Students in two Parsons Paris programs recently joined together for Savoy Faire, a collaborative project with Borbonese, one of Italy’s oldest and most esteemed fashion brands. The students worked with a cooperative of female artisans in Sardinia who weave traditional textiles using ancestral techniques that explored the resilience of local practices and identities in the context of today’s global world.

BFA Fashion Design students then worked in pairs to design a concept for a new Borbonese bag, using handmade items from Sardinia, given to them as study objects, as their primary inspiration. The selected bag is slated to be produced in Italy and featured in the Borbonese Fall/Winter 2021 collection. It will also give rise to a new capsule collection that will include accessories and ready-to-wear garments.

Simultaneously, teams of BBA Strategic Design and Management students analyzed Borbonese’s advertising and positioning methods and each developed a strategic plan to launch the brand in new international markets. They also collaborated with the designers to develop a global marketing strategy for the capsule collection. The team with the most innovative proposal will be awarded an internship in Borbonese’s Milan communications department.

Students worked closely with the Borbonese team discussing the artistic, strategic and technical foundations of their work, gaining insights into both the creative and business sides of the brand.

This project, which was featured on Vogue Italia and Fashion Network, is an example of the cross-functional collaboration that often occurs between students in different Parsons Paris programs, enabling them to transcend disciplinary boundaries and gain valuable insights from one another. Francesca Mambrini, owner of Borbonese, echoed the benefits of this collaboration, saying, “A real dialogue with the new generations can be established only by having a concrete exchange with them.”