Rhode Island School of Design and IFF Celebrate Multiyear Partnership with New York City Showcase

The multisensory event at IFF headquarters on February 17 will showcase RISD Apparel Design student work, bespoke fragrance collections, a short film, and more

NEW YORK, NY – February 4, 2026 – Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) and IFF (NYSE: IFF) are pleased to celebrate their ongoing studio collaboration with a reception at IFF’s New York City headquarters on Tuesday, February 17, 2026. The evening marks the launch of an official three-year partnership—the only collaboration of its kind between IFF, a global leader in flavors, fragrances, food ingredients, health, and biosciences, and a US institution of higher education—in which IFF perfumers work with RISD Apparel Design seniors to translate their thesis collections into bespoke fragrances. 

Building on experiments begun in 2019, the collaboration positions scent as an extension of fashion storytelling to create multisensory, narrative-driven work. The partnership embodies RISD’s philosophy of intentional, mutually beneficial collaborations, blending professional expertise with hands-on student exploration. At the studio level, IFF generously provides Apparel Design students with access to its artists of perfumery. Each year, graduating Apparel Design seniors consider the question “How would your collection smell if it were a perfume or scent?” As students refine their collections throughout the year, IFF perfumers lend their creativity and expertise in the art of scent creation to develop scents unique to the collections. At the same time, RISD students provide fresh insights into the process of developing scent from the perspective of apparel design. 

The event will feature a presentation of bespoke RISD/IFF scent boxes crafted by IFF, along with some of the work by Apparel Design seniors (now alums) from the past several years that inspired the fragrances, including a small group of garments and portfolio samples. The event will also include a screening of RISD Apparel Design’s Collection 25 film. 

Sabrya Meflah, IFF Fine Fragrance President said, “Our artists of perfumery flourish through creative dialogue. Collaborating with such a leading US design institution amplifies our shared belief in imagination, craft, and the joyful art of creation that defines IFF’s perfumery.” 

“At RISD, intentional partnerships augment the curriculum by extending studio-based learning to real-world collaboration, allowing industry leaders and students to learn from each other in meaningful ways,” said RISD Provost Touba Ghadessi. “Our work with IFF engages Apparel Design students and faculty alongside professional perfumers, integrating fashion, scent, and storytelling and expanding how RISD teaches materiality and process through a holistic creative approach.” 

This collaboration has resulted in dozens of bespoke fragrances to date, each specifically conceived and developed to complement the vision of graduating students’ respective collections combined with IFF’s art of perfumery, and is exemplary of the partnerships RISD strives for: creative cross-pollination that elevates the curiosity, craft, artistry, practice, and ambition of all participants. 

RISD Apparel Design seniors are currently working with IFF perfumers as they refine their collections, which will debut in this year’s Collection 26 annual runway show. 

About Rhode Island School of Design
RISD (pronounced “RIZ-dee”) is a creative community founded in 1877 in Providence, Rhode Island. Today, we enroll 2,606 students hailing from 60 countries. Led by a committed faculty, they are engaged in more than 40 full-time bachelor’s and master’s degree programs and supported by a worldwide network of over 33,000 alumni who demonstrate the vital role artists and designers play in today’s society.

Beyond facts and figures, what is the spirit of this community? Through a cross-disciplinary curriculum of studio-based learning and rigorous study in the liberal arts, RISD students are encouraged to develop their own personal creative processes, but they are united by one guiding principle: in order to create, one must question. In cultivating expansive and elastic thinking, RISD seeks to activate a critical exchange that empowers artists, designers, and scholars to generate and challenge the ideas that shape our world. RISD’s mission, at both the college and museum, is not only to educate students and the public in the creation and appreciation of works of art and design, but to transmit that knowledge and make global contributions. Visit risd.edu to learn more.

Welcome to IFF
At IFF (NYSE: IFF), we make joy through science, creativity and heart. As the global leader in flavors, fragrances, food ingredients, health and biosciences, we deliver groundbreaking, sustainable innovations that elevate everyday products—advancing wellness, delighting the senses and enhancing the human experience. Learn more at iff.com, LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook. 

©2026 International Flavors & Fragrances Inc. (IFF). IFF, the IFF Logo, and all trademarks and service marks denoted with ™, SM or ® are owned by IFF or affiliates of IFF unless otherwise noted. All Rights Reserved. 

RISD contact:
Jaime Marland
Senior Director, Public Relations / RISD
jmarland@risd.edu