Den Ly designs hybrid dress shoes with a dash of performance and an emphasis on sustainability. He is a graduate of FIT’s Accessories Design program. He was born in a refugee camp outside of Bangkok, Thailand during the time of Cambodian genocides. As a young child, his family moved to Florida to pursue the American dream. Den spent most of his teen years immersed in the underground indie scene participating in art, music, skating, surfing, competitive Jujutsu, and mixed martial arts. After a career-ending knee injury, Den returned to Cambodia to teach and happened to meet an artist of bespoke shoemaking who influenced his footwear career today. His goal is to open an accessories think-tank based in NYC with factories in New York and Cambodia, promoting American-made products and international trade with a cause.

Instructor Den Ly teaches the following FIT Precollege Classes:
HLD 031 Sneaker and Performance Footwear Design

Teaching philosophy:

Learning is the most crucial part of human interaction. Students should be able to learn in an environment that cultivates free thinking and respect for the design process. I like to show them that there are many avenues through which one can reach their goals. It takes a lot of work, but finding a special connection witch each student enhances the ability to bring out their greatness.

On Precollege Programs:

Precollege Programs prepares you for what is expected at the next level of education and potentially the work field; it’s a gateway to adulthood! I enjoy the idea of teaching good fundamentals needed to succeed in life and the design world. My goal is to help guide students to achieve the best result of one’s capability without the added pressure that most of them face in their academic environment. Emphasis on hard work and self-respect teaches students confidence much needed in the competitive college and industry environment!

Industry Experience/Recent Exhibitions: