Intimate Apparel

Kaitlin BartonKaitlin Barton

Indiana

My grandmother instilled a passion in me for intimate apparel design when I was in my teens by always sending me the most lovely lingerie from England. Growing up in a small town in Indiana, New York City was the only option in my mind when I considered where I would live one day. And fashion design was exactly how I intended to make it there. FIT nurtured this passion of mine, and I am proud to be graduating with not only honors distinction, but also an extensive knowledge and love of the intimates industry.

Emily BurkeEmily Burke

Colts Neck, New Jersey

Every year around Christmastime, my mom loves to remind me how she was so surprised when her eight-year-old daughter asked for a sewing machine. Ever since I could remember, I found the fashion industry captivating and wanted to learn as much as possible about how clothing was made. I am so grateful to have been granted the opportunity to study here at the Fashion Institute of Technology where I discovered my true calling in the intimate apparel market and continue to increase my love for design. The specialized program has allowed me to enhance my personal aesthetic while learning intricate skills unique to intimate apparel. I have been fortunate enough to participate in multiple scholarship competitions through the Under Fashion Club, and I am truly thankful for the continuous support they provide to FIT students. I look forward to graduating and discovering what the future holds.

Katherina FelicianoKatherina Feliciano

Bronx, NY

Before I came to FIT, I was a business management major at Borough of Manhattan Community College. I loved it but realized that my dream was to become a fashion designer. I took a year off to address making my dream a reality. Unfortunately, my family and I lost our home to a fire, so we became homeless. That didn’t discourage me. I became a rock for my family. I applied to FIT, got into the one-year program for fashion design, and applied to the intimate apparel bachelor’s degree program. I always wanted to do intimate apparel. It is such a challenging and beautiful part of the fashion industry, and the program allows me to work at a couture level. Throughout all this, I was still homeless, but fortunately, I received a SAIG scholarship. I wish to thank all the faculty members who helped me accomplish my goals and dreams.

Alana FoxAlana Fox

Sonoma County, California

My entry into fashion was nontraditional. I started my professional life in the financial sector after completing my degree in economics. A love of garment design had been instilled in me from a long tradition of clothing appreciation by my grandmother, but it was necessity that led me to fashion design. I discovered that clothing that was “business appropriate,” well made, and affordable and that fit my particular quirky style was difficult, if not impossible, to find. Creating my own garments at home was the solution. It quickly became my obsession and is now my passion. My style has always been a little vintage, but with clean lines and mixed with modern aesthetics. I bring this style to lingerie, giving a nod to tradition, but keeping the designs light, sexy, and functional for the modern woman.

Alicia FrenchAlicia French

Wayne, New Jersey

The ability of fashion to act as an outlet of self-expression in ever-changing ways has never ceased to amaze and inspire me. I always had a passion for art, and at an early age I decided that I wanted to pursue fashion because of its personal connection to its wearer. Once I started attending FIT, I quickly realized that intimate apparel was the specialization I wanted to pursue. To me, underwear is a bonus outfit, an extra chance to express oneself, underneath what everyone else gets to see. Undergarments are the first thing you put on. They should make you feel as beautiful and happy as the garments you put on over them. I consider my aesthetic to be romantic, whimsical, and delicately feminine. I am very grateful for the opportunities and support that have carried me this far on my journey, and I look forward to what lies ahead.

Lauryn HustonLauryn Huston

Orange County, California

My journey at the Fashion Institute of Technology started with a love for fashion and is ending with a love for the fashion design process. I’ve always seen fashion as a way to constantly reinvent yourself, and through my time as a design major at FIT and my experiences in the intimate apparel specialization, my design aesthetic has evolved into a style that is fun, whimsical, and sexy. I look forward to seeing where my designs and career in fashion take me.

Bianca JeffsBianca Jeffs

Santa Cruz, California

I have always been an artist, but I wasn’t a designer until I came to New York. Moving across the country to a place where I knew no one and had never set foot in before was the hardest decision I ever made in my life. However, it was also the best decision I have ever made. It was in this city that I learned to create artworks that were not just an aesthetic, but were also functional, elegant, and told a story. Most importantly, I found my source of inspiration: everything I have ever seen and ever will see. As a designer, my inspiration must always be the real world and, having realized how to see the endless inspiration around me, I can design looks that help create a fantasy made up of elements from the everyday.

