Showing 1852 results

Authority record
Kleine, Andrea
US.20230524.003 · Person

Andrea Kleine is the author of the novels, CALF, a Publishers' Weekly Best Fiction Book of 2015; and EDEN, named one of "Summer's Smartest and Most Innovative Thrillers" by Vanity Fair and a finalist for a Publishing Triangle Award in LGBTQ fiction. Her work includes fiction, essays, performances, and, most recently, films. She is a five-time MacDowell fellow and a New York Foundation for the Arts fellow. Kleine worked in the FIT Library for many years until 2023, initiating the Soul Fashion Club oral history project in that time.

Branch, Clara
US.20230524.004 · Person · late twentieth century (active)

Clara Branch was an alumna of FIT having graduated in 1948. She became a member of the staff and faculty of the Fashion Design Department, and founded the The Soul Club, a student club at FIT, serving as the club’s advisor until her retirement in 1991. The Soul Club is best remembered for its annual standing-room only event, The Soul Fashion Show, which was held at FIT from 1971 through the early 1990s. Branch directed these shows which featured the work of young Black designers and models, and were supported by the larger community of the New York City fashion industry.

Henri Bendel (Firm)
US.20230524.005 · Corporate body · 1895-2019

"Henri Bendel, Inc. (pronounced BEN-del), established in 1895,[3] was a women's department store based in New York City which in its later history sold women's handbags, jewelry, luxury fashion accessories, home fragrances and gifts.[4] Its New York City store was located at 10 West 57th street. In 1985, when purchased by Limited, the new owner moved the store to 712 Fifth Avenue." Wikipedia

Lanvin (Firm)
US.20220401.001 · Corporate body · 1889 (date of establishment)

Lanvin is a French multinational high fashion house, which was founded by Jeanne Lanvin in 1889. It is the third oldest French fashion house still in operation. In 1990, the house was taken over by the Orcofi Group, then sold to l’Oréal in 1996. In 2001, Shaw-Lan Wang, a Taiwanese media magnate, took Lanvin private again. On 14 March 2016, Bouchra Jarrar was appointed as Creative Director for Women’s Collection, replacing Alber Elbaz, who had transformed the company over the previous fourteen years. Bouchra's departure was announced on 6 July 2017. She was succeeded as artistic director by Olivier Lapidus, who left the company without a named successor on 22 March 2018. Men’s Collections have been headed by Lucas Ossendrijver since 2005. Bruno Sialelli has been the head designer for both the men's and the women's collections since 2019.

US.20200328.022 · Person
Marcus, Gladys
US.20201016.013 · Person · Unknown-1991

Gladys Marcus was the dean of liberal arts at the Fashion Institute of Technology, joining as a part-time instructor in 1950. According to the NY Times, "She was instrumental in expanding and maintaining a broad-based liberal arts program at the school as part of its career-oriented degree programs. A proponent of global education, she initiated an overseas curriculum for the fashion institute. She was a member of the Middle States Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools visiting teams evaluating other colleges." She passed away in 1991.

US.20200804.030 · Corporate body

Morris & Co. is a decorating company started by William Morris and his friends in 1861. Originally named Morris, Marshall, Faulkner & Co., they provided beautiful, handcrafted products and furnishings for the home and aimed to be affordable and accessible to all. They became most well-known for their wallpaper and fabric designs, and after 150 years of business became simply known as Morris & Co. Following World War One and World War Two, Morris & Co. went into voluntary liquidation in 1940. They were eventually bought by another home furnishings company, Arthur Sanderson & Sons, that same year where they presently remain.

US.20200516.009 · [non-DACS actor] · 1994-1995

My So-Called Life is an American teen drama television series, airing originally on ABC from 1994-1995. Starring Claire Danes and Jerod Leto, the series was created by Winnie Holzman and produced by Edward Zwick and Marshall Herskovitz.

US.20200502.018 · Corporate body · active 1950s

The National Council for the Arts, Sciences, and Professions was a United States-based socialist organization of the 1950s. The council sponsored the Cultural and Scientific Conference for World Peace in 1949.

