“We’re so excited to have forged this collaboration with Simone Cipriani and the Ethical Fashion Initiative,” said Dean Joanne Arbuckle following Cipriani’s talk last night with Nina Braga, Director of Institoe E. “His discussions with renowned speakers address critical aspects of design, projection and social responsibility.”

Cipriani heads the Ethical Fashion Initiative, a flagship program of the International Trade Center, which is a joint agency of the United Nations and World Trade Organization.

“The engagement between the audience, Simone and our speakers reflect our rich relationship with the broader fashion community both locally and globally,” says Dean Arbuckle.

Last night Ms. Braga, Cipriani’s second guest in the series, spoke about the environmental evaluation of fabrics native to Brazil. One of the more unexpected “fabrics” is fish skin from a native species that would otherwise be a discarded byproduct.

“There is a logic to the collaboration with FIT and the UN,” says Associate Dean Sass Brown. The UN promotes education to fulfill it’s mission. “Without education you don’t have peace and prosperity. As part of the state university system our mission is to be accessible to a diverse population of students.”

There’s so much more to come from Simone Cipriani’s “The Hand of Fashion” speaker series at FIT. For schedule and speaker bios go to: The Hand of Fashion. And remember to RSVP!

photo: Rachel Ellner