• Faculty

  • Jacques Agbobly

    Part-Time Faculty

    Email
    jacques@newschool.edu

    Office Location
    L - 2 West 13th Street

    Download vCard

    Jacques Agbobly

    Profile

    Jacques Agbobly is a designer, educator, and founder of the fashion label Agbobly. Born in Togo and raised in Chicago, his work is deeply rooted in storytelling, memory, and identity, weaving together West African visual culture with sculptural, expressive design. Trained at Parsons School of Design, Jacques brings a background shaped by personal history—his early years spent observing seamstresses in his grandmother’s home—to a practice that spans knitwear and ready-to-wear. Through his brand, he challenges fashion norms with pieces that center Black, queer, and immigrant narratives while celebrating color, craft, and community. Jacques is passionate about fostering inclusive creative spaces and equipping the next generation of designers with tools to lead with both skill and vision.

    Degrees Held

    BFA Fashion Design

    Professional Affiliation

    • Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) – CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund Finalist (2022); recognized member of the American fashion design community

    • Parsons School of Design Alumni Association – BFA graduate and active alum

    • LVMH Prize Network – Semi-finalist, connected to global network of emerging designers

    • The Met Costume Institute – Featured designer in the 2025 exhibition Superfine: Tailoring Black Style

    • WWD Honors – Received the inaugural "One to Watch" Award

    Research Interests

    Identity, storytelling, knitwear, West African textiles, cultural memory, queer fashion, immigrant narratives, fashion history, community-centered design, Black style, craft, sustainability, slow fashion, textile innovation

    Portfolio

    Website

    Future Courses

    Creative Technical Studio 1
    PUFD 2240, Fall 2025

    Thesis 1
    PUFD 4220, Fall 2025

    Thesis 2
    PUFD 4221, Spring 2026

  • 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.