It’s clear from the name that the Fashion Institute of Technology has courses on all aspects of fashion. You might not know that the school, part of the State University of New York, offers courses and degrees in communications, including journalism, marketing, and advertising.
FIT professors in writing-related disciplines and FIT alumni will speak at multiple sessions during the ASJA: Always in Fashion, NYC2025 Feb. 24-26 on the FIT campus in New York City’s Chelsea neighborhood. FIT is a presenting sponsor of the 2025 conference.
During the three-day event, conference goers can tour the Museum at FIT. And ASJA members attending can volunteer to participate in a pitch slam session with FIT students. Keep reading for details.
FIT Speakers at ASJA 2025 Conference
FIT has a total enrollment of about 8,100 undergraduate and graduate students. Nine of the school’s journalism and communications faculty and alumni–all of whom have extensive media industry, freelance, or other editorial experience–will speak at the three-day event. They include:
- Jay and Patty Baker School of Business and Technology Dean Shannon Maher, and Professor Loretta Volpe, chair of Advertising and Marketing Communications, will address attendees at a welcome reception on Monday, Feb. 24.
- FIT Assistant Professor and journalism minor coordinator Allison Leopold will co-moderate a Monday, Feb. 24, plenary session, “$ix Keys to Successful Freelancing in 2025.” Leopold also contributed to conference programming.
- FIT Assistant Professor Emil Wilbekin, founder of Native Son, and former editor in chief at Vibe and editor at large at Essence, will give a keynote on Tuesday, Feb. 25, on the art of the interview. Read a Q&A with Wilbekin about his writing career and advice for freelancers here.
- Margaret Fisher, a content strategist, editor, copywriter, and graduate of FIT’s cosmetics and fragrance marketing program, will be part of a panel on Tuesday, Feb. 25, discussing breaking into beauty and fashion writing.
- FIT assistant professors Larry Tung and Elena Romero will lead the session, “Telling Stories in Pictures,” a discussion of documentary and multimedia journalism, on Tuesday, Feb. 25.
- Also on Tuesday, long-time FIT journalism professor John Simone and Bret Tesman, FIT assistant professor and cofounder of Blue Punch Media, will speak on the panel “Working with PR,” discussing how journalists can facilitate a productive relationship with PR agents.
Tour the Museum at FIT
Conference attendees have the opportunity to tour the Museum at FIT, located on the FIT campus. Admission is free.
The Museum at FIT is recognized for its innovative, award-winning exhibits and a permanent collection of more than 50,000 garments and accessories dating from the 18th century.
In addition to items from the museum’s permanent collection, attendees can see two new exhibits:
- “Fashioning Wonder: A Cabinet of Curiosities,” which opens Feb. 19. Cabinets of curiosities date back to the early 16th century and were precursors to modern museums. The exhibit explores the connection between fashion and wunderkammern as they were known in German, and includes 200 garments and accessories drawn mainly from the museum’s permanent collection – including many being shown for the first time.
- “All That Glitters…,” which opens Feb. 26. Organized in conjunction with the FIT School of Graduate Studies, the exhibit showcases glitter and sparkle in fashion and includes pieces typically available only to students and researchers.
The Museum at FIT is open Wednesday to Friday 12 to 8 pm Eastern time, and Saturday and Sunday, 10 am to 5 pm ET.
Volunteer to Help With Student Pitch Slam
ASJA members attending the conference can volunteer as mentors during a student journalist pitch clinic on Tuesday, Feb. 25, 2 to 2:50 pm ET. The session is structured like the three other pitch slams happening at the conference. But instead of pitching to editors, agents, or content marketing directors, writers will listen and provide feedback as students practice pitching story ideas.
FIT’s Allison Leopold will organize and moderate the student pitch session, along with ASJA board member Christopher Johnston. ASJA members attending the conference who’d like to volunteer as a mentor for the student pitch slam can contact Johnston at @seechriswrite.
Register for the ASJA 2025 Conference Today!
Conference registration is $559 for ASJA members and $659 for nonmembers through 11:59 p.m. ET on Feb. 14, and $659 for members and $759 for nonmembers from Feb. 15 until the conference starts.
Find the full ASJA 2025 conference schedule and register here.
To stay up to speed with news about the 2025 conference and other ASJA events, subscribe to the ASJA Weekly newsletter, read ASJA Confidential blog or follow ASJA on LinkedIn, Instagram, and TikTok.