Faculty

Profile

Parsons Graduate Max Wilson has an extensive background in the Fashion Industry and has been teaching in the BFA and AAS programs since 2005.

He is a dynamic and creative design executive with a proven track record in pioneering cutting-edge modern designs, implementing luxury lifestyle brands, coordinating international resources, and managing design staff.

• Mastered his craft by working very closely on the design teams with the most powerful and prestigious names in fashion, including Mr. Calvin Klein and Ralph Lauren in developing all aspects of their runway collections.

• Revolutionized and executed multimillion dollar lines as an upper-echelon executive, including as the Ralph Lauren Collection’s first Vice President of Women’s Design (11 years) and as Senior Designer at Calvin Klein Collection.

• Developed a powerful working experience with a broad range of markets and disciplines, including developing and designing exclusive custom-woven textiles in Europe and Asia, sweaters, fabric manipulation, embroidery, beading and craft for all categories of clothing. • Utilized his skills as an innovative fashion-industry leader to conceptualize and launch new and reinvigorated lines as the Vice President, Women’s Design for Sean John and as Creative Director for Dana Buchman.  

Sharing his expertise as Assiatant Professor at Parsons School of Design where he has taught Design Studio 1 in the BFA program, Core 1 in the AAS program and Creative Careers: Recitation.    

Instructed Senior and Sophomore Level BFA students in all aspects of Fashion Design, including: design concepts, inspiration, line development, illustration, merchandising, current events, social media, portfolio development., color and fabrication, fabric manipulation, textiles, draping as well as other innovative approaches to 2D, 3D and 4D media.  

Taught Senior Thesis Design/Integrated Studio Class in BFA Program 2005-2015. Had two students nominated for Designer of the Year semi-finalists for 2015.  

*Top students instructed in my Senior class have won the coveted “Student of the Year” award two years in a row!  

Taught inaugural 2014 External Projects Class in BFA Program for Banana Republic, Gap, Joes’s Blackbook, CFDA Geoffrey Beene and Liz Claiborne competitions.

Two students chosen for Gap Competition and one student chosen to represent Parsons for Geoffrey Beene and Liz Claiborne Competitions for CFDA from External Projects class.

Two students from External Projects class have been chosen as winners of the Gap Competition to work as interns. One student chosen from External Projects class as winner of Banana Republic internship competition.

Fall 2014 taught Fashion Design IND in the AAS program. Sring 2016 taught Fashion Industry Profiles in the AAS program.

Some students form my Senior Thesis classes include Mia Wright-Ross of MWR Collection, Danielle Frankel and Jovanna Mullins of Alivia.

Performances and Appearances

 In  June 2014 Curated “The best of New York” costume exhibition for the Museum of Fashion in Miami, Florida. Conceived, designed and assembled comprehensive show highlighting iconic clothing from top New York Designers, such as Halston, Donna Karan, Bill Blass, Perry Ellis, Oscar De La Renta, Ralph Lauren and many others from a selection of over 1,000 rare vintage garments and accessories chosen and edited from the vast archives of Gallery Owner and Vintage Dealer, Keni Valenti.  

His designs while at Ralph Lauren have appeared in such exhibitions  at  the Metrpolitan Museum of Art as "Designer as Muse" and "Jacqueline De Ribes: The Art of Style".