parsons paris celebrates its centennial

Paris, France, February 12, 2021 - Since opening its doors in 1921, The New School’s Parsons Paris has brought the best of an American art and design education to its atelier-like campus in Paris, boldly championing its values of equity, inclusion, and social justice while continually evolving and questioning the status quo. Now, Parsons Paris is celebrating its Centennial with a yearlong series of talks, exhibitions, collaborations, and special events to honor its legacy as it looks ahead towards the next century.  The anniversary year coincides with the 125th anniversary of Parsons School of Design in New York City.

Parsons Paris will celebrate its Centennial throughout 2021, with both virtual and physical events and exhibitions scheduled to be held at locations including the MAD, the American Center for Art and Culture, and the Fondation Fiminco in Romainville. 

Collaborations with industry partners will fully embody the values of Parsons Paris through a number of projects, including a partnership with Jacadi and Deutsche Telekom focused on inclusivity; a partnership with The Kooples exploring gender fluidity, environmental sustainability and upcycling; and a partnership with the Fondation Azzedine Alaïa focused on cultural heritage. 

Parsons Paris is also collaborating with L’Officiel on a project exploring the fashion magazine’s extensive archive, in honor of the publisher’s Centennial, also taking place in 2021. The partnership consists of a variety of activities, internships, MA thesis projects and a group collaboration overseen by L’Officiel’s Consulting Global Chief Creative Officer Stefano Tonchi. This marks the very first time that L'Officiel has opened up the magazine’s digital and physical archive for academic study. 

Parsons Paris first-year students will have the opportunity to collaborate with Advisory Board member Alisa Volskaya and her agency AVEC on the creation of a collection of hoodies whose sales proceeds will be donated to an association promoting mental health for young creatives.

Members of the Parsons Paris Advisory Board will also join the Centennial celebration with a series of virtual “fireside chats.” Talks are planned throughout the year, and will include a talk by Gérald Azancot, President of Groupe Fiminco and Fondation Fiminco, on creating a more inclusive, smart and sustainable city, and by Philippe Schaus, CEO of Moët Hennessy, and Sibylle Scherer, President of Chandon, on heritage and innovation. Other speakers include Jimmy Chan, Founder and Chairman of Semeiotics; Gay Gassmann, Contributing Editor at Architectural Digest; and Tim Marshall, Deputy Vice-Chancellor at the College of Design and Social Context and Vice-President of and Professor at RMIT University. 

Parsons Paris faculty members will also share their expertise on various topics, ranging from “Design Against Crime” by Francesco Sebregondi and Lily Hibberd, to an exploration of heritage and immigration with Pascal Nuzzo and guest artist Victoria Abad Kerblat.

Learn more about the history and vibrant community of Parsons Paris, as well as a regularly updated schedule of Centennial events, on www.newschool.edu/parsons-paris.

“The forward-thinking creativity Parsons brought to European design education 100 years ago continues to thrive at Parsons Paris,” says Florence Leclerc-Dickler, Dean of Parsons Paris. “We are constantly challenging our students to forge a new path to a better designed, just, and sustainable future.”