Bloomingdale's (Firm)
US.20181109-016 · Corporate body · 1860 (date of establishment)

Joseph and Lyman Bloomingdale got their start in the fashion industry in 1860 as the purveyors of ladies' hoop skirts on the Lower East Side of Manhattan. In 1872, they launched a department store called the East Side Bazaar which offered a variety of imported European fashions. Changing the name to Bloomingdales and expanding to 59th St. and Lexington Ave. in 1886, the store became well-known for its large plate glass window displays and dynamic ad campaigns. By the 1920s, Bloomingdales occupied the entire block of its 59th St. location, establishing itself as a premier shopping destination in New York City.

Quant, Mary
US.20180907.005 · Person

Mary Quant was a British fashion designer. Quant studied art education and illustration at Goldsmiths, where she graduated in 1953. In 1955, she and her husband, aristocrat Alexander Plunket Greene, and lawyer-turned-photographer Archie McNair opened a boutique named Bazaar, where they stocked Quant's own designs. After expanding and opening a second store in 1957, she signed a design contract with American department-store chain JC Penney in 1962. Quant is widely seen as very influential in 1960's and 1970's fashion and is often credited as inventing the mini-skirt, which was heavily popularized on '60's It-model Twiggy. Often cited as the 'mother of the miniskirt,' Quant created ready-to-wear designs for the hip, youth scene which was later dubbed Youthquake. She was granted an OBE by Queen Elizabeth II in 1966 and granted the title of Dame in 2015 for her services to British fashion.

Wood, John P.
US.20230524.001 · Person · early 20th century (active)

President of the National Association of Wool Manufacturers.

Quinn, Norbert
US.20230521.008 · Person

Cartoon illustrator

Mignon
US.20230521.006 · Corporate body
J.H. Bridal
US.20230521.005 · Corporate body
PLW (firm)
US.20230521.002 · Corporate body
Acra, Reem
2023040602 · Person

Reem Acra was born in Beirut and after studying business at the American University of Beirut, moved to New York to study at the Fashion Institute of Technology where she graduated magne cum laude and won awards for her senior collection. Acra subsequently studied fashion design at ESMOD in Paris and briefly worked in Hong Kong and Taiwan before launching her own bridal wear brand Reem Acra New York in 1997. The brand continues to be known for its bridal looks and high-end RTW eveningwear.

Handelman, Michelle
US.20230415.001 · Person · 1960-

Michelle Handelman uses video, live performance and photography to make confrontational works that explore the sublime in its various forms of excess and nothingness.

Her background is a study in opposites–raised during the late ‘60s and early ‘70s, Handelman split her time between Chicago, where her mother was a fixture in the art world, and Los Angeles, where her father was a player in the counterculture sex industry.

Over the years Handelman has voraciously traversed both these worlds, developing a body of work that investigates ways of looking at the forbidden and revealing dark, subconscious layers of outsider agency.

US.20230521.001 · [non-DACS actor] · 1838-

Founded in 1838 and revamped almost completely by Aristide Boucicaut in 1852, it was one of the first modern department stores. It was a member of the International Association of Department Stores from 1986 to 2011. Now the property of LVMH, it sells a wide range of high-end goods, including food in an adjacent building at 38, rue de Sèvres, called La Grande Épicerie de Paris.

Louis, Jean, 1907-1997
US.20200502.007 · Person · 1907-1997

Jean Louis Berthault, born in 1907, was an Academy Award-winning designer who created some of the most memorable costumes and fashions worn by Hollywood stars of the 1940's, 50's and 60's. After training in Paris with the designer Drecoll, he came to the United States in 1936 where he was hired as one of the lead designers at Hattie Carnegie alongside Norman Norell and Claire McCardell. The following year he designed the Carnegie suit, one of the first fashions to become popular as an American name design. Louis became known for designing costumes and garments for famous Hollywood celebrities including Lana Turner, Vivien Leigh, Joan Crawford, Rosalind Russell, Betty Grable, Judy Garland, Greta Garbo and Katharine Hepburn. He was responsible for the glittering ''beads and skin'' dress worn by Marilyn Monroe for her performance of ''Happy Birthday'' to President John F. Kennedy in Madison Square Garden in 1962. He became the head designer at Columbia Pictures in 1943, then moved on to Universal studios later on. At Columbia, where he became a mentor to James Galanos who was working as his assistant, he was the only costume designer at the time to be given full film credit. In the early 1960's, Mr. Louis severed his relationship with the studios, opened a salon in Beverly Hills, California, where he continued to design for the movies on a freelance basis. Over the course of his career, he was nominated for 13 additional Academy Awards. Louis retired in 1988, and passed away in 1997 in Palm Springs, California, at the age of 89.

