Aerin Lauder, Zappos’ Tony Hsieh to Speak at FIT Commencement

The Fashion Institute of Technology has chosen two commencement speakers this year—because the college, part of the State University of New York, will be holding two separate commencement ceremonies. “We believe that by structuring commencement in this way, we will be able to put a more personal focus on the students themselves,” said FIT president Joyce F. Brown in a statement released yesterday. On the morning of Tuesday, May 24, students from the School of Art and Design and the School of Graduate Studies will hear from Aerin Lauder, senior vice president and creative director for Estée Lauder. (According to the New York Post, Lauder is preparing to launch her own “fashion and lifestyle brand that will include accessories, housewares, china, and jewelry.”) That afternoon, Zappos.com CEO Tony Hsieh will address students from FIT’s Jay and Patty Baker School of Business and Technology and the School of Liberal Arts. Both ceremonies will take place at New York’s Jacob K. Javits Center, but you can catch the speeches, pomp, and circumstance online: FIT will be livestreaming the events here.

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