Joanne Arbuckle currently serves FIT as a consultant in the Office of the President, focused on supporting the college’s three pillars: innovation, sustainability, and social justice. Arbuckle also works closely with the DTech Lab to integrate the lab’s work with other college divisions, focusing on STEAM education. 

Arbuckle has more than 30 years of industry experience, having worked as a designer and merchandiser before becoming president of the fashion-industry consulting firm Design Integrity. She brings her comprehensive background—as a creative director, business owner, educator, and higher education administrator—to the development and implementation of educational programs. 

She became an FIT associate professor in 2002 and a full professor in 2006, received the SUNY Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Teaching in 2003, and was dean of the School of Art and Design for over a decade. Arbuckle co-chaired President Brown’s Workforce of the Future Committee and served on the Workforce Development advisory board. From 2016–2022, Arbuckle was FIT’s deputy to the president for industry partnerships and collaborative programs. In that role, she liaised between the president, the college, and outside organizations, developing and expanding partnerships and collaborations both nationally and globally for the college. In 2022, the Fashion Service Network awarded Arbuckle the title of member emeritus. 

Arbuckle co-authored the book Historical Dictionary of Fashion and contributed to the Encyclopedia of Clothing and Fashion. She earned her MA in educational administration in higher education from NYU, her BS in fashion design at SUNY Empire State College, and her AAS in fashion design at FIT.

For over 20 years, Liz Alessi was a Sourcing Executive at Limited Brands, Coach, Marc Jacobs, and Tapestry, she oversaw all materials from concept to production. Fed by a passion for sustainability, she launched the Coach ReLoved program and was a founding member of Coachtopia, managing materials and circular solutions. In 2021, she began her own consultancy firm, which studies and applies innovative materials through a circularity lens and advises brands and innovators on environmentally preferred design choices, extending a product’s life span and end-of-life solutions.

Diarra Bousso is an entrepreneur, creative mathematician, and multidisciplinary artist who is redefining the future of sustainable fashion through technology and design. She is the founder of Diarrablu, a fashion tech company seamlessly weaving mathematics, AI, and traditional craftsmanship to create a circular, waste-reducing design and manufacturing process. Her mission is to merge artisanship and algorithms to drive innovation while preserving cultural heritage.

Diarrablu has been featured in Forbes and Vogue and on Reuters and CNN for its groundbreaking approach leveraging algorithmic design, flexible sizing, and circular manufacturing to reduce textile waste by over 60%. Bousso’s pioneering work in innovative design and sustainability has been showcased in her TED Talk, where she presents a powerful blueprint for the future of fashion.

Born in Dakar, Senegal, raised in Norway, and later moving to the U.S., Bousso began her career on Wall Street before pivoting to her true passions—mathematics, art, and design. She holds a master’s degree in mathematics education from Stanford University, and has done stints at Stanford Graduate School of Business and the Stanford Center for Computer Research in Music and Acoustics.

With a vision for a more sustainable, tech-driven fashion industry, Bousso continues to push boundaries, leveraging data, machine learning, and modular production to build a zero-waste future—where fashion is not just consumed but co-created with the community.

Sherry F. Brabham is treasurer and vice president for Finance and Administration, serving as the college's chief financial and chief administrative officer. In addition, she is the chief financial officer of the FIT Foundation. In her role as vice president, Brabham is responsible for the college finances, including the operating budget, capital budget, the office of the controller, payroll, the bursar, contract management, and purchasing. In addition, she manages FIT's 1.8 million square-foot physical plant and all related administrative and support services, including security, environmental health and safety, sustainability initiatives, and operational services. As the Foundation's chief financial officer, she manages the Foundation's operating budget, as well as investment management and reporting.

Brabham received her Master's of Divinity degree from Princeton Theological Seminary, where she attended under a Rockefeller Fund for Theological Education Fellowship. Her Bachelor of Arts degree is from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, where she was elected to Phi Beta Kappa.

Cofounder and Chief Executive Officer
RTV

William Calvert has over 30 years of design, marketing, production, and innovation experience in the fashion and apparel industry. He has designed for the luxury brands Balenciaga, Balmain, Rochas, and DVF; led marketing and development in Italy, France, Japan, and the United States; and launched the award winning and globally patented material innovation Thindown, the world’s first real down fabric that converts a food industry byproduct into the warmest fabric on Earth. Thindown is now used by the best international brands in North America, Europe, and Asia. Most recently, he cofounded and launched RTV, the only monomaterial technology platform capable of delivering true circularity at scale.

Founder of BIOFUR®

The Biofur company was founded by fashion industry veteran Kym Canter as a vehicle to continue her exploration of next-gen materials, primarily focused on creating petrochemical-free and animal-free fur. Canter spent a decade as creative director at J.Mendel and is considered responsible for building the small luxury fur brand into a globally recognized lifestyle brand. Prior to joining J.Mendel, Canter was a fashion editor and a top fashion stylist. She held editorial positions at Elle magazine, The Washington Post Magazine, and O, The Oprah Magazine.

