The Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) has opened the Joyce F. Brown Academic Building, its first new academic facility in nearly 50 years, named in honor of outgoing president Dr. Joyce F. Brown, according to a press release from the institute. FIT is part of the State University of New York (SUNY).

The 10-story, 100,000-square-foot building, located in New York City, features 26 energy-efficient classrooms and studios, collaborative student spaces, and the Knitting Lab, which is now the largest campus knitting and weaving facility in the country, per the release.

Students, faculty, alumni, and industry professionals attended a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Oct. 23, 2025, ELLE reports, recognizing Dr. Brown’s 27 years of leadership since she assumed the role in 1998. Among her milestones, she is also FIT’s first Black president and first woman president, as previously reported by AFROTECH. Throughout her tenure, she has focused on expanding educational access and creating opportunities for students pursuing careers in the creative industries.

ELLE editor-in-chief and FIT alum Nina Garcia delivered remarks during the event, reflecting on her time as a student and acknowledging Brown’s impact on the college.

“FIT has been a transformative place where people come with big dreams and leave ready to make their mark on fashion, business, design, and beyond,” Garcia said. “I was one of those international students that came here with a big dream, and I have lived the FIT experience myself.”

The Joyce F. Brown Academic Building dedication followed another event that occurred in April 2025, when Garcia and designer and FIT alumni Michael Kors co-hosted the institution’s annual gala in Brown’s honor, ELLE previously reported.

Kors said, “Dr. Joyce F. Brown has built an institution where dreams become careers, where innovation thrives, and where students from all backgrounds find their place in the world of fashion, design, and business.”

Under Brown’s leadership, ELLE reports that FIT introduced sustainability-focused programs, including a natural dye garden, and launched a Social Justice Center to support students of color entering the fashion and retail industries.

In a statement, Brown said she has great aspirations for FIT’s new academic building, that it will continue to encourage creativity and collaboration.

“My hope is that future generations of leaders will use this space to foster a creative community and to explore, innovate, and make a lasting impact on the global economy and the world,” she said.

In a May 2025 interview with ELLE, Brown spoke about her goal of increasing accessibility at FIT.

“People don’t realize it’s part of SUNY, I think, because they think of it as specialized,” she told the outlet. “…What I saw was a real opportunity to get to young people who might be afraid to think of FIT as a destination for themselves.”

She also noted that students are helping lead new conversations about sustainability in fashion.

“It is critical and crucial to this young generation that they have a different way of designing and doing business that will protect the planet,” she told ELLE. “…They are disdainful of excess and understand the importance of quality.”

Located at 220 West 28th Street on FIT’s Manhattan campus, the Joyce F. Brown Academic Building marks a new addition to the campus as Dr. Brown prepares to step down at the end of the academic year.