He will sport a beadedJontay Kahmtop here, or a colorfulJacques Agboblyknit there.
I have such deep appreciation for the craft and the work and that goes into it.
Barrys championing of creativity reflects his thoughtful approach to educating the next generation of talent at Parsons.
Ben Barry and Sinéad Burke, CEO of Tilting the Lens
(This year, he won a 2024CAFA Changemaker Awardin Canada for his focus on those initiatives.)
When the dean position became a possibility at Parsons, then, he wanted to continue that same mission.
I want to help institutionalize this approach to inclusion, he says.
Ben Barry wearing Parsons student Jontay Kahm
Barrys arrival at Parsons couldnt have come at a more opportune time.
The work began by hiring a more diverse faculty, as well as rethinking the curriculums entirely.
Under his leadership, Parsons now currently offers three different courses exploring both traditional and contemporary Indigenous fashion practices.
Parsons student Alexander Flores and Tracy Cox, who wears a design by Flores, Avalon Hester, Alexander Flores, Gigi Gibowicz, and Eleanor Trask
Barry says its important for the new wave of talent to learn about the original designers of this country.
The approaches to sustainability and land-based values are teachings that are valuable to just about any student.
Barry has also made disabled and adaptive fashion courses a pivotal component of the yearly curriculum as well.
A design by Parsons student Sustilé Blank
We also have a course on fat fashion, and designing for larger bodies.
A lot of students feel they’ve had to suppress [themselves] so that work in this industry.
Its really important to creates a space where they can be valued and affirmed from the very beginning.
A design by Parsons 2023 alumni Natsumi Aoki
Its integral to design practicesit opens up creative and conceptual possibilities for experimental, alive, and exciting fashion.