In 2017, Canter launched House of Fluff, an NYC-based, animal-free material innovation studio and outerwear brand dedicated to redefining fur. In 2022, she closed House of Fluff to focus solely on materials innovation, renaming her company BIOFUR®. At the start of 2025, BIOFUR® launched its first two USDA-certified 98% BioPreferred pile textiles.

A sought-after expert on next-gen materials, cruelty-free fashion, ethics, and sustainability, Canter has spoken on panels sponsored by the National Retail Federation, The Business of Fashion, New York University, The Material Innovation Initiative, Vegan Women Summit, and The RealReal. She has been quoted on the future of fur, sustainability, and entrepreneurship by The Wall Street Journal, Vogue, BOF, InStyle, O, The Oprah Magazine, and the BBC.

Steven Ceraso is the lead technologist working with the Spatial Experience Design program. He has a deep history of and knowledge in the fields of sculpture and woodworking and currently helps students with their installations and display work. He has also been teaching furniture making through FIT’s Center for Continuing and Professional Studies for more than seven years.

Aarav Chavda is the co-founder and CEO of INVERSA, a startup creating ethical exotic leathers from invasive species like the python, lionfish, and carp, supporting ecosystem restoration, global economic development, and adaptation to the new normal of established invasions. The company has launched collections with leading fashion brands, including Khaite, Gabriela Hearst, and Joanna Ortiz, and has partnered with government agencies to scale invasive species management programs throughout the U.S. and the Caribbean. 

Prior to INVERSA, Chavda was a consultant at McKinsey & Company. He has a research background in materials science and earned his BSE in mechanical and aerospace engineering from Princeton University. Chavda was recognized as a Forbes 30 Under 30 awardee in 2022.

Fashion Design Professor

Juliana Cho is an assistant professor in the Fashion Institute of Technology’s Fashion Design program. She teaches both foundational technical courses and theoretical design courses. Cho has a BA in mass communications from the University of California, Berkeley, and an AAS in Fashion Design from FIT. She served as the design director of Halston Knitwear and the head designer of Catherine Malandrino before launching her own brand, Annelore.

Founder and Creative Director, Jonathan Cohen

Jonathan Cohen is the co-founder and creative director of his eponymous women’s ready-to-wear label. With parents from Mexico and a San Diego upbringing, Cohen is a product of the cultural heritage he was exposed to growing up, surrounded by both laid-back surfers and strong-willed individuals who loved to immerse themselves in the colors and textiles of their Mexican childhood. When Cohen moved to New York City, the modernity and fluidity of the city shaped his design direction and inspiration—which, in turn, would shape the Jonathan Cohen woman. In his collections, the city’s elegance and energy converge with vibrant Mexican prints, patterns, and colors and the ease of San Diego beach culture.

Cohen met business partner Sarah Leff while attending Parsons School of Design. Together, they launched the label Jonathan Cohen in 2011. After receiving much recognition and encouragement from peers and teachers for his senior thesis, Cohen left New York and spent a year in California, where he continued to build upon his thesis by creating new pieces and silhouettes aligned with his final school project. 

He came back to New York City, connected with Leff, and had his thesis (along with the new items he created while on the West Coast) photographed into a re-interpreted lookbook, which they sent out to a select group of editors and stores to gain market reaction. The attention was organic and built slowly; and as the conversations started to evolve, so did the definition of who the Jonathan Cohen woman is: She’s artistic and values the story of the brand and the pillars on which it is built. She’s multidimensional and cannot be defined by a singular quality … and those descriptors are constantly evolving. Her many facets help to shape her sense of self and awareness. She’s a woman who values quality over quantity, values the craftsmanship that goes into creating her garments, and when she spends money on a piece, she wants to make sure when she puts it on, she feels both unique and special.

Laney Crowell is the founder and CEO of Saie, a clean beauty brand dedicated to making high-performing products that are elevated, effortless, and always easy to use. Prior to founding Saie, she held the role of Estée Lauder’s first executive director of online global communications, where she worked at the forefront of the digital, content creation, and social media landscapes when it was still new and uncharted. After Estée Lauder, Crowell launched her own beauty and wellness blog called “The Moment.” While chatting with her blog’s community on Instagram one night, she realized there were thousands of others who desired clean, cool, and chic makeup, which sparked the idea of Saie.

Cromwell created Saie to raise the standard in clean cosmetics, offering superior, yet fun products. The brand is committed to using only the purest, safest formulas and has banned the use of 2,000 harmful ingredients commonly found in cosmetics. Through Saie, Crowell was able to create not just a beauty brand, but an entire community centered around wellness.

Crowell received her BA in mathematical economics from Pomona College, but fell in love with her minors in psychology and French studies. The daughter of a diplomat, she was born in Colorado, but traveled around the globe as a child and has lived in China, France, and Washington D.C.

