The School of Fashion at The New School’s Parsons School of Design, in collaboration with WWD, the leading source of news and analysis for the fashion, beauty, and retail industries, and the New York-based education platform Yellowbrick, today announced Fashion Business Essentials, a program that offers a deep exploration into the innovation and changes happening across the Fashion business; including effective uses of information technology, strategic business planning, decision-making, planning management, brand development, and effective communications within organizations.
Learners who complete the program will earn a non-credit Completion Certificate from Parsons and will gain a full understanding of key roles, skills, and functions to be successful in the fashion industry. All course materials and instruction will be provided online, enabling students to complete lessons at their own pace and fit the course into their daily lives.
The program offers more than 15 hours of instruction and project time offered across five modules titled, “Entrepreneurship and the Fashion System,” “Managing Fashion Production,” “Fashion Branding,” “Marketing Strategies,” and “Retailing and Distribution.”
Instruction will come from Parsons faculty, along with fashion insiders and experts. Instructors include Keanan Duffty, Director of Fashion Programs, Parsons; Khary Simon, Vice President at The Premiere Group, Parsons Faculty; Jasmine S. Young, Vice President of Operations at Ami Colé; Sydney Price, Founder & CEO, The Knew Purpose, Parsons Faculty; Rick Helfenbein, Retail & Fashion Industry Consultant, Former Chairman, President & CEO of the American Apparel & Footwear Association; and many more.
“The fashion industry has endured many challenges over the past year and we see its recovery as an opportunity to bring more diverse voices into the ranks,” said Ben Barry, Dean of the School of Fashion at The New School’s Parsons School of Design. “In this program, we’re building opportunities for talent who hail from non-traditional backgrounds in the fashion industry, and we’re furthering our mission to change the fashion education experience for the better.”
“WWD has been covering the Fashion industry since 1910, and few if any years have been more disruptive to the industry than 2020 was. However, where there’s disruption, there’s opportunity,” added Amanda Smith, President of Fairchild Media. “This is a chance for a whole new generation of talent to join us in reimagining the industry in bigger and better ways. By partnering with Parsons and Yellowbrick, we’re helping educate the next generation and we’re excited to tap our staff’s extensive knowledge in providing that education.”
“Fashion occupies a special place among creative industries, as expressed to us by the thousands of learners who have come through our Fashion and Streetwear programs,” said Rob Kingyens, President and CEO of Yellowbrick. “For learners who are dedicated to learning all they can, we wanted to create a next-level educational experience that highlights the intricacies of this massive and inspiring industry. By tapping the passion and expertise of Parsons and WWD staff, we’re now able to help fashion professionals and businesses advance in this exciting industry.”
Beginning today, visitors to allprograms.wpenginepowered.com/FashionBusiness can sign up for an exclusive preview of the program. The first group of students will be admitted to Fashion Business Essentials later this month.
