| Year |
Speaker |
| 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 |
