Our D-Tech Lab, an extension of the FIT Center for Innovation, continues to deliver a holistic vision of business in the creative industries, and with student interns, faculty and academic and industry partners, it is developing new local, national and international markets in branding and in technology-driven sustainable production. It is also gaining a glowing global reputation. Indeed, the lab recently was selected to become the first higher education partner of Bambuser—an international leader and pioneer in interactive live video shopping based in Sweden. Bambuser, which started in 2007, is today the platform of choice for some of the world’s leading luxury fashion and beauty brands. And so, in early April, we launched DTech Live, powered by Bambuser, and used it to launch the collections of the MFA fashion design class of 2020. The presentation is called 7 Collections because it features the seven alumni of that class—each of whom comes from a different country.
During the presentation, you get to meet the designers, see their collections, and watch them in interview with the director of the Museum at FIT, Dr. Valerie Steele. More important, you have the opportunity to purchase items from the collections which will be custom-made for you. I was very proud of this group of alumni. Proceeds go to the designers themselves who will have full oversight of the production and fulfillment of the orders.
While I am dazzled by the technology that brings us the collections, I am just as dazzled by these graduates. They created their collections during the pandemic and demonstrated determination, resiliency and agility—and they stayed focused and true to their vision. The collections are stunning and you can see them through June, 2021:
This is an important moment for the college. DTech Live is a first in higher education. With it we have advanced our investment in experiential learning, advanced possibilities for students in many different programs, and raised our profile all the more as an innovator in higher education. I am thrilled that we are one of the drivers in this new development in retail. Our partnership with Bambuser enables great experimentation for our students who are, after all, the next generation of talent for the creative industries.
