PARSONS HONORS REED KRAKOFF AT 2011 FASHION BENEFIT

Event Also Pays Tribute to Industry Leaders Arnold Aronson and Marvin Traub And Features Runway Show of Top Student Collections

Reed Krakoff with Parsons leadesrhip Simon Collins, Sheila Johnson and Joel Towers

NEW YORK, May 10, 2010—Last evening, Parsons The New School for Design presented its annual Parsons Fashion Benefit at Pier Sixty, Chelsea Piers. The event honored Parsons alumnus and board member Reed Krakoff, President and Executive Creative Director of Coach and Reed Krakoff, and also paid special tribute to industry leaders Arnold Aronson and Marvin Traub. Glenda Bailey presented Krakoff with his award, while Parsons alumnus Prabal Gurung introduced a fashion show of the top student collections. For the first time, the event was simulcast globally, with additional events taking place in Asia and Latin America.

The benefit raised more than $1.5 million funds for programs and scholarships at Parsons, a global leader in design education in a range of art and design disciplines. Among the other guests at the event were Parsons alumni Narcisco Rodriguez, Behnaz Sarafpour, Peter Som; and Jenna Lyons; Simon Doonan and Jonathan Adler; Steven Kolb, China Chow and Julie Gilhart. At the event, Parsons Executive Dean Joel Towers also announced the establishment of the Reed Krakoff for Coach Scholarship through a gift from Coach, Inc. The endowed scholarship will benefit fashion design students at Parsons with an interest in accessory design.

"Throughout the years, Reed's support of Parsons has been unparalleled. When I first met Reed, I was struck by his enthusiasm for our students, and for helping Parsons to cultivate the design talent of tomorrow" said Towers. "His understanding of how to build a brand that resonates with contemporary audiences is an inspiration for our students."

A designer whose work embodies modern American fashion, Krakoff began his career at Anne Klein and Ralph Lauren, and currently serves as president and executive creative director of the iconic accessories brand, Coach. In this capacity, he has been recognized for revitalizing the brand's image in his role overseeing design, store concept, marketing and worldwide positioning. Krakoff recently launched an eponymous line of women's ready-to-wear clothing, handbags and shoes in the tradition of great American sportswear design.

"Parsons prepared me with the tools to succeed in this business," said Krakoff. "Not just a mastery of the technical skills of design, but an understanding of the social, economic and cultural threads that make fashion such a phenomenon. It is rewarding to support Parsons efforts to provide aspiring designers with access to education, an invaluable investment in their future."

Krakoff's contributions to the industry have been recognized with such distinctions as being elected vice president of the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) and the CFDA award for Accessories Designer of the Year (given to him in both 2001 and 2004 for his Coach designs). He is also a photographer whose work has been exhibited in New York and Tokyo and has appeared in magazines including Elle Décor, Town & Country, and Interview. He has also published several books of his photography, including Claude & François-Xavier Lalanne, Fighter: The Ultimate Fighters of the UFC, and the forthcoming Mattia Bonetti.

Krakoff is a passionate patron and supporter of the arts and is closely involved with the Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum and the Whitney Museum of American Art. In addition to his serving on the board at Parsons, he is also a mentor to young designers participating in the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund.

At the event, Parsons paid tribute to longtime benefit leaders Arnold Aronson and Marvin Traub. "Arnold and Marvin are living legends in the fashion industry," said Towers. "For more than 30 years, Marvin and Arnold have been the driving force behind the Parsons Benefit, helping us to raise millions of dollars in scholarship funds since they first became involved with this event."

Aronson and Traub are both past benefit honorees (1980 and '81 respectively), and both are hardworking members of the Parsons board of governors. Traub is the former CEO and president of Bloomingdale's, who led that American retail giant for 22 years, and currently is chairman of Marvin Traub Associates, the marketing and retail consulting firm he founded in 1992. Aronson began his career at Bloomingdale's, where Traub was one of his first bosses, and rose to become CEO of Saks Fifth Avenue and then CEO of its parent company, the Batus Retail Group. Arnold also remains active in industry, as a managing director of the management consultancy, Kurt Salmon.

A highlight of the benefit was the runway show of the top collections of the graduating students, including Designer of the Year. The Designers of the Year in children's wear, menswear and women's wear were announced by Simon Collins, dean of the school of fashion at Parsons, and Sheila Johnson, Parsons board chair. The winning designers are Women's Wear Designer of the Year David Ferron, 22, of Unionville, Pennsylvania; Menswear Designer of the Year T. Young Hwang, 30, of Seoul, South Korea; and Children's Wear Designer of the Year Serena Chang, 21, of Tucson, Arizona.

"The thesis collections are the culmination of four years of intensive study at Parsons, and represents the personal design vision of these designers" said Collins. The yearlong process encourages innovation and experimentation, beginning with the submission of sketches, development of prototypes, and months of intensive construction, fittings and assessment. It culminates with student presentations to panels of industry professionals, which this year included Krakoff as well as Carol Lim and Humberto Leon of Opening Ceremony; Parsons alumnae Lisa Maycock '03 and Sophie Buhai '03 of Vena Cava; Parsons alumna Jenna Lyons '90 of J Crew; Gloria Baume of Teen Vogue; Steven Kolb of the CFDA; Linda Fargo of Bergdorf Goodman; and Colleen Sherin of Saks Fifth Avenue. In addition to the runway show, the event included an exhibition of work produced through sponsored projects with companies including AirDye, Coach, MCM International, Saga Fur, The Shoe Polytechnic, and Under Armour.

Sponsors of the Fashion Show include AirDye, Amicale, House Casting, MAC, Ric Pipino, Solstiss, Saga, and Swarovski. To view a video of the event, visit the Parsons Benefit website.

Parsons Festival
The BFA Fashion Show is a highlight of the first annual Parsons Festival, running May 7 through 23. A showcase for the creativity and talent found throughout Parsons, the festival includes exhibitions, thought-provoking public programs, interactive installations, and other events. This includes Parsons Five-Sixty 7th, a static exhibition of work from the School of Fashion at Parsons, on view May 12-18. In addition, the collections show on the runway will be on view in the windows of the flagship Saks Fifth Avenue on Fifth Avenue from May 17-31. For more information, visit www.newschool.edu/parsonsfestival.

EDITOR'S NOTES:
There will be a reception for press and industry VIPs of the Parsons Five Sixty 7th exhibition on May 19, for more information and to RSVP contact Deborah Kirschner at 212.229.5667 x4310 or [email protected].

For a press kit of the runway show, and profiles of the student designers, please download the press kit.

For a full set of event images, please visit the Patrick McMullan website or contact Deborah Kirschner at 212.229.5667 x4310 or [email protected].