Parsons Will Focus On Fashion & Sustainability

Parsons School for Design has a new member to add to its list of impressive faculty. Burak Cakmak was just named Dean of Fashion of Parsons, announced on Tuesday. Cakmak will be replacing Simon Collins, who left the position in December. Cakmak will begin his post before the fall semester in August.

And as fashion continues to progress, it has to adapt. Fashion is not exempt from the recent movement towards awareness and sustainability, particularly in the materials used and how clothing is made. Cakmak will helm this initiative at Parsons, with his intensive background in sustainability and social responsibility. According to WWD, Cakmak previously held the title of vice president of corporate responsibility at the Swarovski Group in London.

And the rest of his resume is just as impressive. He also served as the general manager of MADE-BY Benelux, where according to Fashionista, he "handled fashion sustainability practices for brands such as H&M, Tommy Hilfiger, Acne, Primark, Ted Baker, and G Star." But first, his roots began at Gap, where he worked as a senior manager of social responsibility for over five years.

At Parsons, Cakmak will be in charge of guiding the BFA in Fashion Design, the AAS degree programs in Fashion Design and Fashion Marketing, and the MFA in Fashion Design and Society, according to Fashionista.

In a press release, Cakmak said “The School of Fashion at Parsons has always broken the mold when it comes to educating aspiring designers who set industry standards across the globe."

This is a tremendously exciting addition to Parsons, and we can't wait to see what the students will learn and what their future work will result in thanks to Cakmak's sustainability principles.

Images: @michelleetco/Twitter