We had the chance to interview Alexandra Helminger from Parsons Paris who teaches Fashion Design Process. Our programs at Parsons Paris allow students to experience Paris from an insider’s perspective by exploring the history of European art and design firsthand in the many museums and design studios throughout Paris.
The program is open to all students who wish to deepen their art and design knowledge and develop their skills in a rigorous academic environment. You can learn more about that program here.
(API) What is the working and learning environment like for the Fashion Design Process course (are students working independently, collaboratively, one-on-one?) What is a typical day in class like?
This course introduces 2D and 3D techniques that the student can apply to the process of creating their own unique fashion collection. Individual and collaborative projects allow the students to explore fashion concepts, research and fabrication methods, different approaches to color, and Paris’s unique resources as a global fashion capital.
The course comprises weekly discussions, group critics and field trips around Paris in order to find inspiration for final projects.
(API) What kinds of unique learning experiences will a student have by going to Parsons Paris this summer?
At the Parsons Paris summer course, students will experience Paris from an insider´s perspective through the many facets of art, design, fashion, and photography firsthand throughout Paris.
The Parsons Paris campus is home to an international community of students, fostering new encounters, and encouraging students from the different courses to exchange ideas and experiences.
(API) What advice would you give to a student considering a summer study program at Parsons Paris?
Explore the culture, history, and the artistic flair of the city. Meet students with diverse cultural backgrounds and learn from their experiences. Develop your skills, deepen your knowledge and, most importantly, have fun!
(API) What about Paris itself are you most excited to share with newcomers?
My favorite way to explore the city is by taking long walks – aimlessly strolling through the streets and along the Seine, using current-day Paris as my creative laboratory. All throughout Paris, you can discover historic sites, parks, and a huge number of art and fashion museums and galleries such as the Louvre, the Centre Pompidou, the Palais de Tokyo, Musée Galliera, Les Arts Décoratifs – to name just a few!
Above all, I would like to share the experience of daily life in this wonderful city; exploring the food, the culture, the people and observing how it all comes together in the streets of Paris, becoming a performance in itself.
