Author | Christiane Nickel | Fashion Editor
Photography courtesy of Parsons
Graduation season is in full force in New York and all over the country. There are flocks of black, purple, light blue, cloaks flooding the streets en route to a graduation ceremony or a restaurant. For buyers, designers, and fashion PR firms this is an especially exciting season to see the final thesis works for potential talent to cull from. One exceptional highlight from all of the student shows is the Parson’s Beyond student fashion show and exhibition, an extensive collection of some exceptional works from students of the AAS (Associate in Applied Science) program as well as juniors from the BFA (Bachelor of Fine Arts) program chosen from Parsons professors. Beyond turned out to be an unparalleled success as Simon Collins, Dean of Parsons, remarked: “The most important aspect for me is the diversity of the talent. Some years back the aesthetic seemed rather homogenous; but here you see an absolute spectrum of talent. There are always outstanding pieces, where students have honed their skills and streamlined their concepts.”
Gayatri Jolly, co-leader of the Parson’s Fashion Council, helped organized the show and I had the exciting opportunity to speak with her about the process, evolution and her foresight for next year’s exhibition:
What is your role in the show and how did the process of planning and executing?
As one of the co-leaders of the Parsons Fashion Council, I was involved in the PR activities and the curation of the show. In addition to that, I helped facilitate the selection of the students by the professors in the AAS (Associates in Applied Sciences) Fashion Design program. There is some phenomenal talent in this program with great potential that deserves more exposure. This show was meant to contribute to that vision.
The selection was based on student work created during the course of this past semester. Each professor teaching intermediate or advanced level Construction and Fashion Techniques classes were asked to select some of the strongest student work. Some of the fashion techniques classes include couture, lingerie, knits, leather and avant-garde. This is the first year that a lingerie techniques class has been introduced and it was great to have some fantastic pieces with impeccable workmanship in that sphere, given the challenging nature.
How does this year’s show compare to last?
This is my first year organizing this show. Previously, it was only for the juniors of the BFA program and it used to be a runway show. The past couple of times, it has been organized in an exhibition format i.e. a static fashion show for both AAS and BFA students. This was the first time that we had a live Jazz band called “For trees and birds” playing alongside the mannequins. We are thrilled with the turnout this year despite it being a long weekend following graduation for most colleges in the area. We had great footfall, which led to many inquiries and curiosity regarding the work of the designers. Simon Collins, Dean of the Fashion School, Yvonne Watson, Associate Dean, Andrew Sia, Founder of Intimate Apparel Journal, Francesca Sammaritano, Kichi Ogawa, Julia Poteate, Larisa Losilevich, Markus Huemer and many other faculty members were some of the attendees of this show. We are thankful to them for their motivating presence. We thank the family and friends of the participants for their support throughout the semester and for attending.
Was there a common thread in terms of themes or inspirations?
Every designer has their own learning, inspiration, process and presentation and we don’t interfere with that process. Once the pieces are collected we curate the show together. At this point, we are thinking of how the viewer would transition from one piece to another and hence we place them in the space to best represent the varied talents.
Some themes that we noticed were that young designers have taken to boxy silhouettes which makes us feel less committal in terms of bodily shape and form. However, as always it is a mixed bag and therefore there were several traditional silhouettes interpreted in a plethora of ways as well. It was indeed fascinating to see the tasteful modern take on men’s tailored clothing and the balance of conceptual as well as ready-to-wear garments within that realm and otherwise.
Designers were not afraid to explore challenging fabric choices and techniques such as dyeing, foiling, corsetry, hand and machine knitting, appliqué of lace and other patchwork, embroidery, and heat pressing with a variety of materials.
Another theme that was noticed was that designers were playful in combining fabrics of different weights and texture to add an element of romance and surprise. Lace was used in many traditional and non-traditional ways. Ivan Tuskan (AAS menswear designer of the year, 2014) used lace to make a bomber jacket to give it a sporty demeanor and Angie Chuang combined metallic lace with a metallic gold poly fabric for a RTW runway collection that included dresses, bustiers and shorts. There were several sexy lingerie pieces with lace appliqué that spoke to their traditional use as a ‘feminine’ intimate apparel choice of trim.
What were some of the stronger pieces and looks that we’re well received?
At the risk of sounding biased, I will say that there was no one or two pieces that were received better than the others. The diversity and variety of the pieces was testament to a true Parsons class of students, leading to the array of responses from the audience each of them generated. In my experience, people are drawn to pieces they most aspire to wear or aspire to create and that is a very personal experience that cannot be generalized.
In terms of women’s wear what were notable looks, themes or interesting silhouettes?
One women’s wear designer that was particularly impressive was Angie Chuang. She was inspired by the effects of bombing and radiation on barren land and illustrated this through the use of lace, tulle and pleating. ” I used metallic lace to represent fissures on affected land and I imagined the lace creeping and infecting the rest of the dress. I wanted the dress to have a broken feeling to portray the destructiveness of radiation. The aesthetic I was going for was a haunted and destroyed beauty,” explains Chuang. This was done by using lace and pleating of the fabric by hand. There was a boned bustier inside the dress and layers of tulle were inserted to add volume.
In terms of menswear what were notable looks, themes or interesting silhouettes?
Yushi Hida’s innovative menswear collection was based on the theme of severity and leniency. Leniency was expressed through the softness, drape and curves, while severity is referred to by straight edges, crisp contours and pattern-making. Knit fabrics and chiffon were used to depict the theme of lightness whereas wool (suiting) and leather were used for rigidity. The “lenient” pieces were draped whereas the more severe elements like a black jacket which was made by a pattern was divided into over 350 parts and reconstructed. Similar to this a pair black of pants was constructed through a pattern of over 400 same shape pieces. This collection showed foresight, meticulousness and the designer’s strength in technical skills of pattern-making and draping.
What are your plans for next year?
We are working towards a runway format for this show next year but I cannot say that with any certainty right now. And of course, cutting edge design and innovation by Parsons’ students that has been on the forefront of the New York Fashion scene for years.
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