Evans, Lee
US.20230425.001 · Person

Born in New York City, Lee Evans studied fine arts at Ohio University and was an honor graduate from the Fashion Institute of Technology. After graduation, she worked as a sketcher for 3 years at Junior League Frocks. In 1949 she began designing a popular-priced collection of cotton junior dresses for Jerry Greenwald, Inc. In 1955 she joined the firm of Mr. Mort, where she specialized in casual wear. In that same year she won the annual Ribbon Designer's Award and created an original design in silk for the Japan Textile Products Exporter's Association. Designing under her own label, she also worked for Leonard Arkin & Son. In 1969 she joined PLW, a division of Gay Gibson, Inc., and the next year was named vice-president for design. In that capacity she developed designs for younger misses' dresses and pants.

2023040601 · Corporate body · 1965- circa 1975

Formed by a merger of the New York Couture Group and the American Fashion Business Council in February of 1966, the NYCBC's founding chairperson was Adolf Klein of Townley, Inc.

Ellis, Estelle
US.20190520.005 · Person · 1919-2012

Estelle Ellis was born on November 12, 1919 in Brooklyn, New York. After graduating from Hunter College in 1940, with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science and a minor in Journalism, Ellis began a career in publishing. Ellis was crucial in the founding of Seventeen magazine in 1943, assisting Helen Valentine with design and advertising for the magazine. In 1958, Ellis founded Business Image, Incorporated, a creative marketing firm that stressed the importance of market and product positioning. Her company worked primarily with Condé Nast publications but other businesses, such as Yves Saint-Laurent Fragrances, Evan-Picone, AT&T, and Scoville, hired Business Image as well.

Beginning in the mid-1960s, Ellis began working with the Fashion Institute of Technology, creating programs and fundraising campaigns to help with financial support. During the 1990s, Ellis focused on writing, co-authoring At Home with Books: How Booklovers Live With and Care for Their Libraries (1995), At Home with Art: How Art Lovers Live With and Care for Their Treasures (1999), and The Booklover's Repair Kit: First Aid for Home Libraries (2000). Estelle Ellis passed away on July 12, 2012.

Green, Annette
US.20181207-003 · Person · 1924-

Annette Green was raised by her mother. She was an only child and lived with her mother in her grandparents house. Green attended NYU and the New School, where she studied Journalism. Her first professional job was at American Druggist, a Hearst publication. She worked as an assistant for George Bender and had her own column marketed to teenage girls. In the mid 1950s, Hearst publications paid for her tuition at a night school where she continued to study journalism. She moved from American Druggist to the DuBarry Success School news letter, where she was the editor of the publication. However, she was unhappy here because of a fraught relationship with her boss. She moved into a position in sales training, working under Chris Chiossi, a woman Green admired. Green wrote speeches for Chiossi. Mcfadden magazine offered Green a position as beauty editor, which Green accepted. She worked there for about a year. She then got a call from an acquaintance telling her that the recommended her for a job as Assistant Women's Page Editor at Scripps Howard. She took the position but was later scouted by Jack Mohr, president of Lenthéric. Mohr wanted Green to be the Publicity Director of the company. Even though she knew nothing about the job, Green accepted. When Lenthéric merged with Olin Mathieson, Mohr left and Green moved into the cooperate department.

