the new school's parsons school of design and swarovski announce new partnership

November 7, 2019, New York - The New School’s Parsons School of Design and Swarovski today announced the launch of a dynamic new partnership that challenges students to reimagine the future of fashion design, materiality and sustainability through conscious, human-centered, systems design approaches.

Within the partnership, an innovative core studio course will be taught as part of the undergraduate ‘Fashion Design Systems & Society’ and ‘Materiality’ programs in the School of Fashion to support the development of the next generation of conscious fashion designers at Parsons.

“We are proud to partner with Swarovski, a global design brand at the forefront of creating sustainable change,” said Burak Cakmak, Dean of Fashion at Parsons School of Design. “At Parsons, we are educating the next generation of conscious designers and critical thinkers to leverage the power of fashion design to affect positive social and environmental change. We are excited to collaborate with Swarovski, a brand whose mission and values align with our own.”

In the 15-week, core Fashion Systems/Materiality hybrid studio course, students will engage deeply with Swarovski’s Conscious Design principles, which nurture designers to contribute to a more sustainable industry, as well as the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals to foster collaboration, create positive impact, and drive lasting change in the fashion industry.

Students will investigate innovative, circular strategies through a deep exploration of Swarovski crystals, material production processes and real business challenges. Through these explorations and close collaboration with the Swarovski team, students will generate new types of models and outcomes for fashion that can positively impact our world.

The course will be led by Parsons School of Fashion undergraduate Fashion Design Program Co-Directors, Brendan McCarthy and Neil Gilks, Parsons Professors Neil Grotzinger and Amanda Brown and Head of Sustainability and the Swarovski Foundation, Lindsay Kordik.

Nadja Swarovski, Member of the Swarovski Executive Board, commented: “As a brand with longstanding commitments to sustainability and to supporting emerging creative talent, we are delighted to announce the latest evolution of our partnership with Parsons School of Design, which integrates of our responsible design learning within the Fashion Systems and Materiality programs. Aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals, this project provides an exciting pathway for future innovation in sustainable fashion.”

Swarovski’s history of support for design education dates back to its partnership with London’s Central Saint Martins in 2001, followed by a further partnership with Parsons from 2013 onwards. Swarovski’s efforts resonate with Parsons’ dedication to innovation in design education through partnering with leading brands and designers to address real world challenges.