Parsons Alumni for Swarovski

Being a student at Parsons has its perks- especially when given the opportunity to have your own designs shown at big name company exhibitions like Swarovski. Recently, Parsons alumni were given the amazing opportunity to essentially work with Swarovski, entering a contest in which they design jewelry and accessories. “Accessories Design has always been a strong area of interest for our students, and we are excited to partner with leading companies such as Swarovski Elements to provide them with unparalleled access to the best resources and industry connections,” said Simon Collins, Dean of the School of Fashion at Parsons. “These types of projects also benefit the industry by tapping into the creativity and innovation of our students, which will be apparent at today’s trends presentation and competition announcement.”

The contest was based on the five trends for Swarovski Elements Autumn/Winter 2012/13 “CITIES.” The design inspiration for this line was based off of the concept of “urban life.” The trend analysts at Swarovski Elements have identified five new moods that riff on a city theme. These were moods that were thought to exert a powerful impact on the design world in particular. These cities include Chicago (Classic), Copenhagen (Harmony), Shanghai (Romantic), Berlin (Progressive), and Istanbul (Glamour).  All five cities harbor selective modes of influence on the world of design in moments in time.

A total of 23 accessory designs made it onto the shortlist in the competition. The completed designs were exhibited at the launch presentation of the Swarovski Elements Trends at the David M. Schwartz Fashion Education Center at Parsons The New School for Design on October 4^th, 2011. Yu Jin Lee, the grand prize winner of the competition, was awarded $1,500, as well as an additional $1,000 from Swarovski Elements to be used to create her next collection. Additionally, both first prize and runner-up designs from Jennifer Rubin and Gousche Kim will be exhibited at the Swarovski Creative Service Center during the Autumn/Winter 2012/13 business launch event, as well as at the Swarovski Crystallized Concept Store in New York City for two weeks in October/November 2011. These students will also receive a $200 gift card from the Swarovski Crystallized Concept store.

Through this competition, Swarovski Elements continues its goal to amaze and inspire tomorrow’s designers, nurture young talent, and provide them with unique opportunities to build their own careers in design.