Parsons x OSL
As part of our CEO’s faculty research and creative practice, OSL has collaborated with The New School, Parsons School of Design each year to bring a variety of courses and research assistant positions offered to students. Open Style Lab’s incubator program was held at the school for two consecutive summers.
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Professor Grace Jun works with student and mentor with disability to re-designs a pattern design for pockets to be accessible for one hand-usage (addressing people with paralysis).
Who can join classes?
Enrolled Parsons undergraduates or graduate students across from all schools (Fashion, Product Design, Design Studies, Fine Arts, TransD, Design & Technology, Architecture, etc). Guest speakers and mentors with disabilties are selected through an interview process to enrich the course. Occupational or physical therapists are also welcome to volunteer their time and get field experience to help shape and impact the classroom.
See our friends at NYU here.
Who are mentors?
Mentors are an integral part of the coures offered in collaboration with the school. Mentors typically identify having a disability (e.g. paralysis, cerebral palsy, spinal cord injury, amputation, autism), which results in specific clothing-related challenges. Caregivers are also welcomed as clients as they can have specific clothing needs while caring for people with disabilities.
Mentors use their wealth of personal experience to contribute ideas that improve the clothing design while also helping shape the experience of future creative leaders. Mentors volunteer their time to bring students into their personal lives and help them gain an accurate understanding of how disabilities affect their lifestyles, particularly their clothing. They will be asked to attend 10 classes throughout the 15-week semester. Each class involvement is 1.5 to 3 hours, with additional time to meet outside the classroom.
How can I become a mentor?
To be considered a mentor for upcoming Fall (February-May) or Spring (September-December) classes, please email hello@openstylelab.org and send in a brief bio about yourself with CV.
See the previous course offered here: Systems x AARP x Open Style Lab