Attending the Thesis Collections Presentations at Parsons was a great experience, from which I believe a learned a lot. If Parsons is any indicator of what's going on in the New York fashion industry, then what we've been told about it is mostly true, and not at all just a bunch of clichés: New York fashion is mostly based on sales figures and productivity, and design students are taught that from the start. Clearly, many of them played it safe when it came to colors and fabrics, experimenting with shapes instead.
I thought their collections' level was incredible: most of the clothes could have been boutique-ready, and the young creators were all but naive about them. They knew all about their garments, from specific terminology to fabrics' specifications, and when asked further questions about production, retail prices and customers, they would not find themselves unprepared and kept a professional profile.
What really caught my attention, however, was how from some very abstract inspirations, most students could still develop collections that were made to sell: from architecture to literature, the public could see ideas and concepts come to life in the shape of beautifully constructed garments, often ready to hit the stores.
This shows a lot not only about the professional attitude of the young New Yorkers, but also of their creativity, and how the school channels it into a productive process. My opinion is that New York fashion may be made to sell in a way creative Londoners do not accept easily, but it is fashion one would want to wear, it mixes desirability with creativity with success, and I believe this is what clothes should always be about.
For what concerns the project itself, it was a great pleasure to be a part of it, as I believe experiencing first-hand is the best way to learn. In fact, I was told a million times by many sources how New York fashion was all about business, but what did I know about what really was behind it? It was only by getting on that plane and in that Parsons auditorium, listening to those students' efforts and ideas development and then to the panel's comments and criticism that I really understood what lies behind a successful design process and what brings a dress on sale at Barney's and leaves a hundred other models dusting in a designer's studio.
What I felt the project was at time lacking was an official nature: the designers were obviously living their big moment, and the E/P project was probably the last thing on their mind at the time. Probably an official get-together and a more defined agenda would have helped us journalists get even closer to the designers and explore their work and creative process better.
