Women for Women

In 2024, it’s no secret that this has been the decade of female empowerment, shedding light on individuals and groups who deserve our love and attention. Diversifying and remodeling creative industries for the betterment of the next generation of artists has quickly become a mainstream goal.

It is also the goal of leaders such as Dr. Joyce F. Brown, president of the Fashion Institute of Technology, the first woman and person of color to hold this position; stylist, model and fashion director of Interview Magazine, Dara Allen; portrait photographer Camila Falquez, Rujeko Hockley, the assistant art curator at the Whitney Museum of Art and an immigrant from Zimbabwe; and Wendy Whelan, associate art director at the New York City Ballet.

On March 14th, in the middle of Women’s History Month, FIT hosted a panel discussion, “Defying Expectations: A Talk Celebrating Women in the Arts and Education,” featuring these influential women. The discussion was led by award-winning journalist Alina Cho, a contributor to CBS Sunday Morning.

Indeed, the panelists serve as examples of defying expectations. They have all had their share of difficulties that they overcame to reach their positions of power. 

In her forties, Whelan suffered a fall that led to her retirement from ballet dancing, which she pursued despite being diagnosed with scoliosis at twelve. She wanted to remain active in the dancing world but struggled to find the right place for her. 

“In the ballet world, it’s very patriarchal,” she explains. “I didn’t see women leadership.” Despite this, Whelan went on to become the first woman to hold a major role in the NYCB as an artistic director.

Additionally, Allen also had to conquer hardships when beginning her career. After moving to New York City to pursue fashion as a career in her early twenties, she struggled to get signed to a modeling agency due to being transgender. 

However, in 2016, Allen received a message on Instagram from the Marc Jacobs casting team, asking her to model in the brand’s upcoming show. Since then, Allen has grown into a trailblazer in the fashion industry, promoting a more diverse runway.

It’s no surprise that these women are highly driven and dedicated to their respective forms of art. In the face of rejection, they all agree that staying focused on their paths has helped them take on the opposition. 

Falquez, who has photographed the likes of Vice President Kamala Harris and Zendaya, tells the audience that she is motivated by surrounding herself with fellow creatives. In terms of overcoming rejection, Falquez avoids oppressive spaces and recommends creating your own structure to formulate and expand individual creativity. 

“You belong in every room that you’re in. You belong in every space that you’re occupying, you’re there for a reason,” Hockley remembers learning from a similar panel she once attended. 

Maintaining a positive mindset has aided her throughout her career as a curator. She’s mindful of the thoughts she feeds to herself, intending to stay as positive as possible and push out the negative thinking — the things she wouldn’t want someone else to say about her.

“Don’t give away your power,” Dr. Brown strongly advises. 

She stresses the importance of making an impactful legacy in the field being tackled and pursued. “When I am gone, I want [them] to know I was here,” she says. Inspiringly, she finds her destiny to “make the path, to create open doors, to make a difference in the space you’re given.” 

As president, Dr. Brown founded the FIT Social Justice Center, which has aided students from underprivileged communities with the resources to educate them into future diverse leaders in creative and artistic industries. She calls this one of her proudest accomplishments. 

During the panel, the question of how women should be invited to high-ranking, influential positions was raised, and the group was very enthusiastic and had several ideas. 

For Whelan, it is about embracing diversity, which she makes a priority. Both on and off the stage, she has welcomed people of color to the NYCB. “Show them [the audience] what’s possible,” she encourages.

Allen added that it is important to lead and support women. She wants to inspire them, to which Cho adds that “setting an example” is key to getting more young women to use their artistic abilities to make careers for themselves.