FIT Fall 2026 Show: Young Designers Navigate AI and Tradition

At the Fashion Institute of Technology's Fall 2026 ready-to-wear show, nearly 80 designs from graduating students balanced hope and craftsmanship amid industry shifts toward AI. President Jason S. Schupbach, in office for four months, emphasized that FIT aims to transform alongside the industry rather than reactively oppose changes. The collection featured muted palettes with undercurrents of optimism, including Hye Ji Jo's airy silk chiffon scalloping (look 26) and Naïma Naas's 'hunchback' coat with a red ruffled back (look 3). Tyler Mervine, winner of the Critic Award, presented a charcoal coat with an infinite draped loop (look 17), inspired by Gabriel García Márquez's novel. Other Critic Award winners included Beatrice Xuan Mak, who honored Malaysia's vibrancy (look 61), and Rachel Marino's felted bulbous sculptures (looks 55 and 58). The show, presented in partnership with Macy's, awarded Marina Malkhasian, whose pleated garments (looks 2 and 18) evoke her childhood in Russia before the war. Her pieces will be produced and sold in select Macy's stores next spring. Last year's winner sold out on the first night at Macy's Herald Square flagship.