 A wife and the proud mother of two, Cromwell resides in the Hamptons with her family.

Assistant Professor, Textile Development and Marketing, FIT

Whitney Crutchfield is an assistant professor in FIT’s Textile Development and Marketing program, who has served the FIT community since 2016. Her expertise lies in woven textiles and textile dyeing techniques, with a particular emphasis on low-impact methods and materials. Crutchfield is the founder and owner of We Gather, an educational textile studio in Brooklyn. She previously held positions at American Eagle Outfitters and Martha Stewart Living.

Fashion Designer,  Andrea Diodati
Assistant Professor, Fashion Design, FIT

Andrea Diodati is an award-winning fashion designer and entrepreneur. After seeing the wasteful nature of her wholesale fashion line, Diodati created a direct-to-consumer brand that used 3D modeling to facilitate customer collaboration. Clients could codesign custom-made dresses that were crafted in New York City using deadstock fabric. Diodati’s industry experience includes designing runway for Anna Sui as well as freelancing for Kate Spade and Alice + Olivia. Presently, Diodati is exploring how digital fashion can replace single-use garment consumption.

Melvin Vargas
Communication Design AAS ’25
Co-founder of EarthTone
2024 head of mindfulness, “EarthTone”

Lucas Allen
Menswear AAS ’25
Co-founder of EarthTone
2024 head of research, “EarthTone”

Kevin Santana
Entrepreneurship BS ’25
2024 Genspace Scholar
Co-founder of EarthTone
Co-founder of the children’s sensory-wear startup “Comphie”
2024 head of strategy, “EarthTone”

Massiel Cabrera
Advertising and Digital Design BFA ’27
Co-founder of EarthTone
2024 head of marketing, “EarthTone”

Adam Allam
Graphic Design AAS ’24,
Co-founder of EarthTone
2024 head designer, “EarthTone”

Business Development Director, ASRC Sensor CAT

Tavis Ezell is director of business development for the New York State Sensor Center of Advanced Technology (CAT), located at CUNY’s Advanced Science Research Center (ASRC) in West Harlem. Ezell directs programming at the Sensor CAT, which focuses on building partnerships between CUNY researchers and state industry, leading to the development of new technology and business growth in New York State. Prior to joining the ASRC Sensor CAT, Ezell spent the last 13 years working with both technical and business divisions of worldwide analytical instrumentation businesses.

Kwolanne Felix is an NYC-based writer, historian, and gender and climate advocate. She is the fellowship and digital community manager at Black Girl Environmentalist, running exciting programs empowering Black women and gender-expansive folks in the climate sector. Felix will also begin her journey as a PhD student in environmental history this upcoming fall at New York University. She writes articles, essays, and opinion pieces about climate change, politics, gender, and Black history, and she has been featured in Truthout and Ms. magazine. 

Michael Ferraro is the executive director of the Design and Technology (DTech) Lab at FIT and the creative director of the Innovation Center at FIT. He is responsible for industry partnerships and collaborative programs for the college. As a creative technologist, researcher, artist, and educator, Ferraro’s career spans the worlds of computer animation, software development, virtual reality media production, fine art, commercial entertainment, and higher education. He came to FIT from the City University of New York’s Lehman College, where he spent 12 years as an associate professor in the digital media program of the art department. In 2015, working with students, he won a New York Emmy for Graphics and Animation Supervision for a series of PSA’s titled Best of the Bronx.

Prior to Lehman College, Ferraro founded Possible Worlds, an innovative real-time animation studio that worked for clients such as Warner Bros. MTV, Nickelodeon, and Cartoon Network. In the mid-1980s, Ferraro was one of the co-founders of Blue Sky Studios and served as system architect of the Academy Award-winning CGI StudioTM renderer and production animation system. He made his first picture with a computer in 1969.

Natasha Franck is founder and chief executive officer of EON. Winner of Fast Company’s World Changing Ideas, EON is a technology company on a mission to unlock the potential of the world around us by bringing identity, intelligence, and integrity into the world’s assets and catalyzing new value at the intersection of people, products, and systems. Described as the retail industry’s “CRM for product,” EON is the first Product Relationship Management (PRM) system enabling brands to unlock value from products and automate critical product-related business processes for compliance, traceability, operational excellence, new business models, customer engagement, services, and more. EON’s Exchange is the first marketplace for digital identities, powering new functionalities for products such as 1ClickResale and more. EON clients include Balenciaga, Chloé, Coach, Target, Mulberry, NET-A-PORTER, Victoria’s Secret, Reformation, Everlane, Zalando, and many more. Before founding EON, Franck worked in smart cities and sustainable urbanism at Delos and Jonathan Rose Companies. Franck holds a bachelor’s degree from Georgetown University.

