Disney on Broadway Celebrates 25 Years with FIT

In celebration of their 25th anniversary on Broadway, Disney teamed up with the Fashion Institute of Technology to bring forth a Disney on Broadway design challenge. Of the nearly 100 submissions, only 10 talented student designers now have their work on display at the Art and Design Gallery in FIT’s Pomerantz Art and Design Center. The designs will be on display until October 13.

“We are delighted to partner with FIT and their talented students on this special design challenge,” Robin Wyatt, the vice president of marketing at Disney Theatrical Productions, said in a statement. “Each designer created contemporary sketches that are all unique interpretations of our beloved Disney on Broadway characters and we look forward to seeing their garments come to fruition.” 

The students created contemporary designs based upon their favorite Disney on Broadway characters including Jane from Tarzan, Rafiki and Nala from The Lion King, Anna and Elsa from Frozen, Jasmine from Aladdin, Belle from Beauty and the Beast, Katherine from Newsies, Ariel from The Little Mermaid, and Mary Poppins. 

“FIT is thrilled to be part of Disney on Broadway’s 25th anniversary celebration,” FIT’s President Dr. Joyce F. Brown said in a statement. “Our students – who share the Disney spirit of innovation – embraced the opportunity to participate in this project. My congratulations to the winners and to Disney Theatrical Productions for 25 years of extraordinary entertainment on Broadway.” 

The designs are truly stunning, embodying the true talent possessed by FIT’s students. According to FIT design professor Gerard Dellova, the designs were so successful because each one displays the different concentrations the students are studying. At FIT, design students choose from five concentrations – sportswear, knitwear, children’s wear, special occasions, and intimate apparel. “For example, Ariel from The Little Mermaid incorporates elements of swimwear and special occasion, whereas with Belle from Beauty and the Beast, there are elements of intimate apparel coming through,” Dellova explained. “That makes a big difference in the way the students are trained.”