NEW YORK — The Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT), part of the State University of New York (SUNY), has officially opened the Joyce F. Brown Academic Building, named after the school’s President since 1998. Located on West 28th Street between Seventh and Eighth avenues, the new $188.5 million building will be a destination to advance creativity, innovation, and opportunity while also providing students with the resources to excel in art and design, fashion, business, and technology.
“This building was designed to bring students, faculty, and the industry together,” said President Joyce F. Brown. “It is a symbol of opportunity to transform lives, and the remarkable outcome of the partnership between the City and State to invest in public higher education. My hope is that future generations of leaders will use this space to foster a creative community and to explore, innovate, and make a lasting impact on the global economy and the world.”
Designed by SHoP Architects, the 10-story, 100,000-plus-square-foot building brings Dr. Brown’s vision to life. A striking glass façade creates a new kind of campus destination—one where the energy of FIT is visible to the outside, reflecting the college’s vital role at the heart of the city’s creative community. The project was funded by New York, New York City, and a distinguished roster of individual and corporate supporters, as part of a shared commitment to strengthening public higher education and supporting the next generation of talent for the fashion and creative industries.
[Photo above: Joyce F. Brown Academic Building; Photo credit: Christopher Payne/ESTO]
The building’s features include 26 energy-efficient classrooms and studios, administrative offices, and the largest campus knitting lab in the U.S. The space also houses FIT’s first interior space designed specifically for interpersonal connection outside the classroom—a full-floor student commons under a 20-foot-high ceiling, accessible via an express escalator. FIT’s commitment to environmental stewardship is reflected in the design and construction of the building, which is projected to attain LEED Gold certification.
This is the first new academic building on the FIT campus in nearly 50 years.
“FIT’s new Joyce F. Brown Academic Building cements its place at the crossroads of creativity, innovation, and opportunity,” Governor Kathy Hochul said. “There’s no more fitting place for this milestone than the fashion capital of the world—New York City—where top-tier talent and the global fashion industry merge to set trends, spark ideas, and build the future. This space will inspire the next generation of designers, artists, and entrepreneurs shaping what’s next in fashion and design.”
“New York City is the fashion capital of the world, and so it is fitting that the Fashion Institute of Technology is expanding even further to widen its footprint in the five boroughs,” said New York City Mayor Eric Adams. “We are thrilled to celebrate with FIT as this world-class institution opens up its doors to its new academic building thanks to joint investments by the City, State, and our partners. We cannot wait to see how this facility will benefit the bright, creative minds that will come from it.”
SUNY Chancellor John B. King, Jr. said , “The Fashion Institute of Technology is a gem within the SUNY system, focused on academic excellence through its innovative, dynamic, and inspiring programs. Having a state-of-the-art environment to learn and gather is an important part of ensuring student success, and I am thrilled students at SUNY FIT will be able to utilize the new classrooms, studios, and labs to advance their education.”
A part of the State University of New York (SUNY), FIT has been a leader in career education in art, design, business, and technology throughout its history. Providing approximately 9,000 students with an uncommon blend of hands-on, practical experience, theory, and a firm grounding in the liberal arts, the college offers a wide range of affordable programs that foster innovation and collaboration. Its distinctive curriculum is geared to today’s rapidly growing creative economy, including fields such as computer animation, toy design, production management, film and media, and cosmetics and fragrance marketing.
The college offers nearly 50 majors and grants AAS, BFA, BS, MA, MFA, and MPS degrees, preparing students for professional success and leadership in the new creative economy. Among notable alumni in fashion are Calvin Klein, Michael Kors, Norma Kamali, Reem Acra, Brian Atwood, Stephen Burrows, Dennis Basso, Francisco Costa, Nanette Lepore, Bibhu Mohapatra, Ralph Rucci, John Bartlett, Peter Do, Daniel Roseberry, and Michelle Smith. Other prominent graduates include Leslie Blodgett, creator of bareMinerals; international restaurant designer Tony Chi; and Nina García, editor-in-chief of ELLE.
