and current efforts in the mental health epidemic have been a vehicle for change and inspiration worldwide.
“I’ve always believed that fashion can be a means to not just define how we present ourselves to the world, but also a vehicle to positively impact it. I’ve tried for 40 years to influence people’s wardrobes as well as their communities. A night like this gives me the delusional encouragement to keep going,” Cole said in his acceptance speech. “As I’ve often said, ‘It’s great to be known for your shoes, but it’s better to be known for your soul.’”
Matthew Yokobowsky, Senior Curator of Fashion and Material Culture at the Brooklyn Museum, presented the Outstanding Alumni Award to Norma Kamali, who sits on CFDA’s Board of Directors.
“I am still on my path and the universe is still keeping me in line with my purpose. The most important time of your life is what you learn before you transition into the workforce,” Kamali said on stage as she accepted her award. “How you listen, how you learn, and how you study. How you follow instructions, and how you discipline yourself to meet deadlines and reach goals. These are the tools used in the life of everyone successful in fashion.”
Other notable attendees included CFDA members Nicole Benefield, Mara Hoffman, Christopher John Rogers and Rachel Scott, as well as Friends of the CFDA Chairman Jordan Roth and models Candice Huffine and Amber Valetta.
Prior to the gala, The Future of Fashion Runway Show presented by Macy’s featured 82 designs, showcasing the work of 73 students selected from FIT’s class of 2024 Fashion Design BFA program across five concentrations. Critics included CFDA members Sally LaPointe, Michelle Ochs, Lela Rose, and Ralph Rucci.
The event benefited the FIT Foundation, which is dedicated to nurturing the next generation of FIT students by facilitating programs, developing new initiatives, and providing scholarships.
