FTT trip to NYC offers abundance of networking and applied learning opportunities

From October 14 to 17, fourteen Buffalo State fashion and textile technology (FTT) students participated in a study tour in New York City. The trip included multiple industry visits and networking opportunities, providing students with invaluable connections and learning experiences.

"This trip is designed to give students real access-to people, places, and possibilities they simply can't experience inside a classroom," said FTT lecturer Erin Habes '03, '18, who has been organizing and leading this trip for more than ten years. "Every visit is meant to show them what's possible in their careers and to remind them that they, too, belong in these spaces."

Habes provided the students with guidance on how to prepare for the trip's six industry visits to the Valentino Flagship Store, Madewell, S2 Sportswear, COACH, WPP Media, and Kith Women's-all companies at which FTT alumni currently work.

"Our alumni are everywhere-and they're doing incredible things," Habes said. "This trip gives students the chance to see that Buffalo State truly prepares them to succeed in a wide range of fashion careers, from luxury to corporate to creative direction."

Kym Mathis '98, FTT adjunct instructor and store manager at DSW, also joined Habes as a faculty assistant on the trip.

"Watching these students step into professional spaces-and carry themselves with such confidence-was inspiring," Mathis said. "You could see the moment things clicked for them. Experiences like this show students that their dreams are not only possible but within reach."

During the visits, students took tours, asked questions, and engaged in hands-on challenges, explored workspaces, observed brand shoots, and learned directly from industry professionals about career paths, brand identity, and day-to-day responsibilities.

"For the first time, I felt like I was working in the big leagues of fashion," said Darren Smith, a junior majoring in fashion design. "The Valentino experience ignited a passion in me that I didn't know was there."

"Seeing how many people work together behind the scenes showed me that fashion is truly a team-driven industry," added senior fashion design major Jalee Martinez. "It was amazing to witness the collaboration it takes to bring a single idea to life."

The experience was enriching for the alumni as well.

"Meeting the students made me nostalgic for my time at Buffalo State, when I was in their exact shoes and felt that strong ambition to succeed in the fashion industry after graduation," said Lauren Poplawski, '16, associate account director of strategic planning at WPP. "I hope the students felt inspired by my journey and that some of them took a potential new career path into consideration as they start to explore the industry and adjacent career opportunities. I'm forever thankful for the FTT program at Buffalo State. It was truly the vital stepping stone I needed to gain industry experience, especially through all the internships. I hope the FTT students can really appreciate their time and take advantage of everything offered to them."

"It was a privilege to see my very own professors, who educated me, observed my development and are proud," added Morgan Powell, '20, visual merchandiser at Kith Women's, "and to be able to motivate the next generation of FTT students by showing them that you can be anything-you don't have to limit yourself."

In addition, students visited the MET Museum's spring exhibit Superfine: Tailoring Black Style, a cultural and historical examination of Black style over three hundred years through the concept of dandyism; and participated in an FTT Alumni Mixer and Networking event. It was a "full-circle moment," Habes said, for the group to see the work of Buffalo State alumnus Sam Boakye, '13-founder and creative director of Kwasi Paul and a 2025 Ebony Power 100 Influential Creator honoree-featured in the exhibition.

"Boakye's Ghana-made, New York-rooted brand has become a rising voice in contemporary fashion," she said. "Seeing his work represented at the MET was both inspiring and deeply meaningful for the students."

Though the students' time in the city was brief, the impact is lasting.

"This trip helped me realize exactly where I want to be in the industry," said junior fashion design major Alexander Imperi. "It gave me motivation, clarity, and the confidence to pursue fashion design at the highest level."

"Being inside the spaces I've admired from a distance changed everything for me," added Zeinab Keita, fellow junior fashion design major. "It made the industry feel real and reminded me that I belong here."