Michael Kors, Tommy Hilfiger, Christian Siriano and Francisco Costa helped the Fashion Institute of Technology celebrate the 27-year tenure of its president Joyce Brown at Tuesday night’s annual gala.
Last summer Brown announced that this would be her final academic year, leading the New York City school. When she took on the top job in 1998 at the school, which is part of the State University of New York, Brown was FIT’s first female and African American president. Expanding FIT’s campus with a state-of-the-art building; adding 28 degree programs; creating the school’s Great Hall for special events, and partnering with MIT, Stony Brook University and Brown University to further research in material sciences are among her accolades. A successor has not yet been found and Brown isn’t about to exit the fashion industry.
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“After 27 years, it will come as no surprise to anyone in the room that retirement is not a word in my vocabulary. I promised the community a building [a 10-story, academic, energy-efficient one on West 28th Street]. It was a long birthing process, but we have a new building. We will be in this building before the end of the year,” Brown said.
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Kors and another FIT alum Nina Garcia, Elle’s editor in chief and “Project Runway” judge, hosted the annual black tie gathering with their signature style. A crowd of 500 people and the newly established Dr. Joyce F. Brown Legacy Fund helped to raise more than $2.4 million for the school’s scholarship fund. During a live auction, “The Fundraising Guy” Harry Santa-Olalla enthusiastically did his part.
Other designers on the scene were B Michael, Josie Natori, Dennis Basso, Kenneth Cole, Frederick Anderson and Grace Chen. As the program got underway, several of the designers and fashion insiders, who attended FIT, stood up to speak of their allegiance. “Harlem’s Fashion Row” founder Brandice Daniel and “Say Yes to the Dress” star Randy Fenoli, who was easily identifiable in a hot pink suit, were among them. The Council of Fashion Designers of America’s Steven Kolb, Douglas Hand, Gary Wassner, Lance Le Pere, Keith Alexander, Tamron Hall, Mark-Anthony Edwards, Fern Mallis, Ken Downing, ABC News’ Deborah Roberts, Candice Huffine, “The Happy Grownup” founder Hal Rubenstein, FGI’s Maryanne Grisz, Valerie Steele and Constance C.R. White also turned out for Brown. Even the singer Rachel Brown, who performed during dinner, had a fashion connection: her late mother Amsale Aberra, a FIT grad, and Neil Brown founded the company Amsale.
There was also a videotaped tribute from New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, and one from rapper and actor LL Cool J. Kors spoke of how the gathering was about “the vision, impact and legacy of a woman, who has not only transformed FIT, but the entire creative industry.“ He said, “Dr. Joyce F. Brown has built an institution where dreams become careers, where innovation thrives and where students from all backgrounds find their place in the world of fashion, design and business.”
During her remarks, Brown noted how many in the room were “there at the start of this journey. You made the decision to invite me into the FIT family.” Through a 40-year career devoted to public service and “the transformative power of education,” she said, “think about it. Without my own education, that really would have limited the likelihood that any of you would have ever met me. It was my ticket to a better life.”
Recalling how she had recognized the need for a new vision for FIT in 1998, Brown said, “I saw talented and creative, highly motivated students and a deeply committed faculty…it became clear that FIT could become a trendsetter — a place where we could anticipate questions that no one was even asking yet.”
That ideology is in sync with FIT’s legacy fund, which aims to build a state of the art science laboratory. Having continually been asked how long she would stay and about what she sees as the future for FIT, Brown said, “When you see and believe in the possibilities of all that potential and those achievements, the simple truth is that every day has inspired me,” citing the creation of biodegradable textiles and 3D sensor garments with intricate designs among the examples.
Ready to move onto the next challenge, Brown said, “I’ve always said that when I‘m gone, I want everyone to know that I’ve been here. I think I’ve achieved that part of the goal.”
Having always been passionate about pushing the boundaries of fashion, Hilfiger spoke of how after discovering FIT’s design and technology lab, a Brown-led initiative, he reached out to her directly and quickly formed a partnership. “We explored the future of fashion through technology — that’s the power of FIT,” said Hilfiger, adding how she helped to execute a plan that allows student in his hometown of Elmira, N.Y., to advance their studies through FIT.
Stepping in for FIT’s sustainability ambassador Amber Valletta, who didn’t attend due to travel delays, Costa shared her prepared speech praising Brown for prioritizing sustainability years before other design schools. That has led to reducing carbon emissions by 67 percent and integrating green roofs to school buildings, among other things.
Before offering a final celebratory toast, Basso asked all of his fellow FIT alums to stand as final tribute to Brown. “We can all sing her praises for days, years and beyond,” he said. “Raise your glasses for this amazing trailblazer, who is an example for women around the world.”