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‘FIT’ for a Kings County: Fashion Institute of Technology to hold classes in Brooklyn

‘FIT’ for a Kings County: Fashion Institute of Technology to hold classes in Brooklyn
FIT

These classes are tailor-made for Brooklyn.

The Fashion Institute of Technology will soon offer two classes at the Brooklyn Army Terminal in Sunset Park so locals don’t have to trek out to the distant isle of Manhattan to step up their fashion know-how. And the courses will provide busy Brooklynites a more convenient way to enroll in the institute’s classes, said the school’s head of continuing and professional studies.

“It’s part of the initiative to offer folks that work and live in Brooklyn more convenient access,” said Dan Gerger. “These courses are meant for the non-traditional student who is working and may have a family, so hopefully folks from Brooklyn will find this easier.”

Pupils can choose from a course on ethical fashion or a class that delves into how to develop an apparel line that breaks down the process from design to merchandising. The ethical fashion course will equip designers with the tools they need to source sustainable materials for their products and will introduce concepts such as fair trade, supporting endangered crafts, and the environmental impact of certain manufacturing technologies, according to Gerger.

Anyone can enroll in the courses, wether they’re a budding designer or a seasoned manufacturer. But the course on constructing a clothing line is geared toward those with some experience in the industry and will delve into how to style and plan a line, and how to customize merchandising to regional marks, according to Gerger.

The courses, which will not confer any college credit, will run for a month during the summer with weekly three-hour sessions at the terminal. No credits, prerequisites, or experience in the fashion world are required to enroll. It will cost Brooklynites $135 to enroll in ethical fashion and $235 to learn how to develop a fashion line.

The city invited the Fashion Institute of Technology to bring courses to Brooklyn as part of its effort to fix up Bush Terminal and rent space to garment manufacturers and filmmakers. Until the Economic Development Corporation opens the space in 2020, the Brooklyn Army Terminal will host the summer courses, which the institute aims to begin in June.

The courses are the institute’s first Brooklyn courses and will likely kick off more classes in the borough, said Gerger.

“We hope to do more in Brooklyn,” he said. “I think this is the start of something.”

Reach reporter Caroline Spivack at cspivack@cnglocal.com or by calling (718) 260–2523. Follow her on Twitter @carolinespivack.