PARSONS IS THE PLACE
By: Hope Wilkos, Writer/Blogger Photographer: George Whylie Videographer: Maxine Nolan
One of the most respected and recognized names in the fashion design world is the place of humble beginnings, ‘Parsons The New School For Design’.
The school has given us some of the top names in award-winning fashion such as Marc Jacobs, Alexander Wang, Anna Sui and Jason Wu. Parsons collaborates with companies such as Louis Vuitton, Christian Louboutin, Milk Studios and others to spark the creativity of its students and prepare them for the real world from the fashion houses to the runway. The school provides different types of programs for over 3800 undergraduate students and 400 graduate students of all ages with 77% being made up of women and 23% being made up of men. You will find international students from 68 different countries absorbing an infinite amount of knowledge. The faculty are successful working artists and designers in New York City. One of the most magical opportunities at Parsons is the ability to study abroad at one of its affiliate schools in Paris or the Dominican Republic or Japan.
One of the long standing traditions of ‘Parsons The New School For Design’ is the Parsons Fashion Benefit held every year to bring current and past alumni, students and big names in the fashion industry together for a festive extravaganza.
This year the annual celebration was held on May 1st and guests gathered at Pier 60 of Chelsea Piers in New York City to showcase winning designs on the runway and honor those past graduates who have made a name for themselves in the industry, namely Donna Karan and Sheila C. Johnson.
You could glance around the room and find Reed Krakoff, Vivienne Tam, Carol Lim, Fern Mallis and Steven Kolb enjoying themselves while socializing and sipping on cocktails. Introductions came from the institution’s president, David Van Zandt, and then the dean, Simon Collins. A big thanks went to media contributors such as Fashion GPS without whom much of this excitement would not be possible. Parents were also given well-deserved recognition for their moral and financial support. An appetizing meal was served and then the highlights began. The prestigious Narciso Rodriguez, past Parsons graduate, gave wonderful words of praise for one of the honorees of the event, Donna Karan.
Impressive creations were paraded down the runway exemplifying the standard of excellence in students that this eloquent school is so known for. The show began with outfits such as patterned ponchos on pint-sized models and kids of all ages.
There was a mixture of textiles, lots of draping and plenty of feminine frills. Pastels graced the runway in large numbers. Shorts and cropped pants ushered in the look of the season along with the ever popular sheath dress in effective neutral shades. Palazzo pants were paired with leather tops and crop tops. Vests and short jackets were extremely innovative while the long coat was in a distinctive class of its own.
Design by Andrea Tsao
It was simply amazing what these students could do with a simple bit of fabric. Both men and women were equally represented on the runway. There were some unbelievably beautiful formalwear and party dresses that would certainly sell out in seconds if put on the rack for the public to relish.
Design by Emily Hudson
Past and present students recalled some of their most memorable moments of the semesters but none would ever trade all this experience that they soaked up throughout their years of study. It was a time to reminisce about the past and look ahead to a hopeful future and to the ever changing and influential world of fashion with blossoming new talent for the world to feast their eyes upon.
Design by Yingshi June Lin
Design by Bach Mai
Design by Amy Layton
PHOTO CREDITS: www.style.com, www.downtownmagazinenyc.com, www.accessoriesmagazine.com
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