Fashion Institute of Technology Seniors Showcase Home Projects

First-place award went to Heat Wave, a do-it-yourself carpet tile which generates radiant heat.

by Nicholas Tamarin -- Interior Design, 5/12/2008

It sounds like a topic tailored for reality TV: the real-life experiences of New York fashion students. But it was real-industry experience in the limelight at market building 7 W New York as the city’s Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) unveiled its first Home Products Development Senior Projects. The presentation was cosponsored by the market building and the New York Chapter of the International Furnishings and Design Association.

Four teams of FIT seniors created the projects in fulfillment of the Home Product Senior Project, the last course required in FIT's Home Products Development curriculum. The students were charged with developing a successful lifestyle product which meets issues such as technology, eco-assessment, target marketing, distribution, packaging, and merchandising.

First-place award went to Heat Wave, a do-it-yourself carpet tile that generates radiant heat, by the team of Allison Imparato, Jennifer Evans, Donna Hersworth, and Veronica Resk. Other presentations included Anime, a collection of dinner and salad plates that convert to storage containers; Solo, a portable water kettle powered by light; and DishMaker, an eco friendly series of do-it-yourself biodegradable dishes.