Dr. Joyce F. Brown has served as FIT's president since 1998.
Fashion Institute of Technology
When I spoke recently with Dr. Joyce Brown about her work at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York, she told me that the school has evolved into much more than just clothing manufacturing. The school began as a place where European immigrants could come and work as embroiderers, seamstresses, and tailors, with the goal of “building up the tailoring industry and ultimately professionalizing the industry.” The school, colloquially known as FIT, has benefited from what Dr. Brown described as a “great reputation” that energizes the entire industry, but she noted that FIT is a “treasure trove of talent and resources” that must evolve further with the arrival of technology and the new territories it brings. Technology, she said, has helped transform the fashion sector into a broader lifestyle sector. Dr. Brown said that FIT today features “a fantastic cross-section of talent” across myriad industries and fields that naturally intersect with technology, especially today.
Dr. Brown said FIT is not just about fashion. The school focuses on “the intersection of design and technology and design itself.” This includes how technology has influenced fabric design, textile development and more, but also advertising and marketing. Since everything FIT teaches is centered around design and creativity, Dr. Brown said it makes sense that they have to “embrace” new ways of doing things. She thought it was important for the school to reach both the lifestyle and technology industries and “nurture new designer talent.” Especially considering that many of FIT's students are in their 20s, Dr. Brown said it's important to recognize that they've grown up with technology their whole lives. As industry experts say, they are “digital natives.” They're surrounded by technology and they want to use it.
“They're fearless. They want to try new things. They want to do things differently. They want to influence how business is done and how products are developed,” Dr Brown said. “We've had to catch up as an organisation and work with industry and technology and software developers and figure out how we can integrate that with the design world and design education.”
Digital nativism has an impact in other ways too. From the perspective of people with disabilities, modern technology is not just ubiquitous but also so advanced that, coupled with society's constant cries for inclusivity, it can make learning, productivity, and socialization more accessible. It's easy to guess how this applies to FIT. There are certainly people with disabilities around the world who want a career in the fashion and lifestyle industry. It's one thing that technology is so dominant and pervasive in everyday life, but it's quite another that technology companies are working so hard to make it easy to use in terms of accessibility. It's not far-fetched or trivial, therefore, to guess that people with disabilities who are interested in an FIT education would probably be successful, given Dr. Brown's assurance that they are embracing technology as they broaden their horizons and modernize.
A significant percentage of FIT's student population comes from marginalized and underserved communities, and Dr. Brown told me that the school has made a concerted effort to bring in more talent from those groups. For what she calls “young people,” it's hard to pursue passions in their neighborhoods without an arts education program replete with field trips to museums and the like. Dr. Brown noted that there has been “a lot of discussion lately” about the lack of diversity in the creative industries, due to a lack of avenues to promote it. Furthermore, she said, many industries have not “bothered to diversify” so that their products are accepted by a wider audience. In contrast, FIT is one example where people are going out of their way. Dr. Brown said that FIT is working to develop programs to bring in “more talented people who might not otherwise have the opportunity to impact and contribute to the diversification of the industry.” Of course, technology plays an essential role in this work. Dr Brown said FIT’s intention is to “create a pathway that incorporates technology within the curriculum so that budding designers from all disciplines can receive an education that allows them to contribute to new areas and prospects for the industry that leverages all technology.”
“It's really two-fold,” she said of FIT's service goals for students. “One is to ensure that we're on the cutting edge – that we're incorporating technology into what we teach so that industry knows that their next leaders are coming out of FIT. At the same time, we were creating programs so that young people from underserved areas could have the opportunity and experience to learn here.”
Dr. Brown said FIT is unique in its uniqueness, and she often says that “FIT has no competition” because “there's no one else doing what we do.” FIT offers 50 different majors and is taught by creative industry professionals. This means that students have “a great opportunity to be immersed in the way business is done today,” Dr. Brown said. 80% of FIT students secure employment after graduation, and Dr. Brown said the market is “very competitive” and the school does a “great job” of preparing people for that environment. Similarly, FIT has a “rich” internship program that allows students to be immersed and indoctrinated into corporate and industry culture and gain valuable hands-on experience.
“I also think it's inspiring to be in a community of like-minded, creative, dynamic young people. We're trying to create opportunities for them to experiment and learn new ways to incorporate technology into their design work, their talents and their creativity,” Dr. Brown says. “And then they go out and get jobs. That makes us (FIT) happy, makes them happy and makes their parents happy. Our graduates, our successful graduates, are breaking barriers in all areas of life. That's why they want to come here. None of them are here to find themselves. This is a destination for creative people.”
A big differentiator for FIT is the so-called D Tech Lab. The lab's website boasts that it “solves real-world problems with design and technology” and “inspires interdisciplinary research.” It further states that the lab “combines design thinking with emerging technologies” and is at the “intersection of industry and academia.” Dr. Brown said the D Tech Lab was built on the concept of “connecting design elements (and) emerging designers with technology and real-world problems that industry needs solutions for.” She added that FIT seeks a place that fosters “creative solutions,” and proudly noted that the lab has been a great success. Dr. Brown shared an anecdote about how the Girl Scouts of America approached FIT with a desire to “create a uniform that is more contemporary and appealing for today's young women,” something fresher and more modern than the “old Brownie look.” Dr. Brown said the Girl Scouts did their research and wanted to keep it traditional and authentic, but make it relevant for the 21st century. This idea has been a recurring theme at FIT, which has partnered with the Girl Scouts as well as other companies like IBM and Tommy Hilfiger, according to Dr. Brown. It has also worked with a pharmaceutical company to design adaptive clothing for patients with neurological disorders who can't wear normal clothes because of pain. The D-Tech Lab made all of this possible. Dr. Brown says the technology can be used to “take whatever elements of your iconic and authentic brand identity you have and make them more contemporary and in line with the style of younger, emerging designers.”
The conversation with Dr. Brown coincided with the news that she would be stepping down from the position she has held since 1998. A self-appointed trailblazer and FIT's first woman and first African-American president, she announced in a press release earlier this month that she would be leaving the school at the end of the 2024-25 academic year. FIT praised Dr. Brown for her nearly 26 years of “transformative” service. In a statement, Dr. Brown said it had been an “honor and privilege” to serve FIT and vowed to spend her final months as president “driving FIT forward while working to identify the next leader who will build on our strengths and take the university to even greater heights.”
When asked about the feedback and whether students are happy at FIT, Dr. Brown responded somewhat flippantly, describing it as a rather “fleeting” feeling. She called FIT students “highly motivated” and noted that the school is focused on constantly adapting to changes in retail, especially when it comes to shopping. As well as accessibility for people with disabilities, Dr. Brown noted that technology is impacting nearly every element of society, making environmental sensitivity increasingly (and understandably) popular. To paraphrase Bob Dylan, times are changing faster than ever before.
“I think there's a lot of dynamism and interest and excitement in the way we're creating a multi-disciplinary, interdisciplinary product and then incorporating that into the marketing, advertising and design of the industry,” Dr. Brown said of the future of FIT. “That's, at least in part, how I see the future. It's always changing. Obviously, things are moving very quickly. But it's an avenue that young people today are interested in.”