Wawa Gatheru is a Generation Z climate activist and Rhodes Scholar, passionate about cultivating a climate movement that is made in the image of all of us. She is the founder and executive director of Black Girl Environmentalist (BGE), the only national organization dedicated to addressing the pipeline and pathway issue for Black girls, women, and gender-expansive individuals in the climate sector. 

In addition to her role at BGE, Gatheru sits on boards and advisory councils for Greenpeace USA, Climate Power, Sound Future, National Parks Conservation Association, and EarthJustice. She is also an inaugural member of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s National Environmental Youth Advisory Council—the first youth-led federal advisory council in U.S. history.

For her work, Gatheru has been recognized as a Glamour College Woman of the Year, a L’Oreal Paris Woman of Worth, a Climate Creator to Watch by Harvard, and has been named to several notable lists including Forbes 30 under 30, Ebony Power 100, The Independent’s Climate 100, Grist 50, and AFROTECH Future 50. Gatheru is an established public speaker who has presented at Harvard University, The Washington Post Summit, and The New York Times Climate Forward. She was featured on the January 2023 digital cover of Vogue alongside Billie Eilish and seven other climate activists.

Women’s Fashion and New Initiative Lead, The RealReal

Rachel Glicksberg is the women’s fashion and new initiatives lead at The RealReal, the world’s largest online marketplace for authenticated, resale luxury goods. She is responsible for leading upcycling and designer partnerships, contributing to the editorial merchandising vision and storytelling from a trend’s perspective across the company’s website and in retail stores around the country. With experience working as a contributing writer for the CFDA, covering company initiatives for members and the industry, she has also penned market stories for Vogue Italia, focusing on New York happenings and emerging designers. Beyond her professional career, she is a longtime New Yorker and currently resides on the Upper West Side. On any given Sunday, she can be found cozy at home crafting, at her nearby yoga studio, or on the pickleball court.

Marcie Greene is an adjunct assistant professor in FIT’s Fashion Business Management program. With over 20 years of experience in fashion merchandising and a strong commitment to sustainability, Greene actively shapes the next generation of environmentally conscious industry leaders by teaching sustainability and developing core business curricula. She holds a BFA from the University of Michigan and is currently pursuing a Master’s Degree in sustainable fashion at the Sustainable Business Management School (SUMAS). In addition to her teaching, Greene serves on FIT’s Sustainability Council and has been honored with the President’s Award for Faculty Excellence.

Amber Härkönen is a textile developer and business strategist dedicated to transforming the fashion industry through circular solutions and sustainable innovation. Her early career in Canada with brands like Walmart, Costco, and Bedo exposed her to the industry's environmental impact, fueling her commitment to sustainable innovation. She deepened this focus through her studies, specializing in luxury textiles, at the Fashion Institute of Technology.

At Loro Piana and later Hickey Freeman, Härkönen pioneered the integration of eco-friendly materials into the luxury menswear, demonstrating that sustainability and craftsmanship can coexist. Her passion for quality textiles began when she tailored her own garments as a teenager, unknowingly setting the foundation for a career in sustainable fashion—a philosophy that now informs her work in circularity. This led her to founding Hi Goose Studio, a curated vintage and pre-loved shopping experience for women that focuses on mindful consumption and excellent service, inspired by the personalized, attentive service found in luxury menswear boutiques. Now, as circular business manager at Circulose, Härkönen drives high-impact partnerships that scale circular solutions, optimize value chains, and set new industry standards.

Business Development Manager, Textiles, U.S. East Coast at Eastman

Valentina Henao, a native of Medellin, Colombia, was raised by entrepreneur parents who were deeply rooted in the fashion and textiles industry. Her upbringing inspired her passion for the industry, leading her to move to New York to study English and pursue a career in the business of fashion and textiles.

With over 15 years of experience in the textile industry, Henao currently serves as East Coast business development manager for Eastman’s textile division, with a mission to make sustainable textiles accessible to all with Eastman’s Naia™ cellulosic fiber. She assumed this role in October 2022. As part of the Naia™ brand strategy, Henao actively engages with students and industry professionals to educate and raise awareness about the importance of sustainability as a core feature of textile design, while also brainstorming innovative ways to support brands sustainability and fabric needs.

Henao holds a Bachelor of Science in International Trade and Marketing for the Fashion Industries from Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT). She also holds a retail management certificate from FIT, business communication certification from Hunter College, and a contemporary art certification from Sotheby’s Institute of Art.

Executive Director, Genspace

Casey Lardner is the executive director of Genspace, the world’s first community biology lab. She holds a Ph.D. in neuroscience from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and has over a decade of experience in science storytelling and informal science education. Much of her research used molecular neuroscience techniques in mice and wild urban rats to model and understand the human brain. She remains enamored with all brains and minds—whether they belong to mice, pizza rats, people, or other living things.

