Our brains may be in “holiday mode,” but it’s never too early to start thinking about summer plans! Today we’re diving in to one of API’s most popular and competitive programs, the Art and Design Summer Program at Parsons Paris – The New School.
Established in 1921, Parsons Paris is a globally acclaimed art and design school. Leading industry professionals from the world’s two fashion capitals (New York and Paris) teach in intimate classroom settings. Among the prestigious faculty in the world of art and design is fashion designer Yong Andersson and artist Jason Glasser. (We’ll be posting interviews with both of these artists (& others) soon on the blog, so be sure to check back!)
Parsons Paris provides Art and Design students with the opportunity to take a hands-on approach to their education. These courses are designed to give students an upper hand, with tangible experience that can be added to your portfolio or resume. Our 2019 Summer 1 program runs May 31st-June 22nd, which is a truly beautiful time of year to visit France. Let’s take a look at this year’s Summer I courses:
The Business of Fashion
Immerse yourself in fashion and management strategies with this afternoon seminar course! Explore how innovation, design, marketing and production come together in the fashion industry. In addition, this fantastic course dives into the history of Paris’ high-end fashion market; from the life of Coco Chanel to the beginnings of Hermes (which has been around for more than 100 years!). Discover how big names like Louis Vuitton went from small businesses to fashion giants! Students also have the chance to visit some of the city’s luxury stores and showrooms as they gain an overall understanding of today’s fashion business.
Paris Photo Course
Get ready to get out of the classroom and into the streets of Paris! Students spend afternoons at on-site photo shoots in some of Paris’ most iconic neighborhoods. In addition, students learn technical exercises on natural and artificial lighting, efficient use of lenses and camera settings, editing and more. There’s also the opportunity to attend photo exhibitions to gain inspiration and insight from photographers around the world. Students must have a DSLR digital camera.
Fashion Design Process
This is a fantastic hands-on class for students who want to take their fashion concepts from ideas to reality! Students devise innovative 2D and 3D production methods for fashion pieces, both in individual projects and as a group. The course goes much further as well by teaching students valuable concepts on branding and merchandising. It’s the absolute best place to explore what the day-to-day schedule of a fashion designer is like!
Strategic Brand Design
Art and design students can dive in to how design functions every day in the business world with this popular morning seminar course. It’s aimed at helping students understand the role designers play in today’s industries. Students research how brands help businesses face global challenges and learn how brands “Disrupt / Simplify / Engage / Humanize” their way to the company’s success. Students will examine a number of case studies to focus on the implication of branding and packaging for today’s society. They also have the chance to develop new ‘brands’ and reinvent forms of ‘packaging’ that constitute strategic design communication.
Why choose Summer I?
If these prestigious course options aren’t enough, consider this: Paris in June is an absolute dream! As the weather warms, Parisians flock to the streets to enjoy the beautiful outdoors. Cafes, parks, and street corners are filled with families enjoying the sunshine! There is also ALWAYS something going on. For example, our Summer I program coincides with Fête de la Musique, a day-long music celebration that takes over all of Paris! In their free time, students will have no problem finding something to do or getting out to see more of the city.
When you choose to enroll in Parsons Paris’ Art and Design Program with API, you’re also choosing to get the very most out of your money.
Our fantastic Resident Directors, Rose, Yune & Allison take students on excursions to beautiful places like the Sacré-Cœur and the Arc de Triomphe. In addition to covering the beautiful “tourist spots,” Rose, Yune and Allison also help students learn more about the Parisian way of life through cheese tastings, cooking classes, and other cultural activities. Our alumni have said these events have been some of their favorites from the semester!
For Summer I students in our Art and Design Program, students live in shared apartments throughout Paris. A metro pass is also included. Additionally, students can choose to opt out of program housing for a deduction from the program cost.
The Art and Design Summer Program at Parsons Paris program is one of our most popular summer programs, so we recommend you get that application finished quickly if you want to have an unforgettable summer!