Soon, Green left and started her own company, Annette Green Associates, in 1960. Her first major account was Altman, Stroller; Green handled their fashion accounts. A year later, Mohr asked Green to help save the Fragrance Foundation. The Fragrance Foundation was founded in 1949 by the fragrance departments of Chanel, Caron, Guerlain, Coty, and Helena Rubinstein. It was originally conceived as a way to promote the everyday usage of perfume in the United States. By 1961, the foundation was failing, with very few members left. Mohr wanted Green to revive the foundation. She slowly but successfully acquired members, old and new, such as Edouard Cournand of Lanvin and Gregory Thomas of Chanel. Green also wrote a directory of all the fragrance businesses in the industry. Thanks to Green, the Fragrance Foundation became fully established. She continued working with the foundation throughout the 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s. Green was president of the foundation from 1963 to 2003. Under Green's supervision, the Olfactory Research Fund was created to support the work of clinical psychologists.

In addition to her work for the foundation, Green wanted to create a program that would teach cosmetics and fragrance practices. She reached out to Shirley Goodman at FIT, who in turn, invited Green to teach a class on the subject one day a week. Dean Jack Rittenberg suggested the creation of an entire program. Hazel Bishop became the head of the program. Green started the Cosmetic/Fragrance ACTION council at FIT, which was made up of professionals to oversee the curriculum. In the mid 1990s, Green published a book, along with fashion journalist Linda Dyett, on jewelry that held fragrance.

"A leader in the fragrance industry since the 1960s, Annette Green originated the FiFi Award in 1972 and is currently President Emeritus of The Fragrance Foundation." http://theanglemag.com/beautify/science-scent/

"Annette Green serves as Business Development Consultant at RMJ Laboratories, Inc. Ms. Green serves as President Emeritus of The Fragrance Foundation. She is considered as an industry futurist, oversaw the fortunes of The Fragrance Foundation for over 40 years and is credited with conceiving and producing the prestigious “FiFi” Awards and for establishing an international presence for the Foundation" -Bloomberg

Scaasi, Arnold 1930-2015
US.20180711.054 · Person · 1930-2015

Arnold Scaasi was born in Canada in 1930 and is known for dressing five First Ladies, using French couture techniques. Former First Lady Barbara Bush says, "His dresses brought me great joy - whether they were for a state dinner or just a simple suit I could wear anywhere." Scaasi donated over 100 garments and sold his a portion of his archives to the Museum of Fine Arts Boston in 2009, the remainder reside at FIT Special Collections.

Moir, Edward, 1846-1932
US.20230128.001 · Person · 1846-1932

Edward Moir was born in Scotland in 1846 and moved with his family to Canada when he was 10. After working in and later managing several mills in Canada, he moved to the United States in 1884 to work for Crown Mills in Marcellus, N.Y. He was a superintendent from 1884-1899 and then President from 1899 until his death in 1932. Moir's son John M. Moir was president of the mill from 1932 until it closed in 1961. Edward Moir was also president of the Carded Woolen Manufacturers' Association from 1909 to 1932, the entire lifetime of the organization.

US.20230128-003 · Corporate body · circa 1878-1961

The Crown Mills Company originated around 1878, and in 1890 it merged with the Marcellus Woolen Mills Company to form the Crown Mills Corporation. Edward Moir began at Crown Mills in 1884 and became president in 1899. During his time at Crown Mills, Moir expanded the operation by purchasing additional buildings and increasing the number of looms from 20 to 108. Operation included dyeing, carding, spinning, and weaving. Moir's son John M. Moir was president of the mill from 1932 until it closed in 1961.

Blank, Zineta
US.20220318.071 · Person

Zineta Blank is a former model and the founder of Visage International Management, a modeling agency which has represented Carmen Dell’Oreffice, Niki Taylor, Jerry Hall, Maryam d' Abo and Anouk.

Blair, Mary
US.20220910.003 · Person · 1911-1978

Mary Blair was an artist, animator and set designer best known for her work for Walt Disney. During the 1940s and 50s, Blair animated and led the animation teams which created Disney classics including Cinderella, Alice in Wonderland, Fantasia and Dumbo among others. She also contributed character, mural and set designs for Disney theme parks including It's a Small World. She later worked as an illustrator for Little Golden Books for children and designed stage sets for theatrical productions.