Christina Lee has 25 years of experience in lifestyle branding and multicultural marketing, specializing in brand strategy, development, and management for fashion and entertainment. She is the founder of chng+crw, a wellness-lifestyle goods and experience brand made in NYC, committed to fostering self-development, equality, and positive change. In addition to her entrepreneurial work, Lee is a part-time instructor at both Parsons and FIT, and she serves on the FIT Sustainability Council Board. She is dedicated to shaping future industry leaders through branding, education, and social impact.

Climate Journalist

Sophia Li is an award-winning journalist, climate advocate, public speaker, and United Nations Human Rights Champion. She is the global correspondent for Prince William’s global environmental award, the Earthshot Prize; host of Meta’s Climate Talks podcast; and the impact editor at quarterly print magazine, Family Style. Li’s journalistic reporting has appeared on CNN and U.N. News, the official United Nations news service; as well as in Vogue, New York Magazine, The Washington Post, and Atmos magazine. She has interviewed notable personalities across climate, fashion, tech, and culture: ranging from Prince William to Fortune 500 CEOs, Nobel laureates, Academy Award-winning actors, and youth climate activists. She has received numerous honors: Country & Townhouse named her to their 2025 Future Icons List, Porter magazine named her one of the 12 Incredible Women Defining 2024. Harper’s Bazaar included her among the 36 Voices Shaping Culture in 2023. Harvard named her a top climate communicator of 2022. And she is the recipient of Refinery29’s Sustainable Innovator Award and Meta’s Creator of Tomorrow Award.

Percy K. and Vida L.W. Hudson Professor of Biomedical Engineering, Professor of Dental and Craniofacial Engineering (in Dental Medicine), Senior Vice Dean of Faculty Affairs and Advancement, Columbia University

Among her roles at Columbia University, professor Helen H. Lu serves as the director of the Biomaterials and Interface Tissue Engineering Laboratory. She is a leader in regenerative materials research and innovation for health and beyond health. From the sustainable fabrication of biomedical devices (by establishing eco-manufacturing with benign chemicals to expedite FDA approval) to harnessing cells’ ability to make materials, Lu’s group and collaborators have developed a biomaterial platform informed by a green chemistry framework. This breakthrough shows industries how to explore sustainable manufacturing to engineer regenerative materials.

Professor Lu has published over 100 original research articles and invited reviews in biomaterials and tissue engineering. She is the inventor and co-inventor of more than 30 patents and patent applications in biomaterials, and her research has led to several start-ups for medical devices and sustainable textiles. Her accolades include the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE) and the Wallace Coulter Foundation Career Award. She is an elected Fellow of the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE), a Fellow of Biomaterials Science and Engineering (FBSE), and more recently, a member of the National Academy of Inventors (NAI). She was honored as a Provost Leadership Fellow and named a Provost’s Senior Faculty Teaching Scholar at Columbia. She serves on the editorial boards of leading journals, including Journal of Biomedical Material Research Part A, Journal of Orthopaedic Research, Regenerative Biomaterials, Regenerative Engineering, and more. 

Lu received her undergraduate and graduate degrees in bioengineering from the University of Pennsylvania.

CEO and Co-Founder Kintra Fibers

Billy McCall is the co-founder and CEO of Kintra Fibers, an H&M-backed materials science company pioneering a 100% bio-based and biodegradable synthetic fiber made on standard polyester equipment. Kintra has launched pilots with global names such as Inditex, H&M, BESTSELLER, and Reformation, as well as their top-tier suppliers. Kintra’s innovative fiber reduces emissions by 95% and energy use by 20% compared to traditional polyester. 

Before Kintra, McCall served as a polymer scientist at the innovative 3D printing company Carbon, Inc., where he saw Carbon grow from 50 to 250 employees. An avid surfer, when not at the Kintra Fibers lab, McCall catches waves even in the middle of New York winter storms, which he says are the best time to get out in the water. 

Whitney McGuire, Esq., helps organizations in arts and culture rethink their impact on people and the planet. A former inaugural associate director of sustainability at the Guggenheim, as well as a lawyer, founder, and professor, she combines systems thinking, design, and legal expertise to create lasting change.

As co-founder of Sustainable Brooklyn, McGuire has challenged harmful systems and built pathways for communities historically shut out of decision-making. At the Guggenheim, she integrated responsible practices into daily operations, ensuring long-term alignment between mission and impact.

A faculty member at Parsons School of Design, McGuire equips future leaders with the tools to balance business priorities with community well-being. Through her consultancy and her roles with The World Around Young Climate Prize and Black Girl Environmentalist, McGuire continues to bridge institutional efforts with collaborative leadership, driving collective action for a more just and thriving world.

Malyia McNaughton is the founder of Made By Malyia, a Brooklyn-based jewelry brand that celebrates individuality through unique designs. A Bronx-born New York native of Jamaican descent, McNaughton’s passion for jewelry began in childhood and eventually inspired her to leave fashion buying and pursue her dream full-time. Since launching her brand in 2014, she has garnered attention for her distinctive pieces, which have adorned Lizzo, Issa Rae, Jazmine Sullivan, among others. Her designs empower clients to tell their own stories through meaningful adornment. 

