Fashion Design Students Visit FIT Museum Exhibit

Huntington High School’s Fashion Design & Illustration students trekked into Manhattan for a Fashion Institute of Technology museum exhibit titled “Dress, Dreams, and Desire.” It proved to be time well spent by members of the group.

“The exhibit explores psychoanalysis and the psychology of fashion, with almost 100 garments on display by many different designers, including Gianni and Donatella Versace, Alexander McQueen, Jean Paul Gaultier and many, many more,” said Kim Valerio, Huntington High School’s fashion design and illustration teacher.

Nine advanced level fashion students went on the trip, along with Mrs. Valerio and parent chaperones. The contingent include Fashion 2 students Sofia Jimenez-Contreras, Yann Laguerre, Alex Perez, and Allison Sifontes Torres; Fashion 3 students Amaya Joly, Isabella Goutevenier, and Charles Desrochers; and Portfolio in Fashion students Kimora Fuller and Mason Gomez.

“After traveling into the city on the Long Island Railroad and walking a few blocks to FIT, the students happily met up with Toni Reyes Sorto, who graduated from Huntington High School in 2025,” Mrs. Valerio said. “Toni is currently a student at FIT, majoring in fashion design.”

In addition to viewing the fashion exhibit, the Huntington students also explored the campus, eating at FIT’s dining hall and visited the campus store.

“Despite the rainy, windy weather on that day, everyone had a great time in the city,” Mrs. Valerio said.

Art teacher Kim Valerio

A graduate of Harborfields High School, Mrs. Valerio holds an undergraduate degree from Parsons School of Design. After working for many years in graphic arts, mostly in New York City, she returned to college and obtained a master’s degree in art education at Long Island University-CW Post.

Mrs. Valerio completed her student teaching requirements in Huntington. She then worked as a substitute teacher in Huntington and in several other surrounding districts. She was hired as a part-time art teacher in Huntington in 2010 and became full-time in 2015.

Throughout the years she has worked in all eight buildings in the district in some capacity. Mrs. Valerio teaches courses in Creative Crafts and Fashion at Huntington High School and directs the student fashion shows at the annual district-wide art show.