Black Panther Party
US.20200404.030 · Corporate body · 1966-

"The Black Panther Party for Self-Defense (BPP) was founded in October 1966 in Oakland, California by Huey P. Newton and Bobby Seale, who met at Merritt College in Oakland. It was a revolutionary organization with an ideology of Black nationalism, socialism, and armed self-defense, particularly against police brutality. It was part of the Black Power movement, which broke from the integrationist goals and nonviolent protest tactics of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference led by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. The BPP name was inspired by the use of the black panther as a symbol that had recently been used by the Lowndes County Freedom Organization, an independent Black political party in Alabama." ~ The US National Archives and Record Administration

Best & Co.
US.20210820.013 · Corporate body · 1879–1971

Best & Co. was a department store founded in New York City in 1879 by Albert Best. Part of the 'Ladies' Mile' shopping district, the stalwart Manhattan store expanded its footprint with locations in tony suburbs in the tri-state area before expanding to Washington, D.C. and Chicago in the 1930s and 1940s. In 1966, the chain included 20 US-based locations when it was acquired by a fashion conglomerate, McCrory's who closed and liquidated the Best & Co. properties during the 1970s.

Berr, Susan
US.20220318.079 · Person · 20th century

Susan Berr was an American fashion model represented during the 1960s and 1970s by Ford Models and appeared in print campaigns as the face of Breck shampoo. Berr now lives and works in Los Angeles as an interior designer going by Susan Sager.

Bernard, Augusta
US.20210820.012 · Person · 1886-1946

Couturier Augusta Bernard elided her name (as was fashionable at the moment) in 1919 when she opened her couture house at 3, rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré. By the 1930s, she had established herself as a top Parisian couture house known for her beautifully made, pale colored evening gowns, which often functioned as blank canvases for her clients' elaborate jewels. At the same time, amidst the Depression of the 1930s, client's began dodging their bills and the house began to suffer. Madame Bernard elected to retire, closing her couture house in 1934.

Belafonte, Shari
US.202203.81 · Person · 1954 September 22

Shari Belefonte is an American model and actress. Her career began in the early 1980s as a print model, and she appeared in television commercials for Calvin Klein Jeans. As an actor, she was a favorite of television producer Aaron Spelling who regularly cast her in his productions. Belefonte is the daughter of Marguerite and Harry Belefonte; the latter being the famed singer and performer of the 1950s, 60s and 70s.

Bell, Joy
US.20220318.077 · Person · 1957-

Joy Bell is an fashion model who revived her illustrious career of her youth in the 1970s and 1980s, in the 2000s to fill a gap in the market for middle-aged models. As such she has been the face of Oil of Olay costmetics, Maybelline and has been featured on the cover of Times magazine.

Baz, Ben-Hur
US.20210820.009 · Person · 1906-2003

Born in Mexico in 1903, Ben-Hur Baz was an illustrator known for his pin-up and glamor-girl illustrations which appeared in Esquire during the 1940s and 50s. Extremely prolific, he also worked as a commercial illustrator for Pall Mall and Lucky Strike.

Barthet, Jean
US.20210820.008 · Person · 1920–2000

Jean Barthet was a French milliner and member of the Chambre Syndicale de la Couture Parisienne. Launching his line in 1949, he provided hat for haute couturiers including Claude Montana, Karl Lagerfeld and Emanuel Ungaro.

Barrios, Pedro
US.20180702.087 · Person · 1947

Born in Cuba circa 1947, Pedro Barrios' family fled persecution by the Castro regime in 1961 and settled in New York City where Pedro attended the High School of Art and Design and the Fashion Institute of Technology. In 1967, he joined the staff of Women's Wear Daily as a fashion illustrator before relocating to Greece, Spain, England and Italy before settling in the remote regions of the rain forest in Puerto Rico. So in demand were Barrios' services as an illustrator, WWD and department stores including Wanamakers and Stern Bros. would send merchandise and models to a neighboring town for Barrios to sketch. His success as a top fashion illustrator allowed him care for his family, purchasing a home for his mother and putting his sisters through medical and law school.

Barrie, Scott, 1943-1993
US.20200404.028 · Person · 1943-1993

Born Nelson Clyde Barr, Scott Barrie was an American fashion designer known for his use of jersey. Barrie began making clothes at the age of 10 and after studying at the Philadelphia Museum College of Art, moved to New York City in 1962. After his work was picked up by Bloomingdales and Henri Bendel, Barrie opened his own showroom in 1968. A contemporary of Willi Smith and Stephen Burrows, Barrie was one of several prominent African American designers during the 1970s. In 1982, he moved to Milan and for a period of five years worked for the Italian firm Krizia. Barrie passed away in Milan at the age of 52 from brain cancer in 1993.

