Fashion designers whose businesses are based in one of New York City’s five boroughs and have been open for at least one year are eligible to apply for a free program to be held at the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) that will teach them the skills needed to successfully run a fashion label. Up to 35 applicants will be accepted to the Second Annual Design Entrepreneurs NYC program—an intensive, classroom-style “mini-MBA” program.
Applications are due no later than March 31, 2013. The application form is available online at www.designentrepreneursnyc.com.
Classes will again be taught by FIT faculty and other industry professionals and will focus on fashion business marketing, operations, and financial management. The program will culminate with each participant writing and refining a business plan with the help of industry experts. Participants who successfully complete the program will have the opportunity to present their plans to and receive feedback from a panel of influential fashion leaders.
The program will kick off with an orientation on May 30, 2013, followed by three intensive weekends of instruction on Saturdays and Sundays, June 1-16, 2013. Between June and September, participants will formalize their business plans with the assistance of instructors, ending the program with a live presentation of their business plans to a panel of industry leaders.
Additionally, Design Entrepreneurs NYC participants will have free access to a number of FIT programs, including workshops, personal tours of The Museum at FIT, and lectures by iconic fashion figures.
Jeanette Nostra, president of G-III Apparel Group, will serve as FIT’s industry liaison for the program. Drawing on her wide-ranging experience, Ms. Nostra will serve as a mentor to the program’s students, reviewing the curriculum, bringing in guest speakers, and hosting program events.
FIT was selected for the second year by the New York City Economic Development Corporation to manage and implement Design Entrepreneurs NYC, one of six initiatives that resulted from Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s Fashion.NYC.2020 plan. Fashion.NYC.2020 is designed to sustain and grow the $55 billion fashion industry in New York.
About FIT
The Fashion Institute of Technology, a part of the State University of New York, has been a leader in career education in art, design, business, and technology for nearly 70 years. With a curriculum that provides a singular blend of hands-on, practical experience, classroom study, and a firm grounding in the liberal arts, FIT offers a wide range of outstanding programs that are affordable and relevant to today’s rapidly changing industries. Internationally renowned, FIT draws on its New York City location to provide a vibrant, creative community in which to learn.