A GIA graduate gemologist with a degree from Florida State University, McNaughton weaves her commitment to creativity and community into her work and philanthropy. Notable collaborations include a capsule collection with Banter by Piercing Pagoda and the Natural Diamond Council’s global campaign with Ana de Armas. Harper’s Bazaar describes Made By Malyia as embodying the belief that every piece should be as unique as the clients, whom McNaughton calls her “Jewels.”

A Tiffany & Co. x CFDA Jewelry Designer Award finalist, McNaughton is an emerging leader in the jewelry industry: Co-founder and chair of Black in Jewelry Coalition, she is an affiliate member of the Watch and Jewelry Initiative 2030, serving on committees dedicated to sustainability and women’s equality. A Jewelry Vigilance Committee board member, she frequently speaks at industry events and has visited Botswana, South Africa, and India to better understand the downstream and upstream supply chain of the jewelry industry.

Buxton Midyette is the vice president of marketing in the New York office for Supima, the promotional brand of the U.S. Pima cotton industry. His responsibilities include all marketing, publicity, and social media activities as well fashion programs that include organizing the Supima Design Competition, which is in its 16th year. Midyette has been at Supima since 2002 and has over 30 years of experience in the cotton industry.

His background includes working as a strategy consultant specializing in retail and apparel for Kurt Salmon Associates (KSA). Previous to working at KSA, Midyette was the director of Latin American operations for Cotton Council International.

Midyette has an MBA from the Wharton School of Business, an MA in international studies from the University of Pennsylvania, and a BA in economics and Latin American studies from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.

Midyette lives with his wife and three daughters in Lower Manhattan, where he is involved in community activities and serves on the board of trustees for both Friends Seminary and Westtown School.

Jaclyn Noble is an accomplished materials specialist with extensive experience leading operational excellence for renowned retail brands. With over 25 years of experience, she has made significant contributions to the industry, particularly in materials innovation and sustainable product launches. Her international career began supplying the renowned UK retailer Marks and Spencer. Later, she joined Mast Industries, the sourcing office of the Limited Brands, and spent seven years in Asia. Then, transferring to the United States to lead material development for international product launches at Victoria’s Secret, she refined her extensive experience in global operations. 

With a distinguished career in senior leadership roles at VF Corporation, she played a pivotal role in driving material innovation for renowned brands such as The North Face, Timberland, and Vans. As vice president at Coach, Noble built and managed global materials teams, overseeing successful luxury launches. Her leadership journey has also included key positions at American Eagle, Gloria Jeans (Moscow), and most recently, as a member of the leadership team at Spanx, driving double-digit growth in apparel and activewear. 

Throughout her extensive career, Noble has consistently championed sustainable change and supply chain responsibility. Her deep understanding of the retail environment and rapidly evolving legislation has established her as a trusted development partner and a recognized subject matter expert. Noble is founder and COO of the Regenerative Cotton Collective, which seeks to bring farmers and brands together to increase the use of USA regenerative cotton in fashion. Noble holds a degree in textile technology from Heriot-Watt University in Scotland. She also serves as adjunct professor at the Fashion Institute of Technology, where she shares her knowledge and experience with future business leaders.

Founder, Presley Oldham

Artist and designer Presley Oldham launched his eponymous jewelry line in May 2020. Known for his use of pearls and delicate wire wrapping, Oldham creates handcrafted, genderless jewelry, incorporating a range of gemstones, precious metals, and antique and bespoke glass. Through dedication to handcraft and sustainable materials, his line has the quality and craftsmanship of fine jewelry and the accessibility and mass appeal of fashion jewelry. In 2024, Oldham was nominated for Emerging Designer of the Year at the CFDA Awards and was also a finalist for the 2024 CFDA Vogue Fashion Fund. His brand stands as a testament to the idea that jewelry should be a source of joy and true expression—we all have bodies worthy of adorning.

Maxwell Osborne launched his design career with a position at Sean John, where he honed his creative vision early on. Together with his partner Dao Yi, he went on to found Public School, an innovative clothing brand known for its urban edge. The duo later took on the role of creative directors at DKNY, where their fresh and dynamic design approach left a lasting impact on modern fashion. Most recently, Osborne has embarked on his new venture, anOnlyChild, continuing to push creative boundaries in the industry.

Artist-in-Residence, Governors Island, New York City

Driven by curiosity and an interest in sustainability, biological design, and audience engagement, Lolo Ostia channels inspiration into crafting immersive environments. Characterized by a playful use of scale and dimensional layers, her installations aim to transport the viewer into a place where perception, sensation, and emotion meet. In her practice she incorporates: microbes, bacterial cellulose, recycled objects, emerging technologies, and bioplastics sourced from renewable, non-petroleum-derived materials. Currently, Ostia is an artist-in-residence on Governors Island.

