“And if that fashion show was any indication of where our industry goes, the longer term may be very vibrant,” said Karlie Kloss, who received the Fashion Icon award at FIT’s Way forward for Fashion ’23 Celebration and Honors in Manhattan on Wednesday night.

Kloss gave a number of remarks on the party following the annual FIT Way forward for Fashion runway show that featured 87 designs, showcasing the work of 73 students chosen from FIT’s class of 2023 Fashion Design BFA program. The runway show was held outdoors on the FIT campus.

The various group of scholars represented 4 continents, 11 countries and 21 U.S. states from 4 concentrations: knitwear, sportswear, intimate apparel and big day. The modern designs were inspired by the scholars’ personal stories and addressed lots of today’s issues corresponding to sustainability, gender fluidity and size inclusivity.

The show was sponsored by Macy’s under its social purpose platform, Mission Every One, dedicated to making a more equitable and sustainable future.

In introducing the style show, Dr. Joyce Brown, president of FIT, told the audience, “The scholars we rejoice tonight are amongst 8,000 students who attend FIT today and as most of you realize, our programs span all the creative industries — we wish to say that we stand on the crossroads of design and business….Students come to us with raw talent and gain knowledge and skills from our dedicated faculty within the fields of beauty, promoting and marketing, interior design, business management, toy design, textiles, animation…and after all our calling card — fashion design.”

Attendees included Mickey Drexler, Ken Downing, Mara Hoffman, Jane Hertzmark Hudis, Noah Kozlowski, Kate Lanphear, Abbey Doneger, Sally LaPointe, Fern Mallis, Nicole Miller, Bibhu Mohapatra, Deirdre Quinn, Larry Leeds, Jill Stuart and Zaldy, amongst others. The evening was hosted by Ashley Graham.

“That is one in every of my favorite fashion shows,” said Downing, creative director of Halston. He said he just isn’t only an FIT alumnus, but he loves the scholars’ “bridled enthusiasm and creativity.”

“That sardine can, I giggled, and the dietary information on the back, and the lawn furniture chair,” he said, citing a few of the more clever ideas that got here down the runway. “I loved the range of ideas, the micro looks, the maxi looks, the maximalism with the layers of knits and the minimalistic statement. It’s an amazing show. This institution is the most effective gems in our city.”

Eleven Critic Award winners were recognized with distinction through the runway show. Those students were Jacob Caraccilo for sportswear; Sammi Chen for big day; Veronica Creed for knitwear; Katelyn de Levante Raphael for sportswear; Rachel Gewirtz for intimate apparel; Vanessa Gray for sportswear; Yuri Ikegava for big day; Chaeeun Lee for knitwear; Cecilia Wolf for sportswear; Amanda Zanetti for big day, and Lancy Zhang for sportswear.

Wolf’s look, for instance, was a cutout embroidered shirt, tie, short/tulle dress; wool pulled jacket, and vintage suiting fragmented flower, while Gray showed a denim deconstructed bolero jacket, patchwork lace bodysuit and denim skirt with lace inserts. Zanetti presented a mauve Chantilly lace column dress with hand-dyed/pleated tulle ruffles and beaded appliqués.

Macy’s in-house team chosen Mariah Does Hooke because the winner for its Macy’s x FIT Every Body Collection Capsule because her look flatters a wide selection of body types. Her design was a pale green midi-length shift dress with ruched waist and hardware detailing. The design can be sold at Macy’s Herald Square in Latest York this fall, with a hangtag featuring Hooke’s name, photo and biography.

Other Macy’s winners were Natalia Bermeo for Best Culturally Inspired Look — a terra-cotta Andean-inspired hand-knit sweater with a multicolor sleeve and brightly coloured embellished jacquard. Caraccilo, who won for Best Use of Sustainable Materials, showed a leaf-printed jacket, wildlife vest, plaid shirt and stripe short over burnt edge short. Lorenzo Lukban was awarded Best Gender Neutral Look and presented a black cotton poplin tie-neck shirt, wool wide-leg pants and satin tunic with collaged textile.

Following the show, Hoffman told WWD, “It was great. It’s been so long since I’ve seen a student show. It’s overwhelming to be starting now. There have been so many beautiful things and a number of smart upcycling and it was nice to see the efforts of sustainability.”

Lafayette 148’s Quinn added, “It was incredible. The knitwear was amazing. Now we have a number of interns from FIT. Now we have FIT’s Center for Innovation on the Brooklyn Navy Yard,” said Quinn, citing where Lafayette 148 is headquartered.

Mohapatra said he has mentored students and felt the show was wonderful, particularly “the caliber of the workmanship.”

“They each have such unique points of view,” he said. He also thought the casting of the models was diverse, each ethnically and by body shape. He noted that sustainability is ingrained on this generation. “This type of progressive considering is woven into their DNA,” he said.

This yr, FIT modified things up and held its annual gala directly after the style show. The evening honored Kloss as Fashion Icon and Victor Glemaud, designer and FIT alumnus, as Outstanding Alumni honoree.

“FIT nurtured me and truly gave me the inspiration to create my very own pathways in fashion. Now it’s my honor to contribute and support this amazing faculty of academics here and learn from the scholars,” said Glemaud, a Haitian American designer who began his namesake business in 2008, having worked at Patrick Robinson, Paco Rabanne and Tommy Hilfiger.

Glemaud said he was a transfer student to FIT after spending three days in cooking school. “Once I returned to Queens where I grew up, I began class here at FIT where I immediately felt right at home, welcome and able to thrive.

“Fashion has all the time embraced diversity and I’m hopeful the style industry can be on the forefront of this battle in addition to many others that aim to construct a more inclusive society. Fashion is a strong commodity that enables one to transcend and soar,” said Glemaud.

“I don’t claim to have all of the answers or give one of the best advice. I’ve failed just as much as I’ve succeeded, but daily I get up and feel like I’m just getting began. My advice to you: Stay interested in the world and follow Oprah’s smart words — ‘and remember, while you step out in love, you turn out to be another person’s hope.’”

In accepting her award, Kloss, 30-year-old model, entrepreneur and philanthropist who founded Kode with Klossy, said, “As a 13-year-old girl from St. Louis, Missouri, the concept that I’d someday receive an award as a ‘Fashion Icon’ would have been unfathomable.

“My profession is a direct results of the very creativity makes up this room,” she added. “I’ve worked with many individuals throughout the years, and plenty of were members of the FIT alumni network. I’ve seen firsthand how this institution has shaped them into visionaries and provided them the foundational tools to excel. I most definitely wouldn’t be where I’m without them.”