Past Commencement Speakers
| Year | Speaker(s) |
| 2022 |
Ken Downing, Chief Brand Officer, Hearst Luxury Collections Ecommerce, Hearst, and FIT Alumnus Laure Heriard Dubreuil '01, Founder and Creative Director, The Webster Stacy Flynn '99, CEO and Co-Founder, Evrnu SPC Ralph Rucci '80, Fashion Designer, RR 331 LLC Karin Tracy '93, Head of Industry, Retail, Fashion, Beauty, Luxury, Meta |
| 2020 and 2021 | Tracee Ellis Ross, Actress, Singer, Producer, Director, and Entrepreneur |
| 2019 | Tommy Hilfiger, Principal Designer, Tommy Hilfiger Global |
| 2019 | David Yurman, Jewelry Designer and Founder, David Yurman |
| 2018 | Chuck Hoberman, Designer, Engineer, Inventor, Innovator |
| 2018 | Lilliana Vazquez, Style Correspondent |
| 2017 | Essie Weingarten, Founder, Essie Cosmetics, Fashion Buying and Merchandising '70 |
| 2016 | Ivy Ross, Vice President and Head of Project Aura, Google, Inc. |
| 2016 | Joe Zee, Creative Director, Yahoo Style |
| 2015 | Marc J. Metrick, President, Saks Fifth Avenue |
| 2015 | Brooke Shields, Actor, Author, and Entrepreneur |
| 2014 | Bobbi Brown, Founder and Chief Creative Officer, Bobbi Brown Cosmetics |
| 2014 | Christian Louboutin, Founder, Christian Louboutin SA |
| 2013 | Fern Mallis, President, Fern Mallis LLC |
| 2013 | Rebecca Minkoff, Creative Director and Founder, Rebecca Minkoff LLC |
| 2012 | Leslie Blodgett, Executive Chair and Co-principal Executive Officer of Bare Escentuals Inc. |
| 2012 | Davin Stowell, Co-founder, CEO of Smart Design, Inc. |
| 2011 | Tony Hsieh, Chief Executive Officer of Zappos.com |
| 2011 | Aerin Lauder, Creative Director and Chairman of AERIN LLC and Style and Image Director of Estée Lauder |
| 2010 | Nina Garcia, Fashion Director, Marie Claire |
| 2009 | Annie Liebovitz, Photographer |
| 2008 | Katherine Betts, Editor, TIME Style & Design |
| 2007 | Stephen I. Sadove, CEO, Saks Incorporated |
| 2006 | John R. Ryan, Vice Admiral, USN (Ret.) and Chancellor, SUNY |
| 2005 | Charles Osgood, Anchor, CBS Sunday Morning and The Osgood File |
| 2004 | Robin Burns, President, Intimate Beauty Corporation |
| 2003 | Anna Wintour, Editor in Chief, Vogue |
| 2002 | Alec Baldwin, Actor |
| 2001 | Elsa Klensch, Producer and Host, Style with Elsa Klensch, CNN |
| 1999 | Shirley MacLaine, Actress, Dancer, Author, Director |
| 1998 | Anna Quindlen, Novelist and Pulitzer Prize-Winning Journalist |
| 1997 | Aaron M. Feuerstein, President and CEO, Malden Mills |
| 1996 | Martha Stewart, Editor in Chief and Chairman, Martha Stewart Living |
| 1995 | Norma Kamali, CEO, Norma Kamali, Inc. |
| 1994 | Sally Frame Kasaks, Chairman and CEO, Ann Taylor |
| 1993 | The Honorable Ruth W. Messinger, President, Borough of Manhattan |
| 1992 | Lawrence S. Phillips, Chairman and CEO, Phillips Van Heusen Corp. |
| 1991 | The Honorable David N. Dinkins, Mayor, City of New York |
| 1990 | John Weitz, Chairman, John Weitz, Inc. |
| 1989 | John J. Pomerantz, Trustee, FIT, Chairman and CEO, The Leslie Fay Cos. |
| 1988 | Jeffrey Banks, Trustee, FIT, President, Jeffrey Banks, Ltd. |
| 1987 | Oscar de la Renta, Fashion Designer |
| 1986 | Dr. Clifton R. Wharton, Jr., Chancellor, SUNY |
| 1985 | The Honorable Edward I. Koch, Mayor, City of New York |
| 1984 | Dr. Marvin Feldman, President, FIT |
| 1983 | Bill Blass, Fashion Designer |
| 1982 | Charles Osgood, WCBS Radio and TV Newscaster |
| 1981 | Peter G. Scotese, Trustee, FIT, Vice Chairman and CEO, Springs Mills, Inc. |
| 1980 | Jim Jensen, WCBS-TV News Anchorman |
| 1979 | The Honorable Edward I. Koch, Mayor, City of New York |
| 1978 | Newton Everett Godnick, Chairperson, Fashion Buying and Marketing |
| 1977 | Shirley Goodman, Executive Vice President, FIT |
| 1976 | Jerry Silverman, President, Jerry Silverman, Inc. |
| 1975 | Richard J. Schwartz, President, Jonathan Logan, Inc. |
| 1974 | Arniece Russell, Fashion Design 1972, Miss Black America 1974 |
| 1973 | Marvin J. Feldman, President, FIT |
| 1972 | The Honorable Bella S. Abzug, Member of Congress, New York |
| 1971 | Eleanor Holmes Norton, Chairman, New York City Commission on Human Rights |
| 1970 | The Honorable Louis J. Lefkowitz, Attorney General, State of New York |
| 1969 | Dr. Lawrence L. Jarvie, President, FIT |
| 1968 | Dr. Lawrence L. Jarvie, President, FIT |
| 1967 | Dr. Lawrence L. Jarvie, President, FIT |
| 1966 | Dr. Lawrence L. Jarvie, President, FIT |
| 1965 | Dr. Lawrence L. Jarvie, General Superintendent of Community Education, Flint, Michigan |
| 1964 | Lawrence L. Bethel, President, FIT |
| 1963 | Lawrence L. Bethel, President, FIT |
| 1962 | David Schwartz, President, Educational Foundation for the Apparel Industry |
| 1961 | David Zelinka, Chairman, Educational Foundation for the Apparel Industry |
| 1960 | David Zelinka, Chairman, Educational Foundation for the Apparel Industry |
| 1959 | David Zelinka, Chairman, Educational Foundation for the Apparel Industry |
| 1958 | David Zelinka, Chairman, Educational Foundation for the Apparel Industry |
| 1956 | Dr. Lawrence L. Jarvie, Executive Dean, SUNY |
| 1953 | John J. Theobald, President, Queens College |
| 1952 | John R. Dunning, Dean of the Faculty of Engineering, Columbia University |