Lauren Petrovic completed her degree in International Trade and Marketing for the Fashion Industries at the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) while working for a private jeweler and diamond dealer in New York City. Petrovic’s passion for the industry was ignited when she first stumbled upon the iconic 47th Street Diamond District. She quickly uncovered the rich legacy and traditions of the industry and saw an opportunity to bring a fresh perspective to an antiquated industry. Building strong relationships with multi-generational suppliers, gem dealers, and master craftsmen, Petrovic immersed herself in diamond sourcing and jewelry design. She was a quick study of jewelry manufacturing and the market for precious stones, and eventually joined Sotheby’s.

In 2023, Petrovic founded Laurenti New York, a fine jewelry brand focused on sustainability. Her vision for the brand grew from her prior experiences in jewelry manufacturing, supply chain, and the high-end auction space. In October 2023, Petrovic was later appointed a United Nations Association Global Goals Ambassador for Sustainable Development Goal 12, Sustainable Consumption and Production.

In 2024, Petrovic launched the Responsible Luxury, a curated event and podcast series aimed at bringing more trust and transparency to the jewelry industry and uniting the leaders shaping the future of luxury. Driven by a vision to revolutionize the fine jewelry landscape, Petrovic made it her mission to instill trust, transparency, and sustainability into the industry. Her early career was dedicated to shaping the next era of responsible luxury, leading Laurenti New York towards a future defined by quality, innovation, collaboration, and bold creativity.

Indré Rockefeller is a climate communicator, an entrepreneur, and the founder of The Circularity Project, a nonprofit dedicated to championing circular design in fashion with the goal of sparking creative approaches to reducing the industry's environmental footprint. Rockefeller began her fashion career at Vogue and held senior executive positions at e-tailer Moda Operandi and Spanish luxury fashion brand, Delpozo. She is a co-founder of Paravel, where she oversaw the award-winning sustainable design. Rockefeller graduated from Columbia University’s Climate School, where she earned her master’s degree and launched an educational series on climate change that has amassed over 7 million views. She holds a BA from Princeton University and an MBA from Stanford University.

Associate Professor, Department of Science and Math at FIT

Theanne Schiros is an associate professor, Science and Math, at the Fashion Institute of Technology. She is also a research scientist at Columbia University and a National Geographic Society Explorer. Her research focuses on the development and characterization of advanced materials for a circular economy, including biofabrication of advanced, regenerative textiles. Her research on biofabrication of next-gen textiles has translated to co-founding two start-ups led by former students—Algiknit (now Keel Labs) and Werewool—as well as to the creation of microbial nanocellulose bioleather and biotextiles, which was noted by Fast Company as one of the most important material design innovations of the year (2021). She has received international recognition for her work, including the National Geographic Wayfinder Award (2023), Conservation x Labs Microfiber Innovation Prize (2022), and the H&M Foundation Global Change Award (2020). Her work has been featured in a number of museum exhibitions, including Invisibles. La vie cachée des microbes at the Musée de la main in Lausanne, Switzerland; Parall(elles) A History of Women in Design at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts; and Towards Circular Societies: Lessons from Nature at HABITAT at the Wyss Academy for Nature. Schiros has been engaged in international sustainable development and education since 2005: highlights include working on solar photovoltaics with Engineers without Borders (Haiti), the design of zero-waste communities with Finca Morpho Permaculture (Costa Rica), and women’s empowerment through education and entrepreneurship in natural dyes and textile arts with There is No Limit Foundation (West Africa); and serving as a United Nations ECOWAS Fellow for Sustainable Energy Engineering at Columbia University.

Head of Fashion and Strategic Partnerships, The RealReal

Noelle Sciacca is the head of fashion and strategic partnerships at The RealReal, the world’s largest online marketplace for authenticated, resale luxury goods. She leads the company’s editorial vision and partnership strategy. Before joining The RealReal, Sciacca spent the majority of her career as a fashion editor at leading national magazines, including Lucky, Cosmopolitan, and Seventeen. She later served as the editorial director for a burgeoning New York-based brand, where she oversaw merchandising, marketing, and creative initiatives. This diverse experience honed her expertise as a storyteller and allowed her to develop a keen ability to use creative partnerships to elevate brands and drive business success.

Associate Professor, Fashion Design, FIT

Tom Scott is an associate professor at the Fashion Institute of Technology, where he mentors the next generation of designers in the Fashion Design BFA program. He has played a pivotal role in shaping the new Knitwear and Sportswear curriculums and was co-author of a course that focuses on sustainable design practices. Scott’s guidance has led students to significant achievements on the world stage, including the prestigious Loro Piana Knitwear Design Award (2023–2025).

