For Immediate Release, September 25, 2000
Contact: Gloria Gottschalk, New School University
             (212) 229-5667, ext. 239
              Carole Schaffer, Parsons School of Design
              (212)229-8950

Michael Vollbracht, illustrator, designer, and artist, will be featured in an exhibition at Parsons School of Design from October 30 – November 3 celebrating his diverse and creative career. Mr. Vollbracht’s new book, Nothing Sacred (published by Rizzoli), is a rich, visual record of his creative ideas and sketches, as well as his experiences with celebrities from Bette Davis to Elizabeth Taylor.

The exhibition will be at the Parsons Exhibition Gallery located at Parsons at 66 Fifth Avenue, NYC. Hours are Monday – Saturday, 9 AM – 9 PM. For further information on this exhibition, call (212) 229-8987. For further information on Parsons School of Design, call (212) 229-8910.

A graduate of Parsons School of Design (Class of 1969), Mr. Vollbracht’s career took off when he won the Norman Norrell Award for his senior project and the J.C. Penney award for children’s clothing. He worked for designer Geoffrey Beene on the Linda Bird Johnson wedding wardrobe.

Mr. Vollbracht went on to design his own collection, winning the prestigious Coty Award in 1980. Along the way, he became known for his Bloomingdale’s shopping bag design. He has had a career that has spanned fashion, illustration, interior design, and publishing. Influenced by his love of film and the celebrity world, the fashion shows he produced were more than fantastic clothing. He created a world of show business excitement and people-watching. His sketches and collages of such celebrities were seen for nearly a decade in The New Yorker.

A selection of these images is included in his new Rizzoli book, Nothing Sacred. It is a visual diary of glamorous personalities in the worlds of fashion, stage and screen. His personal and very privileged view is rich with both stories and sketches about such celebrities as Joan Crawford, Gaultier, Madonna, Johnny Carson, Coco Chanel, Elvis Presley, Calvin Klein, Marlene Dietrich, Andy Warhol, Bette Davis, Divine, Joan Rivers, and Elizabeth Taylor.

Parsons Exhibitions program is comprised of two galleries, open to the public, with scheduled year-round exhibitions by outside artists and designers, Parsons School of Design faculty members, students and alumni. The Exhibition Program at Parsons demonstrates the School’s commitment to excellence and innovation in art and design.