Information On The Coronavirus: We continue to monitor and respond to the public health situation regarding COVID-19. Most buildings on our New York campus have closed until further notice. Check the Parsons Paris website for information about our Paris campus. Learn more

  • Fashion Design BFA

    Urban Fashion
    Body positivity

  • Take the Next Step

  • Explore Our Community

    What our students, alumni, and faculty are doing in NYC and worldwide

  • Contact Us

    thinkparsons@newschool.edu
    212.229.5150

    Program Contact
    Neil Gilks, Program Director, Fashion Product and Collection

    Brendan McCarthy, Program Director, Fashion Systems and Materiality

  • Related Links

  • Social

  • The innovative Fashion Design BFA program has trained six generations of designers who have shaped the global industry. Employing design thinking and creative problem-solving strategies, you explore form, silhouette, material, and process — including social and environmental imperatives — to create beautiful, sustainable, responsibly produced fashion for a complex and evolving field. You are encouraged to explore the broadest contexts and applications of fashion.

    Program Highlights

    • Fashion Fundamentals

      Learn to balance hand-making and digital skills with an integrated approach to design, honing your technique as you refine your creative vision.

    • Four Pathways

      Explore four pathways — Collection, Fashion Product, Materiality, and Systems and Society — and develop a specialized, differentiated, personalized approach to fashion design.

    • Purposeful Design

      Design with a focus on innovation and diversity, unlocking the power of apparel to spark systemic positive change in society — particularly in marginalized communities.

    • Industry Collaborations

      Develop your design sensibility in real-world settings through projects with premier partners such as LVMH, Kering, Saks Fifth Avenue, Louis Vuitton, Swarovski, COACH, and Luxottica.

    • Degree Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA)
    • Format Full-time, on campus
    • Credits 120
    • Duration 4 years

  • Curriculum

    Your BFA begins with Parsons’ first-year curriculum, which serves as the academic foundation for all undergraduate programs at Parsons. From your second year on, you dive into courses in your major field of study. You choose one of four pathways: Collection, Materiality, Fashion Product, or Systems and Society. Art and design history and theory courses develop your research, writing, and critical reasoning  skills, and university electives broaden your perspectives.

    Learn more

  • Career Paths

    Graduates of the BFA Fashion Design are ready to play a variety of roles within the professional field of fashion, including design, creative and research practice, styling, visual merchandising, textiles, marketing and public relations, and production.

    Learn more

  • Parsons faculty represent a broad range of expertise and are acknowledged as leading practitioners and scholars in their fields.

  • Student Work

    See Our Work

  • Beyond the Classroom

    • TNS_Website-042015_ALT_Student_Life_014

      Internships

      New York City’s thriving creative industry and cultural institutions are part of your Parsons education. Our Career Services Office is deeply connected to the art and design industries and can help you advance your career with industry-oriented internships.

      Learn More
    • TNS_Website-112713_UN_First_Year_052

      Industry Engagement

      Connect to the organizations, businesses, and entrepreneurs driving global creativity and commerce. In classes, internships, and extracurricular projects, you gain marketable problem-solving skills in sectors ranging from government and nonprofits to tech and creative industries.

      Learn More
    • TNS_Website-091514_Paris_Student_Life_007

      Study Abroad

      Enrich your learning and prepare for work in global contexts with study abroad that exposes you to new perspectives and settings in which to apply your creativity. Our study abroad destinations include, Paris, London, Florence, and more.

      Learn More
    • TNS_Website-20191205_Designing_Chairs_037

      Making & Academic Resources

      Enjoy access to extensive resources including New School libraries, computer labs, archives, and studios, along with Parsons’ state-of-the-art Making Center, facilities offering a broad array of tools to support your creative and academic growth.

      Learn More

  • Related Programs

  • Program News

    • Take The Next Step

    Submit your application

    Undergraduates

    To apply to any of our undergraduate programs (except the Bachelor's Program for Adults and Transfer Students and Parsons Associate of Applied Science programs) complete and submit the Common App online.

    Undergraduate Adult Learners

    To apply to any of our Bachelor's Program for Adults and Transfer Students and Parsons Associate of Applied Science programs, complete and submit the New School Online Application.

    Graduates

    To apply to any of our Master's, Doctoral, Professional Studies Diploma, and Graduate Certificate programs, complete and submit the New School Online Application.