Dezeen Magazine

Dezeen's top five collections from Parsons 2016 MA graduate fashion show

Graduate shows 2016: the trend for line-drawn furniture design crossed over into fashion at the Parsons School of Design graduate show in New York, where two collections with sketch-like details were among Dezeen US editor Dan Howarth's favourites.

The catwalk presentation took place at Milk Studios in the city's Chelsea district last Wednesday, coinciding with both New York Fashion Week and New York Textile Month.

A strong artistic theme ran through the collections, with many designers patterning their garments marks that looked like pen scribbles, paint brush strokes and charcoal smudges – similarly to a current trend for furniture that resembles line drawings.

Here's are five standout collections from the show:


Gahee Lim

Gahee Lim's graduate fashion collection from Parsons School of Design

Gahee Lim's suits for men and women came in a variety of opacities. Gradients of pale colours faded to completely transparent areas of the tailored jackets and trousers.

Gahee Lim's graduate fashion collection from Parsons School of Design

Stitching details were highlighted in white, and additional dashed lines were reminiscent of a tailor's chalk marks.


Alex Huang

Alex Huang's graduate fashion collection from Parsons School of Design

Alex Huang also played with translucency and line-drawn details – his squiggly scribble-like markings were placed around hems, collars, pockets and buttons.

Alex Huang's graduate fashion collection from Parsons School of Design

Layers of organza were built up to vary the opacity across a trench coat, while thin shirts were practically see through.


Xiang Gao

Xiang Gao's graduate fashion collection from Parsons School of Design

Xiang Gao used thick fabric to create a set of coats and dresses with high necklines, long sleeves and simple silhouettes.

Xiang Gao's graduate fashion collection from Parsons School of Design

White garments featured colourful daubs that could have been mistaken for wax crayons, while other piece were hatched with grey pencil- and charcoal-like markings.


Queenie Qinghe Cao

Queenie Qinghe Cao's graduate fashion collection from Parsons School of Design

The standout pieces in Queenie Qinghe Cao's collection had thick fuzzy black lines across a heavy textured textile.

Queenie Qinghe Cao's graduate fashion collection from Parsons School of Design

The lines formed trims for an oversized green coat, and a beige jacket and skirt, and also created grid patterns across the garments.


Anna-Marie Gurber

Anna-Maroe Gurber's graduate fashion collection from Parsons School of Design

A series of sporty dresses in combinations of white, blue, black and green were created by Anna-Marie Gurber, who paired her form-fitting clothing with matching socks.

Anna-Maroe Gurber's graduate fashion collection from Parsons School of Design

The minimal garments also featured transparent panels, exposing various body parts.