FIT's 18th Annual Sustainable Business and Design Conference
Reimagining Our Future
April 9 and 10, 2024
10 am–6 pm
Fashion Institute of Technology
Katie Murphy Amphitheatre
Entrance: via the Pomerantz Art and Design Center lobby, located on the northwest
corner of
West 27th Street and Seventh Avenue, New York, NY 10001
The 2024 Sustainable Business and Design Conference will focus on concrete methods to reshape our future, highlighting practices and partnerships that disrupt the global supply chain. The key pillars of sustainability in both design and business will be addressed by this year’s conference theme, Reimagining Our Future. Join us to hear from leaders pioneering innovative solutions to the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals and global sustainability benchmarks. Sessions and keynotes will spotlight partnerships and collaborations that marry science with design and manufacturing to implement a circular economy and put cutting-edge advances into the hands of the consumer.
Featured Sessions:
- The Supply Chain and Businesses of the Future
- Communication and Global Commitments in Sustainability
- Design and Eco-Responsibility
- Collaborations and Partnerships for Change
Learn More About This Year's Speakers
Featured Speakers
Stacy Flynn
CEO and Founding Partner, Evrnu
Christopher Bevans
Fashion Designer
Amber Valletta
Fashion Model, Actress, Entrepreneur, Activist, FIT’s Sustainability Ambassador
Hillary Taymour
Founder, Collina Strada
April Calahan
Fashion and Art historian, Writer, and Podcaster
Rachel Slade
Author
Frederico Brugnoli
Founding Director and CEO, Spin360; Scientific Director, Fashion Sustainability and Industry Evolution, Accademia Costume and Moda
Melody Serafino
Co-founder of No. 29 Communications
Dr. Tuwanda Green
Architect and Educator
Robert Hammond
President and Chief Strategy Officer, Therme Group US
Rajiv Joshi
Sophia Kianni
Kimberly Jenkins
Founder, The Fashion and Race Database and Artis Solomon
Julie Mastrarrigo
Director of Leadership Development, Remake
Gabriele Camozzi
Head of Marketing, Albini Group
Chui-lian Lee
Co-founder and CEO, Werewool
Schedule of Events
Events will be held in person, along with pre-recorded and livestreamed sessions for the FIT community and registered attendees. Please check back for updated speakers and schedule information.
Tuesday, April 9, 2024
9:30 am
Conference Check-InPomerantz Lobby
Coffee Networking
Katie Murphy Amphitheatre
Opportunity to connect with industry professionals and conference attendees to discuss
sustainability in the fashion and creative industries.
10:00 am
Opening Remarks and Land Acknowledgement
Dr. Joyce F. Brown, President, FIT
Dr. Karen R. Pearson, Chair, Sustainability Council, FIT
10:15–11 am
April Calahan and Rachel Slade
Dressed:The History of Fashion podcast (live podcast)
April Calahan, Executive Producer/Co-Host, Dressed: The History of Fashion podcast
Rachel Slade, Author, Making It in America
Author Rachel Slade’s latest book, Making It in America, is the topic of this live recording for April Calahan’s popular podcast Dressed: The History of Fashion. Their discussion of the history of manufacturing in the United States will explore the factors behind its decline and highlight the possibilities for building stronger, more equitable “Made in the USA” businesses in the future.
11–11:40 am
More than a Brand: Turning Fashion into a Platform for Social Issues
Hillary Taymour, Designer, Collina Strada
Andrea Diodati, Assistant Professor, Fashion Design, FIT
How can fashion be a tool for self and societal reflection? Cult designer Hillary Taymour will talk about building her label, Collina Strada, as a platform for social issues and awareness. The discussion will focus on the importance of collaboration and local manufacturing, and the role of humor in improving fashion.
11:40 am–12:15 pm
Sustainable Textile Production and Supply Chain Traceability
Gabriele Camozzi, Head of Marketing, Albini Group
Moderator: Salvatore Giardina, Assistant Professor, Production Management, FIT
This conversation will dive deeply into how textile mills support sustainable solutions and production in the fashion industry. Gabriele Camozzi, from the Albini Textile Group, will discuss their commitment to transparency and accountability. Specific attention will be given to sourcing practices and production methods that foster environmental stewardship.
