Contacts:
Gloria Gottschalk, New School University
212-229-5667, ext. 239
[email protected]
Lauren Erlichman, New School University
212-229-5667, ext. 215
[email protected]
Carole Schaffer, Parsons School of Design
212/229-5314
[email protected]
PARSONS SCHOOL OF DESIGN APPOINTS
TIMOTHY GUNN AS CHAIR OF FASHION DESIGN DEPARTMENT
(New York, NY - December 18, 2001) Parsons School of Design, a
division of New School University, has appointed Timothy Gunn as Chair of the
Fashion Design department at Parsons School of Design for a term of three years.
Mr. Gunn recently completed a one-year term as Acting Chair of the Fashion Design
department.
Mr. Gunn has had a long distinguished career at Parsons since
he first arrived in 1983. He came to Parsons as Assistant Director of Admissions
and was appointed Director of Admissions in 1986. In that time, he brought professionalism,
high standards, and a complete understanding of art and design to the process
of selecting qualified students to attend Parsons. In 1990, he was appointed
Associate Dean of Parsons, bringing his knowledge of enrollment issues to the
broader arena of academic and strategic planning. As Associate Dean, he was
instrumental in establishing and monitoring Parsons' affiliate schools
in France, Japan, South Korea, and the Dominican Republic. He also has played
a key role in the annual Fashion Critics Awards Benefit, Parsons' most
visible public arena for high design standards. The Benefit, which is attended
by leaders in the Fashion Industry, showcases the work of graduating students.
During his term as Acting Chair, Mr. Gunn addressed major issues
affecting the department and undertook an examination of the curriculum. His
improvements to the curriculum included: a retooling of the "Fashion Industry"
class to place design in the broader context of forecasting, manufacturing,
marketing and retail; implementing "Contemporary Business Contexts"
as a new senior year requirement; and consultation with Steve Kroeter, Design
and Management Chair, to develop new courses to address the business aspect
of design. Mr. Gunn also developed a three-semester sequence of fashion-related
design history courses, and hired Women's Wear and Harper's
Bazaar veteran, June Weir, to teach and coordinate design history.
Mr. Gunn is on the Board of the Fashion Avenue Business Improvement
District (BID), where he also serves on the Fashion Walk-of-Fame subcommittee.
He holds a B.A. degree from Yale University and a B.F.A. from the Corcoran School.
Key elements of the B.F.A. Fashion Design curriculum are problem
solving, research, critical thinking, design illustration, and fabrication.
Core courses address markets from moderate to designer and private labels. Intensive
workshops in textile development, knitting, accessories are among many others
that are offered throughout the year. In addition, top designers and industry
leaders serve as critics offering students guidance, feedback and direction
for their thesis content and development. The senior year of the B.F.A. program
culminates in the Department's annual fashion benefit show, a runway presentation
of the best student work.
Celebrated alumni of the Parsons Fashion Design program include: Claire McCardell,
Donna Karan, Tom Ford, Marc Jacobs, Isaac Mizrahi, Mark Badgley and James Mischka,
Albert Capraro, Anna Sui, Narciso Rodriguez, Jeffrey Banks, Cynthia Steffe,
among others.
Parsons also offers a two-year A.A.S. degree in Fashion with a curricular focus on the technical aspects of the apparel industry.
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Parsons School of Design, a division of New School
University, is one of the largest degree-granting colleges of art and design
in the nation. Currently enrolled are about 2,400 undergraduate students, 380
graduate students, and 2,500 non-degree students from all 50 of the United States
and from 60 countries. Parsons' main campuses are located in New York City's
Greenwich Village and Midtown Manhattan. In addition, Parsons has affiliate
schools in Paris, France; Kanazawa, Japan; Seoul, South Korea; and the Dominican
Republic. Undergraduate degrees are offered in Architectural Design, Communication
Design, Design and Management, Fashion Design, Fine Arts, Illustration, Integrated
Design Curriculum, Interior Design, Photography, and Product Design. Graduate
degrees are granted in Architecture, Design and Technology, Lighting Design,
Painting, Sculpture, and the History of Decorative Arts. For further information
on Parsons, call 212/229-8910 or go to the Web site at www.parsons.edu.
New School University, with 7,000 matriculated students
and 25,000 continuing education students, is comprised of seven academic divisions:
The New School, the Graduate Faculty of Political and Social Science, Parsons
School of Design, Eugene Lang College, Mannes College of Music, the Robert J.
Milano Graduate School of Management and Urban Policy, and the Actors Studio
Drama School, as well as the University's B.F.A. in Jazz and Contemporary Music.
New School Online University offers one of the largest selections of online
courses in the nation. For further information about admission to New School
University, call 877-528-3321 or go to the Web site at www.newschool.edu