The ‘Today’ Show’s “Design the Look” FIT Grads Are Fashion’s Freshest Faces

The Today show’s Hoda Kotb and Jenna Bush Hager know a thing or two about what it takes to make an outfit pop. As hosts on America’s favorite morning show, they’ve not only mastered their own personal style, but keep a close watch on the trends and looks of the moment. Recently, they zeroed in on designs from fresh talent: recent graduates of the MFA program at New York City’s Fashion Institute of Technology.

For the past week, six FIT alums — Papa Oppong, Deborah Won, Valeria Watson, Anthony Oyer, and fraternal twin design duo Cristina and Margarita Ng Ng— have been designing custom looks for Kotb and Bush Hager to wear on-air as part of the show’s “Design the Look” series. Each segment highlights the designers’ unique aesthetics and sources of inspiration, from Oppong’s vibrant printed dresses (made with textiles from his home country of Ghana) to Watson’s mod separates inspired by her Mexican culture. Whether creating sharp suits or athleisure-eveningwear hybrids, each designer brought a fresh perspective to pieces that are equally wearable and fashion-forward.

Not only have these ambitious and talented young designers had the chance to share their stories and see their looks come alive on air, but — surprise! — their successes will be celebrated in InStyle‘s next digital issue, as announced by Kotb and Bush Hager on Friday’s show. The issue will focus on the people we’ve deemed “Imagemakers” — the emerging and established creatives who are shaping the future of beauty and style. Congratulations to this talented group of up-and-coming designers!

Feeling strong fashion inspo vibes? Catch up on the “Design the Look” series on Today.com.