Nicole Benefield is an assistant professor in the Fashion Design department at FIT and a graduate of Parsons School of Design. She is the founder and creative director of her contemporary brand, Nicole Benefield Portfolio, and is an interim member of the CFDA. Nicole Benefield Portfolio has been featured in New York Fashion Week events with the Black in Fashion Council and Harlem's Fashion Row. In 2023, the Abercrombie & Fitch x Harlem's Fashion Row x Nicole Benefield collaboration was launched and sold across Abercrombie & Fitch omnichannels. Before establishing her brand, Benefield held leadership roles at specialty retail brands, including Loft, Ann Taylor, Lou & Grey, and Banana Republic.