Barrows, Stanley
US.20200918.021 · Person · [1915]-1995

The Texas born Stanley Burrows was an interior design educator who taught history of interior design and decoration with an emphasis on the 17th and 18th centuries at Parsons from 1946 through 1968. He later taught at FIT starting in 1968, and acted as chair of Interior Design from 1979 until his retirement in 1985. In 1993, Barrows received an honorary doctorate in Fine Arts from Parsons.

Barr, Neal
US.20220318.088 · Person · 1932-

Neal Barr is a photographer who rose to prominence in the 1960s after working as Ray Kellman and Irving Penn's assistant. Barr opened his own photography studio in New York City in 1962 focusing on fashion and commercial advertising. Between 1966 and 1974, Barr was a contributing photographer to Harper's Bazaar and his commercial clients included Christian Dior, Halston, Bergdorf Goodman, Lord & Taylor, Bloomingdale's and various cosmetics companies. Barr is a collector of vintage fashion of the 1920s and his fashion photography is represented by Staley Wise Gallery in New York City.

Barbieri, Gian Paulo
US.20220318.087 · Person · 1938-

Gian Paulo Barbieri is an Italian fashion photographer born into a family of textile merchants and department store owners. Part of the social scene depicted in Frederico Fellini's film La Dolce Vita (1960), Barbieri worked for Harper's Bazaar and the American, French and Italian editions of Vogue. Armani, Dolce & Gabbana, Valentino and Versace count among his many fashion designer clients. Barbieri's work has been featured in exhibitions of fashion photography at the Victoria & Albert Museum in London and the Fondation Cartier in Paris.

Newey, Robert Simon
US.20221221.01 · Person

Robert Simon Newey is a former widow dresser, art director, actor and photographer. He was briefly part-owner in the Zoli Modeling Agency and Director of the Men's Division of the Elite Modeling Agency. A member of the Screen Actor's Guild, Newey played background or bit parts in more than forty films while also serving as a talent agent. From 1982 to 2013, he owned his own business providing headshots to prominent individuals.

Callahan, Henry
US.20200923.015 · Person · 1913-1985

Henry Callahan was a display designer working in the U.S. during the mid-20th century. Callahan was the Vice President of Visual Merchandising at Saks Fifth Avenue, a title that was created just for him. He worked at Saks Fifth Avenue starting in 1957, where he became a vice president and the corporate director of visual merchandise until his retirement in 1977. He is credited as being one of the first people to base mannequins on real people, like Gloria Vanderbilt.

Henry Callahan was a visual merchandiser for Saks Fifth Avenue.

Jones, Adrienne
US.20221217.007 · Person

Professor Adrienne Jones is the Founder/Chief Creative Officer of Black Dress. Professor Jones holds the honor of being the first Black woman to achieve tenured professor status at Pratt Institute. For more than 20 years, she has served as faculty adviser for Pratt’s Fashion Society and has twice received the Outstanding Organization Adviser award for her work with and dedication to the club. Jones has taught in the Department of Fashion at Pratt for more than 25 years and developed both the adult education and pre-college programs in fashion for the School of Continuing and Professional Studies.
In 2014, Jones conceived and co-curated the landmark exhibition Black Dress, which honors Black designers and addresses the lack of diversity in the fashion industry. The exhibition was an unprecedented endeavor to coalesce a diverse array of contemporary design styles that inform and educate the New York fashion community, as well as new audiences, on the commemorative work of Black designers. The Black Dress project includes a website that serves as a source of information and reference, a digital exhibition, and “Black Dress TV,” where video interviews of prominent Black/African American figures of the fashion industry can be found. Jones is currently writing the companion book to the exhibition and working on expanding and touring the exhibition.
Jones is a painter, photographer, and fashion designer who specializes in leather and suede for her private clients. She has worked as a fashion show producer, creative director, and stylist for special events. Jones holds degrees in Art Therapy (M.S.), Art Education (B.S.), Fashion Design (A.A.S.), and has won many awards and honors in her field, including being named Innovative Visionary Icon of the Decade in 2015 and Distinguished Teacher Award in 2017-18.

