Parsons: 560 Seventh Avenue End of an Era

 WOW! Parsons leaving after so many years in the Garment district. The building itself is a legend. I came to Parsons a year after I continued teaching at Pratt Institute in Brooklyn. I taught at Parsons in 2000 and was hired under the classic, the amazing and the icon, Tim Gunn. He was the most inspiring gentleman I worked for after he left for a big position at Liz Claiborne and for Bravo's hottest show Project Runway, eight years later. I made so many new friends at Parsons. Every Monday for 9 years I would be going to David Schwartz building from 9am to 9pm teaching draping and pattern making.   After 9 years, I left to become full time at Fashion Institute of Technology, but I continued to keep in touch with several former colleagues of mine and former students from Parsons. And there will always be a special place in my heart for Parsons! I Love Parsons!  

  

Under Tim Gunn, He had done so much for Parsons, made everyone feel important and always given the best holiday parties and introduced to everyone like family. I always have a special place in my heart for him when he did so much for me when I needed advice and help.


 After he left Parsons,  Tim Gunn left for Liz Claiborne's  new chief creative officer and for TV's project Runway, he continued to shine from his best selling books to appearing in television and films. He's the best! Make it work, Tim. Make it work! And yes, he made it work! 

 

I have met two brilliant young designers when they were students at Parsons. And now they are the new high end designers of the world known as Cushnie et Ochs. Carly Cushnie and Michelle Ochs, the design duo behind the Womens Ready-to-Wear line have a knack for creating pieces that complement the female form in a sharply tailored way. It is this aesthetic that landed . These young designers are absolute fabulous and I adore them!

I had a talented, young and savvy student in my draping class in the sophomore year. His name is   Brandon Sun, a young designer daring enough to make his New York Fashion Week debuted last season with a fur-centric collection.  I knew in my eyes that he will make it big and I was thrilled to hear how successful he has become. Great personality and flair, he is one of a kind!

Parsons, the fashion and design college, will leave its longtime home in the Garment District in

January 2014! A spokesperson said the school - made famous by the TV show "Project Runway" - will be folded into The New School's new academic hub, which is now under construction at Fifth Avenue and 14th Street, according to a spokesperson.
Meanwhile, Parsons is exploring leasing or selling the David M. Schwartz Fashion Education Building at Seventh Avenue and 40th Street, which has been home to Parsons' fashion programs since 1979. Parsons' main campus is at Fifth Avenue and 13th Street.
It's a major change for the Garment district, where fashion-related businesses have been disappearing for decades.

 

A storied era will come to a close for its main campus building at 560 Seventh Avenue, which is shuttering and was recently sold to developers. In January, returning students will begin classes in The New School’s just-completed, state-of-the-art University Center building at 65 Fifth Avenue. The names of designers who have studied in the classrooms there: Marc Jacobs, Donna Karan, Jason Wu, Isaac Mizrahi, , Anna Sui, Chris Benz, Jeffrey Banks and Carly Cushnie and Michelle Ochs.