News & Events

A significant portion of our fundraising comes from the annual Fashion Forward Awards event, typically held in the spring.

Ore 4th Annual Fashion Forward Awards event will be held on April 22, 2026 at 3 Columbus Circle. We are honoring Daniella Vitale, CEO Americas, Ferragamo. Visit our site here for sponsorships and tickets.  OUR EVENT IS SOLD OUT! YOU CAN STILL MAKE A DONATION. CHECK BACK FOR EVENT UPDATES!

Our 3rd Annual Fashion Forward Awards event was held May 2025 at Todd Snyder in Rockefeller Center. We honored Amanda Smith, CEO, Fairchild Media Group and Sam Edelman, Founder/Creative Director.

Our second annual Fashion Forward Awards event took place in May 2024.  We honored Elizabeth S. Marcuse, LIM College President Emeritus and Todd Snyder, Founder and CEO of Todd Snyder. Jim Moore from GQ presented the award to Todd Snyder.

Our first annual Fashion Forward Awards event took place in May 2023 where we honored Jen Foyle; President, Executive Creative Director, AE + Aerie and Michele Parsons, Brand Builder/Consultant.

These events generally have 100+ guests for a reception where awards are presented, hors d'oeuvres and cocktails are served, and a silent auction is held.

What a night!  On a roof deck overlooking Central Park, we honored Daniella Vitale, CEO Americas, Ferragamo for her commitment to empowering deserving LIM College students.  When accepting this award, Daniella said, "As an alumna I know how difficult economic barriers can be for students to overcome. Food insecurity should never be an issue by any student but particulalry a school that resides in the center of our industry. My job is to continue to support the LIM Fashion Education Foundation and provide mentoring and a robust internship program. I have been hiring LIM students for internships and full-time positions for over 20 years. Without cultivating and developing a strong pipeline of students, our industry fails."   Thank you, Daniella!

Our 3rd Annual Fashion Forward Award Event was a great success. Held at Todd Snyder in Rockefeller Center, we had nearly 130 guests for hors d'ouevres, signature cocktails, silent auction and an award presentation to our honorees, Amanda Smith, CEO Fairchild Media Group and Sam Edelman, Founder/Creative Director.  We also presented scholarship awards to two deserving students.  I hope you will join us next year. Date TBD.

In October, 2025, we hosted Elyce Arons for a fireside chat with Board Chair, Arnie Cohen, on a roof deck overlooking Central Park with 40 of our closest friends and supporters. We're so grateful to our Board Member, Elyce, Co-Founder of Kate Spade and Frances Valentine, for speaking about her new book, "We Might Just Make it After All." It was a wonderful evening of conversation, connection, and inspiration. It is a privilege to celebrate Elyce's story and success. Thank you to those who joined us for this special event and for your continued support.

Generally held in the fall and spring, this speaker series brings together premier executives and entrepreneurs in the business community. 

Past speakers include:

• Elyce Aron, Founder and CEO, Frances Valentine
• Rosie Mattio: Chief Executive Officer, MATTIO Communications
• Jen Foyle: President, Executive Creative Director, AE + Aerie
• Dave Heath: Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Bombas
• Daniella Vitale: CEO of Salvatore Ferragamo and LIM alumna