Curinton Rippy, Karen
US.20221217.006 · Person

Karen Curinton Rippy graduated from the Fashion Institute of Technology with AAS and BFA degrees. While at FIT. Karen joined the Soul Club and was part of the Soul Fashion Show from 1980-1991, designing clothes and modeling for the annual show. Karen received the Designer of the Year title in 1990. Karen has been an adjunct professor at FIT for 32 years, and an adjunct faculty member at Parsons School of Design since 2005. In 2015 Prof. Curinton Rippy retired from the Pratt Institute after 16 years.
Karen has had a full career in the intimate apparel, swimwear, and athleisure industry, working for Jack Murphy Lougewear, Bill Tice, Martha Colon, Victoria’s Secret, and Adore Me, an online lingerie company. At Parsons/The New School, Karen wrote the curriculum and taught the first lingerie fundamentals course in 2014, and also the swim/athleisure course in 2017.
Karen has won many “Excellence in Design” awards and in 2013 received the AFD Faculty Award from the School of Fashion at Parsons.
As a hobby, Karen makes ethnic fabric dolls and one of a kind treasures.

Davis, Leonard
US.20221217.005 · Person

Fashion Designer, Fashion Event Producer, and Black Americana collector, Leonard Davis, earned his Associate degree in applied science at the Fashion Institute of Technology in 1973.
Davis then continued his education at the world-famous L'École de la Chambre Syndicale De La Couture Parisienne, Paris, France where he earned his “Couture Design'' certificate in 1975.
After working as an apprentice for Jean-Louis Sherrer in Paris, Davis returned to New York and began working on Seventh Avenue as part of the design team at Willi Wear. Davis was the first African American designer to head a division for companies such as: Adrianna Papell, Chaus Inc. Tanzara, and Lemon Grass. For 12 years Davis designed private label products for QVC, The Home Shopping Network, Essence by Mail, and retail stores: Saks, Nordstrom, Bloomingdales, Macy’s, JCPenney, Sears, Ashley Stewart, and Walmart. Davis has also worked abroad as Design Director for several International fashion houses including Mihang International, (Korea) Sage Apparel, (India), Tanzara international, (India).
In 1990 Leonard realized the necessity for an annual event to honor African Americans in the Fashion Industry.
Through the collaboration of FIT’s Soul Club and FAX, Davis’s vision was realized and he produced several events which honored black fashion pioneers such as: Ophelia DeVore, Naomi Sims, Andre-Leon Talley, Iman, Bethann Hardison, Geoffrey Holder, Carmen De Lavallade, Wesley Tann, Helen Williams, Audrey Smaltz, Susan Taylor, and Stephan Burrows. These events were hosted by Diahann Carroll and Phylicia Rashad.
Davis began collecting African American historical artifacts in 1985. Leonard has published two books entitled, Black Americana Price Guide. Davis has appeared in numerous magazine and newspaper articles, and The Davis Collection has been featured on TV shows: Antiques Road Show, Treasures In Your Home, and ABC News. Items from the Davis collection were featured in Spike Lee’s hit movie Bamboozled, and several items are on display at the newly built African American Museum in Washington, DC, The Civil Rights Museum, and The Norman Rockwell Museum.

Cutting, Steven
US.20221217.004 · Person

Steven Cutting is a Professor in the Fashion Design Art Department in the School of Art and Design at the Fashion Institute of Technology. Professor Cutting has taught at FIT since 1996 and received AAS and BFA degrees in Fashion Design from FIT. Master at his craft and the recipient of numerous awards, designer of Innovative style not only in NY, but in Europe, Asia, and the Caribbean, he has worked as a Design Director, Fashion Designer, in both garments and accessories. Companies he has collaborated with include Kenneth Cole, Reebok, Collage, Pony, Perry Ellis America, House of Dereon owned by Beyoncé and Tina Knowles, and he also established his own label, Katalyst.

