<p>I'm applying to Parsons for Fall 2009 entrance, and I want to major in fashion design. I tried my best to follow the directions and show my different skills, but I feels so humble with my work.</p>
<p>Please feel free to give me any criticisms, suggestions, or any type of feedback. I welcome all the questions.</p>
<p>I just want to send in the best I can come up with because I really really really really really want to go to Parsons.</p>
<p>Ah, Parsons, I worked my butt off all winter break for that challenge and in the end I don't think I ever even sent in the application.</p>
<p>Just FYI, I'm a graphic designer not a fashion designer, sorry don't know all the lingo and procedures there. And I'll keep it short and simple, its been a while since I've done a real critique... And I applied last year to Parsons, sorry if the challenge has changed rules since then; I wouldn't know.</p>
<p>Your portfolio--generally good stuff. As a whole body, your work shows a lot of range in what you can do but it also shows what you've been focusing on conceptually. In the paintings your markmaking could use a little work but the sense of design makes up for it. Oddly, each piece also seems to have a little bit of realism going, I guess due to your nice taste in colors. The fashion design pieces display nice designs for dresses/outfits/etc. but you could work on how you display each design. You have more options than a simple sketch/blueprint. One girl from my old AP class had pretty bad, inefficient designs that wouldn't work in real life. But she treated each "blueprint" as any old design painting like the rest of us artists. She'd draw in lots of vibrant colors with marker, sometimes as the design of the dress and sometimes as the background. Later she got into a little more 3D ideas (though these don't pay off as much when sending them as 2D images) by glueing pieces of bright colored paper foil to the background, and even getting one of those old-fashioned ballroom masks to glue onto the eyes of her 2D model (actual size =P ).</p>
<p>The challenge- These are photographs, right? I think these are weak in contrast to your portfolio. If I remember correctly the point of the challenge is to display your range and how you can apply it to various subjects and situations. These all look very similar to eachother and even a little amateurish. If you have the time, retry one or two in different media and different styles. If you have a little less time, and want to keep them as photographs but you can also redo some or all of them, work on composition. I feel that with all 3 pieces you flood the picture with texture...mainly trees/leaves. Texture is nice but only when used sparingly. Otherwise it looks like just a box of (ironically) 2D texture, 100% positive space, when the subject of the picture actually has a lot of depth. I'm a graphic design major, I've been down the path of "piece full of wicked random texture" and it doesn't work well for me. Try better composition. That means more negative space (try including more of the background or sky for starters) and more engaging composition (yeah, that can be hard with photography).</p>
<p>If you have very little time to work on these, at least try some nice image editing (Photoshop if you have it, or try googling GIMP or Paint.NET for a freebie). Better contrast, lighting, hue and saturation will do those photos some good. (If you don't know what I'm talking about its pretty easy you could figure it out by messing around, if you're really lost pm me I'll show you how to do stuff like that).</p>
<p>your portfolio is really good. but i agree with sleepy man that your parsons challenge is weak in contrast to your portfolio. parsons really wants too see observational art in their applicants portfolio, to see how well you can't see something and draw it as accurately and clearly as it's seen. what they don't really want to see is artwork from the imagination. this doesn't mean that your work can't be creative, but there should be more portraits and still life's. try including some still life's in charcoal and black and white pastels. this may seem overwhelming but from your body of work here, it'll be easy for you.</p>
<p>Your portfolio is very solid as others have said. You have great selective colors in all your oils and the one that sticks out the most to me is the same as Snotferatu's. However, as others have said, your challenge is weak compared to your portfolio. Concentrate on strengthening your challenge by focusing more on developing your composition in your photographs.</p>
<p>Although I think you are a talented artist, and have great potential, i feel your portfolio lacks innovation. It seems as if you have a ‘fairytale’ like inspiration. That sort of style has been done before, in fact, it’s one of the first styles that fashion designers dated back to centuries ago have used. I know you’ve probably put so much effort into this, BUT I do know that Parson’s like weird, eccentric, innovative applicants. You have the technique, I think you just need some more inspiration. I would suggest going to some of your favorite designers websites and replicating some of the clothing pieces into drawings. Once you’ve done about 50 it’s SO much easier to create a new, exciting, innovative look. Hope this helps… let me know if you get in.</p>
<p>Hi, I’m applying for Parsons 2010 and am at a slump with the challenge. I am also going for fashion design but am not really sure what they are looking for I guess. Your portfolio is amazing, don’t get me wrong, but I was just imagining they would want fashion sketches of clothes and stuff? And the art that you sent them for your portfolio is more paint based creative work. So, what do you recommend? I have a lot of sketches, but should I also include artwork like yours as well? Please help!!!</p>
<p>you should send little to no fashion work. you apply to the foundation program, not the fashion program, so you want to impress them with your art, not your fashion work.</p>
<p>This may be a bit late but look at the thread below Applying To Parsons, under jennpixel is a copy of a very useful message from the director of Admissions at Parsons where he addresses the application re: fashion students. Looks like valtergeorge is correct. It is full of useful information.</p>