Optimity Advisors develops one-of-a-kind app to showcase graduating fashion designers

Optimity Advisors, a strategy, operations and technology advisory firm that helps clients navigate rapid market and technological change, has developed a mobile app for the Future of Fashion runway show, an annual presentation by the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) in New York City. The Future of Fashion will be held on Monday, May 8, at 7 pm. EDT and live streamed at fitnyc.edu/future.

As the show’s first technology sponsor, Optimity Advisors is committed to support the event’s mission of presenting the best designs created by Fashion Design students graduating with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree. The mobile app developed for the Future of Fashion is the first to be used to support a student fashion show.

“In today’s digitally driven world, a successful fashion designer needs to have a digital extension of their brand,” said Holly Boerner, senior manager at Optimity Advisors. “A mobile app like the one we’ve developed for the Future of Fashion show allows each of the student designers to have branding opportunities through a smart, digital content strategy and effective content distribution.”

“We are extremely pleased to partner with Optimity Advisors to offer a new layer of professional outreach and branding to the talented fashion designers graduating from FIT,” said Joanne Arbuckle, deputy to the President for Industry Partnerships and Collaborative Programs at FIT. “This app will help send them on their way as they launch their careers.”

The Future of Fashion mobile app offers a number of key features, including:

  • A comprehensive biography of each designer, including their collections.
  • Contact information for each designer.
  • A live chat function that will be available during the fashion show. The live chat will include prompts that show which student designer’s work is on the runway at the time.
  • Profiles of all judges and critics.
  • Ability to Favorite individual garments.

The app is now available in both the Apple and Google Play app stores.

About FITFor industry insiders, style icons, and fashion devotees, the FIT name is synonymous with fashion education. The college’s distinctive brand of education stands for creativity, innovation, and career success, and our renowned Fashion Design programs prepare students to become tomorrow’s trailblazers at every level and in every category of the global style industry. In 2016, both Business of Fashion.com and Fashionista.com ranked FIT among the world’s top ten fashion colleges. For advanced study beyond the BFA degree, FIT’s School of Graduate Studies is launching an MFA in Fashion Design in fall 2017.

Noted FIT fashion design alumni include Amsale Aberra, Reem Acra, John Bartlett, Stephen Burrows, Francisco Costa, Randy Fenoli, Norma Kamali, Calvin Klein, Michael Kors, Nanette Lepore, Bibhu Mohapatra, and Ralph Rucci. Up-and-coming graduates include Peter Do, winner of the LVMH Graduate Prize, designer at Derek Lam and Céline; and Donna Kang, women’s wear designer at Timo Weiland.

The Fashion Institute of Technology, a college of the State University of New York, has been a leader in career education in art, design, business, and technology for more than 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. 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 global marketplace. Visit fitnyc.edu.

About Optimity AdvisorsOptimity Advisors helps organizations discover, design and implement innovative services and experiences. With insights from a global team immersed in business, technology and operational transformations, Optimity enables clients in complex industries to navigate rapid change, manage risks and implement solutions to lead and succeed in a digitally disruptive world. Visit www.optimityadvisors.com for more information.

For Optimity AdvisorsStephanie Schreurs, 612-297-3308orFor FITCheri Fein, 212-217-4718