Gina LeeGina Lee

Seattle, Washington

A lotus flower grows from the bottom of the mud toward the surface of the water to bloom into a beautiful flower. I see fashion as a lotus flower. You push your ideas and your imagination beyond the horizon, and what you create can become something extraordinary and amazing. The creativity that blooms from our inner self can be expressed in a variety of ways. As a designer, you want to express your creativity in the garments that you design. I want to express beauty, warmth, and a feeling of happiness in the designs I create, and that is also what I want the person wearing my creations to experience.

Nicoletie LeslieNicolette Leslie

Woodstock, New York

I had my sights set on FIT’s world-renowned intimate apparel program since before I was a freshman in high school. Studying ballet from ages three to eighteen taught me an appreciation for intricate and precise art—the characteristics of intimate apparel design that interest me the most. Intimate apparel is unique in that it relies heavily on both sides of the brain to design creative, flattering, and well-constructed garments. I enjoy the challenge of balancing the inherent structure of intimate apparel with softer, natural, feminine inspirations. Living in the Hudson Valley has taught me to appreciate nature, which I translate into experimentation with organic dyes and feminine silhouettes. After graduation, I hope to continue my research and involvement in sustainable fashion practices.

Eunsa NamEunsaem Nam

Seoul, South Korea

I was born and raised in Seoul, South Korea. When I was six, I cut up a sock to make a dress for my doll. The dress was simple—I just cut two holes to make armholes and decorated it with trimmings from other socks. That was my first step toward deciding to study fashion design. While pursuing my university education, I worked at a designer boutique as a design assistant to get a feel for the fashion industry. I am now studying to become an intimate apparel designer assistant. My specialty is dyeing and manipulating fabric, since I was educated in textile design at Hanyang University in Korea. I was a finalist in the 2018 Femmy contest, which I hope will serve as a jumping-off point for my career after I graduate with my BFA degree from the Fashion Institute of Technology.

Katerini SeskusKaterini Seskus

Commack, New York

When I was a child, my grandmother used to draw with me every morning. Drawing was a way to express my thoughts and fantasies. When I was in middle school, I explored fashion by researching collections online and buying the most current magazines. I just knew fashion design was meant for me and that it would be another way for me to create art in a different dimension. I discovered intimate apparel design in my second semester of college, and I was immediately inspired. I began illustrating in my sketchbook any ideas I came across, which I have saved to this day. Throughout my years at FIT, I have learned a lot about myself and faced many challenges that have made me the designer I am today.

Angelika StefanidesAngelika Stefanides

Pompton Plains, NJ

Similar to any journey in life, my journey at FIT has been, above all, a true challenge. I never realized how much I could change, both as a person and as a designer, in such a short amount of time. Four years is a lifetime when you are juggling so many important aspects of life, but nevertheless, without even the slightest weight of challenge, there would be a huge deficit in creativity, determination, and ultimate success. From this process, I have learned that evolving is the key to success within the fashion industry and that having confidence in myself is the true basis of my evolution. This is why I have chosen to design for the intimate apparel industry. If I can inspire confidence in other women from the inside out, I will have had an active part in their evolution and ultimate success in their own lives.

Bianca TsaiBianca Tsai

Ossining, NY

For as long as I can recall, art has been a method of communicative expression for me. As my interest in clothing developed with age, I knew that the best use of my eye for design was for it to be applied to fashion. I strongly believe that the fashion industry is one where my passion will be recognized, and my talents rewarded. I was immediately attracted to the idea of designing intimate apparel because of my association of it with sensuality, beauty, and power. My design aesthetic is a culmination of feminine charm and dark intrigue, and can be easily recognized.

Norissa White-IsaacsNorissa White-Isaacs

Queens, New York

My love for body positivity, equality, and art inspired my interest in fashion. Growing up, I saw models transforming the world’s perception of beauty. I see design as a way to revolutionize the way the world sees “clothes” and to elevate fashion to a form of artistic self-expression. I want my customer to epitomize that. My designs are sophisticated, playful, and detailed and are intended to flatter any body, at any age. I specialized in intimate apparel because I think our foundations have a remarkable ability to influence our confidence as women. Going into my next chapter in the intimate apparel industry, I hope to continue to empower women.

Linda ZhuLinda Zhu

Brooklyn, New York

As a child, fashion design always piqued my interest, and it is one of only a few interests that have stuck with me until the present day. It was in high school when I designed and created garments for our high school musical production that I knew that fashion design was something I might want to do. I started out as an aspiring artist through social media before deciding that I wanted to be in the field of fashion and design. Bringing something from a sketch to reality is a magical experience. It is like making your dreams come true, which is why I like to put a little fantasy into every garment I make.

FIT, State University of New York

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