Scott studied textile design at The Philadelphia College of Textiles and Science and Heriot-Watt University in Galashiels, Scotland. Over his career, he has consulted for numerous companies, including Ralph Lauren, and has designed under his own eponymous label since 2001. His work pushes the boundaries of materiality and construction, blending sustainability with innovation. Known for its subversive and experimental nature, his design philosophy blurs the lines between garment, accessory, and interior. Scott’s work has been widely recognized through awards and exhibitions, including the 2006 Cooper Hewitt National Design Triennial and the 2007 Ecco Domani Fashion Foundation Prize. He was a finalist for the 2008 Woolmark Award; and, in 2010, he was selected for the inaugural CFDA/Fashion Incubator program, recognizing Scott as one of ten designers shaping the future of fashion.

Global Director, Sustainability—UNIQLO USA, LLC / Fast Retailing Co., Ltd.

Jean-Emmanuel Shein first joined Fast Retailing, the parent company of UNIQLO, in 1997, in Ube, Yamaguchi prefecture. Since then, he has helped UNIQLO expand internationally, opening new markets for the brand—including in France, the United Kingdom, and the United States—and leading marketing in those same markets. He has been a member of the Global Sustainability team for the past eight years as global director, overseeing western markets for UNIQLO, as well as supporting other Fast Retailing brands’ efforts to integrate sustainability into their businesses across the corporation’s three sustainability pillars: Planet. People. Society. Shein graduated from Columbia University and obtained an MA from Stanford. He lives in the New York area.

Assistant Professor, Science and Math, FIT

Julian Silverman is a materials chemist and assistant professor at FIT. His research focuses on creating sustainable ingredients for consumer products from renewable and waste resources. 

Daniel Smith is an associate at SHoP Architects. He earned a Bachelor of Architecture from Mississippi State University and a Master of Architecture from Cranbrook Academy of Art.

Assistant Professor, Fashion Design, FIT

Amy Sperber is a multidisciplinary fashion design educator whose work integrates sustainable systems thinking, advanced technical design, and creative innovation. An assistant professor in the Fashion Design program at the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT), she has developed and taught a wide range of courses in sustainability, innovative apparel, and 3D visualization. Her professional experience spans both independent and corporate sectors, including creative direction and end-to-end product development across apparel and soft goods. Sperber’s research explores the intersection of technology and the body, with projects ranging from wearable cancer-detection garments to open-source pattern libraries and inclusive PPE. She is a frequent collaborator on interdisciplinary initiatives and has led workshops and presentations internationally on digital fashion and body-centered innovation.

Associate Professor and Co-Chair, Advertising and Digital Design, FIT

Over the past decade, Joe Staluppi has transformed FIT’s Advertising and Digital Design curriculum, preparing students for creative excellence in the digital age. As a result of these innovations, the program has ranked among The One Club for Creativity’s top 10 worldwide for five consecutive years (2020–2024). In 2022, the program achieved its highest ranking—#3 globally in the Young Ones One Show awards—surpassed only by Berghs School of Communication and ArtCenter College of Design.

Throughout his career at leading agencies, such as Young & Rubicam (Y&R), D’Arcy Masius Benton & Bowles (DMB&B), Bozell, and McCann, Staluppi has led brand-building campaigns for clients including Crest, Norelco, Pampers, Black & Decker, New Jersey Tourism, and the New Jersey Lottery. His work has earned over 50 creative awards, including honors from The One Show, The Clio Awards, The ANDYs, The ADDYs, the International Advertising Festival of New York (Gold Medal), Communication Arts Advertising Annual, and Adweek’s Best Spots.

Tiffany Stevens is the chief business officer for North America and head of sustainability at the International Gemological Institute (IGI), a Blackstone portfolio company with 30 laboratories and 19 education facilities in major diamond and jewelry centers around the world. After graduating from the New York University School of Law, Stevens began her career as an associate at Paul Hastings in Los Angeles before transitioning into business-side and in-house roles. She most recently served as CEO and general counsel of the Jewelers Vigilance Committee, a nonprofit dedicated to ethics and public policy in the jewelry industry. 

Stevens is a recognized global gem and jewelry industry expert and a regularly quoted thought leader in the luxury industry. She also serves on several industry boards, is a member of the 24 Karat Club of NYC and is committed to advancing environmental, social, and governance (ESG) principles in her leadership role at IGI.

Max Warshaw is a senior associate at SHoP Architects. He earned a Bachelor of Science in Architecture from the University of Buffalo and a Master of Architecture from Tulane University.

Dr. Elizabeth Way is curator of costume and accessories at The Museum at the Fashion Institute of Technology, where her most recent exhibitions include Food & Fashion (2023) and Africa’s Fashion Diaspora (2024). Way guest-curated Ann Lowe: American Couturier at Winterthur Museum, Garden and Library (2023). She has edited several books including Black Designers in American Fashion (2021), Ann Lowe: American Couturier (2023), and Africa’s Fashion Diaspora (2024). Way earned her doctorate from Central Saint Martins, The University of the Arts London and an MA in costume studies from New York University.