W 2 7 N E W S PA P E R
FALL 2023
Say Goodbye to Pandas; And Hello to Sambas By Kinleigh Alnutt (AMC ‘27) Walking around FIT, there are distinct style aesthetics, but one shoe seems to have a firm grip on all the students. A simple black sneaker with three white stripes. All the fashion babes are wearing Adidas Sambas. Especially with sneakers, there is always a new shoe that captures the heart of everyone, with the year prior being the Nike Dunk Low Pandas. But since 2022, Sambas have made a rapid resurgence all over the world. After being spotted on popular supermodel Bella Hadid, Sambas are an essential for everyone’s closet. Fashion is a cycle after all, so naturally, this isn’t the first time they have made a comeback. In the ‘90s, skateboarders made Sambas a skater staple due to their durability and comfortability. Although the skaters of the ‘90s made them their own, they were originally intended for the soccer players of the ‘50s. Created in 1949 by Adi Dassler, they were put on the map by the 1950 FIFA World Cup in Brazil and were a go-to shoe for indoor soccer players. They’ve gone from running to runway since the fashion world has gotten ahold of them. With this being said, I can’t help but wonder: Are Sambas here to stay for good, or are they just another “shoe of the year”?
ISSUE 1
The Unseen Side of Things: FIT’s Major UnderRepresentation By Julia Kobeszko (Packaging Design ‘25)
T
he Fashion Institute of Technology has over 35 baccalaureate and associate programs and according to Application and Enrollment statistics for Fall of 2022, over 8,000 students are enrolled on campus. According to U.S.News.com, the most popular majors at FIT in 2022 include Fashion Business Management at 24% and Fashion/Apparel Design at 18%. The FIT Instagram, website, school events and internship programs center around fashion and its opportunities, giving the institution a bold and famous identity. But what about all the other programs FIT provides? The school prides itself on its social diversity and inclusion for all students, yet fails to bring to light the success of its students studying different career paths. I found myself asking a series of questions. What majors do we know little about and how do students feel that they fit into the FIT community? Is there anything that FIT could be doing to be more representative of their smaller degree programs? The best way to answer these questions is to speak directly with students on campus and get insight about the situation.
Interview with (Illustration ‘25)
Evangelina
Colucci
Julia Kobeszko: What do you think about the under-representation of your major in the FIT community? Evangelina Colucci: I do feel the school focuses more on the fashion aspect, which I guess makes sense considering the name, but I feel like the illustration majors and other art majors are somewhat underlooked. There’s not a lot of internships for us and it is hard to land one. We think it’s slightly unfair that the majority of the internships go towards fashion and business students. JK: How does that make you feel? EC: It makes me sad. When I went to the internship bank there weren’t a lot of options. It would be nice if our major was given some thought once in a while. Interview with Matthew Olfindo (Animation, Interactive Media and Game Design ‘25) Julia Kobeszko: What do you think about the under-representation of your major in the FIT community? Matthew Olfindo: I think it’s near nonexistent. It is still coming up though. There have been mentions of having add-ons to the major, but it’s probably not going to be coming in a while. JK: What do you think the FIT social media can do better? MO: Just mentioning it in general and
showcasing students or other events outside of the school that pertain to it, maybe highlighting work from previous years that show where those students are now in the real world. Just acknowledgement, really. During interview sessions, both students mentioned how the events displayed in the main level of the Pomerantz Center should be geared more towards the art majors that reside in the building, including programs like Photography and Graphic Design. This tension creates a divide between the student body. FIT rarely posts about these majors on its social media platforms, which is strange considering the success of majors like Interior and Packaging Design. FIT is the best Interior Design school in New York and Packaging Design has a one-hundred percent rate of job offers for students. There is a lot of stigma surrounding funding, internships, and events for niche majors in our community. Just because FIT has a designated image to gear towards, it doesn’t mean other students of the school should have less opportunities. With the right social media exposure and proper resources, FIT could bring in new minds and inspire their current students further.
Illustrations by Amina Sokolji (Illustration ‘25)
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