12:15–1 pm
Lunch Break
John E. Reeves Great Hall
1–2 pm
Opening Keynote
Stacy Flynn, CEO and Co-Founder of Evrnu; FIT alum, Textile Development and Marketing
The Nucycl | Bevans Hoodie Partnership
Christopher Bevans, Creative Director; FIT alum
Stacy Flynn, CEO and Co-Founder, Evrnu; FIT alum, Textile Development and Marketing
Moderator: Whitney Crutchfield, Assistant Professor, Textile Development and Marketing, FIT
Evrnu is a textile startup that created a breakthrough process to produce engineered fibers from textile waste. They recently partnered with fashion designer Christopher Bevans on a hoodie made from their NuCycl fiber. In this session the two innovators will discuss the origins of Evrnu and the vital importance of partnership and collaboration for launching and growing a new brand.
2:30–3:30 pm
Reimagining our Future by Taking Care of the Present
Rajiv Joshi, Economist, Community Organizer, Entrepreneurial Leader
Vic Barrett, American Climate Activist
Sophia Kianni, Social Entrepreneur and Activist
Moderator: Amber Valletta, Fashion Model, Actress, Entrepreneur, Activist, FIT’s Sustainability Ambassador
In challenging times, it becomes more vital than ever to find and share the peace that lives inside us all. These sustainability activists will discuss the importance of cultivating inner resilience, self care, and connection to nature as a way to deepen one’s work in the climate crisis.
3:45–4:30 pm
Anticipation and Global Commitments in Sustainability
Federico Brugnoli, Founding Director and CEO, Spin360
Spin360 helps companies in the fashion space implement lasting improvements and meet their sustainability goals. Founder Federico Brugnoli will explain the principles of ecodesign, a process that extends far beyond the studio and into the production and distribution stages.
4:30–5 pm
Building a New Business: Sustainability in Beauty and Fashion
Jesper Gudbergsen, Editor-in-Chief, Submission Beauty
Tania Ali, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Cadre Style, Inc
Moderator: Jennifer Walsh, Entrepreneur
Up-and-coming brands Submission Beauty and Cadre Style were launched with a purpose: to build sustainability into their products as well as into their business models. Explore how their commitment to sustainable guidelines is viewed not as an obstacle, but rather as a way to promote creativity and chart a roadmap toward the future, for their businesses and for the planet.
Wednesday, April 10, 2024
9:30 am
Conference Check-InPomerantz Lobby
Coffee Networking
Katie Murphy Amphitheatre
Opportunity to connect with industry professionals and conference attendees to discuss
sustainability in the fashion and creative industries.
10 am
Conference Day Two Welcome
Dr. Colleen Hill, Curator of Costume and Accessories, The Museum at FIT
Andrea Diodati, Assistant Professor, Fashion Design, FIT
10–10:45 am
Innovation for EcoDesign in Textiles
Gabriele Camozzi, Head of Marketing, Albini
Max Cheng, Senior Marketing Associate, Keel Labs
Chui-Lian Lee, Co-Founder and CEO, Werewool
Moderator: Dr. Casey Lardner, Lab and Operations Manager, Genspace
Textile innovation requires a lasting commitment to research. Developers of award-winning new biomaterials discuss their journeys from envisioning sustainable textiles to creating them.
10:50–11:20 am
Agents for Change
Melody Serafino, Co-Founder, No. 29 Communications
Dana Davis, Vice President of Sustainability, Product, and Business strategy, Mara Hoffman
Moderator: Dr. Karen R. Pearson, Chair, Sustainability Council, FIT
Hear about how No. 29 Communications’ founders built a PR and brand consultancy that puts the pillars of sustainability in the forefront. The discussion will focus on the development of their business in collaboration with their brand partners to promote sustainability. The designer Mara Hoffman and her namesake label received the 2023 CFDA award for environmental sustainability, and Dana Davis will showcase the brand’s approach and how partnerships help develop and promote it.
11:25 am–12 pm
Designing Eco-Inspired Spaces
Dr. Tuwanda Green, Adjunct Professor, Virginia Tech College of Architecture, Arts, and Design
Robert Hammond, President and Chief Strategy Officer for Therme Group US
Moderator: Ethan Lu, Professor and Assistant Chair, Interior Design, FIT>
The spaces in which we live, work, and play have an incredible impact on our health and well-being—and must not be omitted in any discussion of sustainability. Three experts on eco-inspired design in the built environment—including the designer of the High Line, one of the most popular tourist attractions in New York City—will discuss best practices for creating biophilic architecture and interiors that promote good health, respect the environment, and inspire our lives.
12–2 pm
Focus Group Lunch
John E. Reeves Great Hall
- 12–12:20 pm: Dr. Theanne Schiros, Associate Professor, Department of Science and Math, FIT, National Geographic Explorer Classroom, Bio-Design (Video)
- 12:20–12:45 pm: Michael Ferraro, Executive Director, FIT Design and Technology Lab (DTech) Collaborative projects as a pathway for change
- 12:45–1:15 pm: Caroline Gordon, Adjunct Professor, Fashion Business Management and School of Art and Design, FIT
- “Out to Launch” and ESG’s: Join professor and consultant Caroline Gordon for an intimate chat about what it takes to launch your business sustainably and successfully. Learn about key resources for companies just finding their footing in the industry. Will be an open dialogue on how sustainable companies have found production partners, funding, and longevity.
- 1:15–1:45: Lindsay Humphreys, managing director, The Rethink Lab: Standards and Transparency in the Mohair and Wool Value Chain: what we’ve discovered through global collaborative efforts.
2–2:45 pm
Fashion Accountability, Social Justice, Call to Action
Kimberly Jenkins, Founder, CEO and Principal Researcher, The Fashion and Race Database
Julie Mastrarrigo, Managing Director, ReMake New York
The fashion system cannot be fixed without the passion of activists speaking up for change. Kimberly Jenkins, founder of The Fashion and Race Database, has extensively studied the link between our clothing and politics, race, psychology, and anthropology. Julie Mastrarrigo oversees the New York Chapter of Remake, a social justice organization that fights fashion’s impact on climate change. They will talk about the interconnectedness of all these issues and their goals to change the future.
3–3:45 pm
Fashion Innovation Center
Dr. Theanne Schiros, Associate Professor, Science and Math, FIT
Andrea Diodati, Assistant Professor, Fashion Design, FIT
Cecilia Tkaczyk, Sheep Farmer and Owner of CeCe's Wool
Eric De Feo, Co-Founder, Made X Hudson
Sergio Guadarrama, Co-Founder, Made X Hudson
Moderator: Andrea Diodati, assistant professor, Fashion Design, FIT
The Fashion Innovation Center (FIC) is a multi-industry consortium of universities, farms, designers, and industry partners working together to solve New York State’s most pressing fashion issues. Hear from FIC members Made X Hudson, CeCe's Wool, and Dr. Theanne Schiros about the potential outcomes of this unique partnership, including state-produced crops and animal fibers, bio-manufactured materials, and local production. Schiros will share details about her bio-manufactured-fiber experiments; after which, we will move into a roundtable discussion exploring what the future of New York State fashion could be.
4–4:20 PM
Designing with Emerging Materials
Susanne Goetz, Chair, Textile/Surface Design, FIT
Dr. Theanne Schiros, Associate Professor, Science and Math, FIT
The partnership between design and science is forefront in the collaborations of FIT professors Susanne Goetz and Theanne Schiros. Their combined efforts have resulted in the creation of bio-materials that are now used in designs being showcased in numerous exhibitions globally. Hear more about how the professors’ ongoing collaborative projects are growing and producing innovative designs.
4:30-5 pm
Closing Keynote
Cameron Russell, Model, Writer, and Organizer
5–7 pm
Conference Closing Remarks
FIT Changemaker Award
Ann Cantrell, Associate Professor, Fashion Business Management, FIT
Closing Reception
Sign up to receive the latest updates about the conference.
For general information or questions, email [email protected].
Conference Overview
Each year, the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) organizes and hosts a sustainable business and design conference. The event is recognized as a platform for collaboration and discussion across the creative industries, highlighting advances in sustainable design and cutting-edge thought leadership. By sharing innovative student projects, cross-institutional research, and industry partnerships, the conference explores solutions to the most pressing environmental and social challenges of our time. In recent years, session topics have included the farm-to-fashion movement, biomaterials innovation, a sustainable supply chain, mindfulness in design, and recyclable packaging materials. The wide-ranging program features keynote speakers, panels, and projects that delve into pressing issues and exciting developments in the industry.