Orange, Taur
US.20220318.107 · Person

Taur Orange is the head of Educational Opportunity Programs at FIT.

FIT Soul Club
US.20221217.003 · Corporate body · 1968- circa 1990s

The Soul Club of FIT was organized in 1968 by community member Clara Branch after the death of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Clara Branch was a staff and faculty member of the Fashion Design Department who served as the club’s advisor until her retirement in 1991. The purpose of the club was to share and celebrate Black heritage and culture, and to assist students with books, materials, and mentorship. The Soul Club of FIT is best remembered for its annual standing-room only event, The Soul Fashion Show, which was held at FIT from 1971 through the early 1990s. Clara Branch directed these shows which featured the work of young Black designers and models, and were supported by the larger community of the New York City fashion industry. In 1992, Rhonda Burrell-Stubbs took over as director upon Clara Branch’s retirement.

Harrell, Michael
US.20221217.002 · Person

Michael Harrell is an accomplished, multi-hyphenate designer with an extensive body of work that spans over 30 years-within the fashion, film, theater and television industries. As a hybrid design talent, his work is an eclectic combination of a visual storyteller combined with a master craftsman evolving from his years of traveling and working in over 25 countries.
During his fashion career, he honed his skills at Christian Dior, Donna Karan, Diane Von Furstenberg and Anne Klein - to name a few. Michael eventually merged his love of music with his fashion sense when he became the costume designer for the legendary singer Patti LaBelle. His work appeared on album/CD covers, concert stages and national television shows (his custom designed/tailored garment-worn by Ms. LaBelle when receiving her first Grammy Award-is now in the permanent collection of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture). Michael’s work has appeared on such music celebrities as: Christina Aguilera, Britney Spears, Mariah Carey, Gwen Stefani, Harry Styles and Madonna. Also, his costume building/tailoring and master technical skills have appeared on the stages of several Broadway productions Tina: The Musical, Walt Disney’s Frozen, The Book of Mormon, A Raisin in the Sun (with Denzel Washington), The Great Comet of 1812 (with Josh Groban), Misery (with Bruce Willis), A Delicate Balance (with Glenn Close), and M.J. (the upcoming Michael Jackson musical) to name a few. His television and movie credits include: Ugly Betty (ABC Network) The Young Pope (with Jude Law and Diane Keaton), Gold (with Matthew McConaughey), Top Five (with Chris Rock), We The People (Shondra Rhimes/ABC production) and Death Saved My Life (Lifetime network).
As an alumnus of the Fashion Institute of Technology, he has been a guest lecturer for several degree/certificate programs prior to helming his own class within the college. Under Michael’s tutelage, several of his students have ventured onto successful careers in the live theater, film and television industries.

Zelnik, Martin, 1939-2022
US.20200522.002 · Person · 1939- 2022 April 1

Martin "Marty" Zelnik, was born and raised in the Riverdale section of the Bronx. He attended Riverdale Country School from kindergarten to high school. He then attended Brandeis University where he played sports, and was inducted into the Brandeis Hall of Fame for tennis. During his senior spring season at Brandeis he served as their first Women’s tennis team coach. After Brandeis, Zelnik attended the Columbia University School of Architecture and founded Panzel Zelnik Associates, a distinguished architecture firm that he led for 50 years. He taught for the Interior Design program at the Fashion Institute of Technology from 1969 to 1999, making major contributions to the program, and held the position of Chairperson of the Faculty Association at FIT. He co-authored three major design standard publications. Zelnik passed away on April 1, 2022 at the age of 82.

Stutz, Geraldine 
US.20201202.001 · Person · 1924-2005

Geraldine Stutz, born in Chicago in 1924, moved to New York and found work as fashion editor for movie magazines. In 1947, she was hired as an associate fashion editor for Glamour magazine, where she covered shoes. Stutz utilized her shoe knowledge and went to work for several shoe manufacturers where she was recognized for her ability in merchandising and advertising. Maxey Jarman named her to run the Henri Bendel store in 1957 where she successfully transformed the store from a carriage trade retailer into a chic emporium of designer brands.

Hanenberg, Dorothy
US.20221217.001 · Person

In the 1970s, Dorothy Hanenberg was FIT's director of community resources.