Friday, December 13, 2013

Parsons Pompeii

Think of this blogpost as a pendant to the images from our class tour of the new building on Wednesday. I didn't mention that much of the interest came from our students' avid interest: most of them are from the Parsons fashion program, which migrates down to that building next semester. A big shift! I happened to be in Midtown this evening and realized it was my last chance to see the building where the fashion program has been for more than four decades. Making the most of a difficult situation - the place is stuffy and much too small, but ideally situated in the fashion district - the words YOU NEVER LEAVE PARSONS have been plastered across the windows. A day after the last classes and showings, it was a ghost town. Though rooms may have looked similar every night for 40 years, tonight the bare dressmakers' dummies were eerily reminiscent of Pompeii.

They left in such a hurry after last night's farewell party that 5 magnums of champagne were still waiting, unopened, on the abandoned stage.