Want to make it in the fashion design business? Excuse me, let me rephrase: Want to make it in the fashion design business and actually profit? Well then, you better start brushing up on your accessory design skills, because, according to The New York Times, that’s where all the money is. A decade ago, accessories Read more →
Following a blowout celebration for their bachelor program’s senior class earlier this month, Parsons celebrated their MFA graduates on Monday in a raw space deep inside New York’s garment district. Each of the eighteen thesis collections on display were painstakingly detailed, some resembling pleated confections, and others jigsaw puzzles of reworked vintage–they were entirely unique.
“Imagine the best of the bachelors program and then give them two years with everything Parsons has to offer and everything New York has to offer. It’s an intense incubator for talent,” said Parson’s dean of fashion, Simon Collins.
Internships have been at the center of a growing—and increasingly publicized–storm of malcontent lately, with protesters arguing that they should be paid and hours should be more tightly regulated. One unpaid intern is even suing Hearst. And yes, interns have been asked to pick up dog poop, or worse. But are all fashion internships truly horror stories?
We recently attended the Pratt, Parsons and FIT student designer shows–so what better time to talk internships than with the city’s hardworking design students, some of whom did up to six internships during their schooling.
Here’s what they told us.
One Small Step for Vogue: One giant step for fashion-kind. All 19 editions of Vogue announced this week they will no longer work with unhealthy-looking models or girls under 16.
Linda’s Child Support Demands: Making her “$10,000 to get out of bed” claims look downright tame, Linda Evangelista is asking for $46,000 a month in child support (that’s $552,000 a year). Unsurprisingly, the court battle is getting a little dirty.
Rules to Retail By: An anonymous ex-retail employee lays down the law when it comes to shopping. Learn it. Live it. Love it.
Tom Ford’s Naughty Lookbook: In typical Tom Ford style, his spring 2012 menswear lookbook features nudity and ass pinching.
Last night Parsons held their annual fashion benefit which celebrates “visionaries” in the fashion industry and showcases the top graduating student collections (more on those later today). Alumna Donna Karan was last night’s honoree (along with mogul and board member Sheila Johnson), and we caught up with the design legend on the red carpet.
She’s still sporting a massive brace on her leg, which she told us she “cracked” working on an ad campaign. But being Donna Karan, she keeps it chic.
“Black cast, wherever it is, wear black, absolutely,” she told us. Karan, who is apparently quite accident prone, has some advice for women who end up with unseemly casts and brace.
Thanks to a shaky economy, the fashion industry hasn’t exactly been booming these past ten years–but that hasn’t stopped droves of young students from flocking to New York City’s top fashion and design schools in hopes of making it big in the industry, according to a new study released by the Center for the Urban Read more →
Parsons Alums to Design for Christian Louboutin: For the never-ending celebration of the brand’s 20th anniversary, Christian Louboutin is enlisting the talents of Parsons alums to design garments to fit the Loubi aesthetic. Five 2010-2011 graduates were chosen, and their designs will be on display at the Louboutin 20th anniversary event at Bergdorf Goodman in early February. Congratulations to the winners, we can’t wait to see what they’ve come up with! {WWD (Subscription required)}
Topshop and the British Fashion Council’s NEWGEN is Teaming Up Once Again: for a collection of t-shirts designed by some of its most noted alums including Mary Katrantzou, Christopher Kane, and Meadham Kirchhoff. The collaboration is in celebration of Topshop’s ten-year affiliation with the NEWGN designer sponsorship, and will be available during London Fashion Week in stores and online at Topshop, as well as in the retailer’s LFW pop-up shop in Selfridges. {Vogue UK}
Rihanna is Having The Best Vacation Ever: The bleater singer has been snapping twitpics of herself in various bikinis all week, but last night Ms. Fenty let loose on Twitter sharing several shots of her island frolicks. At one point she tweeted @KhloeKardashian a picture of her on an elliptical machine in a bikini, “Come tap this.” If she won’t, we will. {Rihanna Twitter}
The fashion industry has teamed up with New York City for some serious job recruiting efforts: If you have a passion for the business of fashion (and you’re a graduating college senior), start dusting off your resume and choosing your interview outfits.
The New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) and Parsons the New School for Design just launched a program called Fashion Draft NYC. The goal of the program is to put exceptional candidates in front of some of the biggest fashion companies around, with the goal of hiring and keeping the industry in NYC viable and vibrant.
If you’re one of the 25 to 30 applicants chosen for the program, you’ll be flown to NYC from February 16-18 (room and board included) and will have the opportunity to meet with reps from companies like Macy’s, Theory, Bloomingdale’s, LF USA, and Gilt. There will be networking opportunities, industry speakers, and behind-the-scenes tours. The best part?
1. Running shoe fashion– what better way to appeal to the generalized American public?
2. Who knew that a scraped knee could make someone pass out?
3. Joshua, how’d you finally learn to channel your sass into constructive comments? You had many good one-liners this week, though the best one? “Her demographic is 40 to death.”
4. Becky why are you upset that people on the show are acting cliquey? All we can say is, Welcome to Fashion!
It’s summertime, and chances are you’re heading to the beach or hanging out with friends. But soon enough it will be September, so you might as well start thinking about your future educational endeavors now. If you have an interest in fashion, whether to design it or take a more behind-the-scenes role, there are tons of amazing school options to consider. For a comprehensive look, you can take a peek at our Top 50 Fashion Schools list, which pretty much covers the entire world. Think you want to stick with US schools? Then you’re in the right place!
We’ve compiled a list of the 20 best fashion schools in the country. As with our previous fashion school rankings, this is not scientific. We looked at data, jobs procured, opinions of people in the industry, and standout program offerings. We also wanted to show you that great schools aren’t limited to NYC–you’ll find colleges located in all parts of the country.
This list is meant to provide an overview of the schools’ strengths and to highlight some of their unique attributes. You’ll find fashion design programs here, but some of the schools listed don’t offer fashion design. Instead, they’ve gained a spot because they offer other amazing programs to prepare you for a career in fashion. We hope it’s helpful as a starting point. (Click here for the full list.)
Tuition prices don’t include fees and housing. And if you see an asterisk (*), it denotes a CFDA-affiliated program. Like our previous rankings, this list includes undergraduate degrees only.
Click through to review the schools and good luck as you embark on a new career!
(*Additional reporting by Sara Shabtai*)
Click through for our US schools list–no slideshow required.
Sixteen-Year-Old Nayasha Matonhodze is the New Face of Louis Vuitton: The model is one of six up-and-comers shot by Steven Meisel in a Rolls Royce for the Autumn/Winter 2011 ad campaign, ironically featuring a Rolls Royce that Matonhodze is just barely old enough to drive. Do I predict the next Chanel Iman? {Telegraph}
Queen Latifah Does HSN: The actress and spokeswoman will partner with the Home Shopping Network to create a line of moderately-priced clothing and accessories called Queen, debuting in August. It’s friendly to all body types, but don’t you dare call it plus-sized; Latifah wants to “bury that word – this is for all sizes”. {WWD (subscription required)}
Anthropologie Joins Tumblr: The lifestyle brand will launch Etymologie today, a site dedicated to wordplay and creative self-expression. It will base posts around a weekly word, which staffers will interpret their own way with photos, videos, blurbs, etc. They’re going for that whole intellectual angle. {Etymologie}
