Institute
The Joseph and Gail Gromek Institute for Fashion Business was established with the goal of substantially enhancing the interdisciplinary study of the business of fashion and design at Parsons School of Design. Drawing on the strengths of existing degree programs at Parsons, the institute expands opportunities to educate, train, convene, and support a broad fashion business community at the university.
The institute builds on a curricular suite of management offerings, including the industry-leading Master of Professional Studies in Fashion Management as well as programs at the School of Design Strategies at Parsons. Under the leadership of director Abrima Erwiah, the institute focuses on supporting the development of new and existing co-curricular programs and initiatives.
“My goal is to create a center of learning excellence that goes beyond any border or traditional way of thinking, and disrupts the fashion industry in every possible way,” said Erwiah. “We want to lead the charge in the evolution of the fashion industry and to help prepare the next generation of leaders in fashion business. We want to encourage the business of fashion design by operating as an innovation hub that cross-pollinates across the industry and that creates hybrid programs across disciplines, so that we can work with the best of the best in tech, sustainability, business, design, law, media, manufacturing, retail, and more.”
The institute was created thanks to an $8.5 million gift from Joseph and Gail Gromek in 2019, the largest gift in Parsons’ 125-year history. Joseph R. Gromek has championed innovation and excellence throughout The New School. He is a former chair of the Board of Trustees at The New School and a current member of the board of Parsons School of Design and is an active philanthropist with a history of supporting health and higher education.
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