Interview with MFA student Kylie Rose Carroll
Kylie Rose Carroll, enrolled in the new MFA Fashion Design and the Arts program, spoke to us about her experience so far at Parsons Paris.
Where do you come from and what are your past academic experiences ?
I am from Virginia, USA, and I completed my Bachelor of Fine Arts in Fashion Design at Virginia Commonwealth University’s School of the Art. I also studied abroad at Central Saint Martins in London, England.
What made you join this specific Master program?
I initially applied to the Fashion Design & Society Masters Program at Parsons, New York, but upon reviewing my application the admissions team reached out and told me that they felt I would be a perfect candidate for the new MFA at Parsons Paris, Fashion Design & the Arts. I have always wanted to live in Paris, so it felt like it was meant to be. I was drawn to the MFA at Parsons over other Parisian design schools or schools in London that I had been considering because of its emphasis on building a bridge between fashion and fine arts, which is where I believe my work as a designer and an artist fits best.
Is this your first time living in Paris? If so, how do you like it?
I had never been to Paris before moving here this past August, but I had always dreamed of living here! While it has certainly been an adjustment, I love this city and can’t wait to continue exploring and discovering all of the amazing things it has to offer. Paris does inspire me, there is so much history here, and I truly think it is the most beautiful city I have ever been to. It is incredible to study so closely to many of the fashion houses that I admire, and hope to have the opportunity to work for one day.
Could you tell us about one specific project you have worked on since the beginning of the year that you have particularly enjoyed?
My favorite project thus far was the one which I completed for our Core Studio 1 course, in collaboration with Palais Galliera and Maison Lesage. We were each assigned a piece from the Galleria’s extensive archive collection, and I happened to receive a 1959-1960 Fall-Winter Nina Ricci cocktail dress designed by Jules François Crahay. We were to use the piece we were assigned as the inspiration for a capsule collection that included embroidery which we created with the assistance and guidance of the artisans at Maison Lesage. As someone who extensively works with leather, I used this collection as an opportunity to further explore the process of wet-molding vegetable tanned leather, which I had been developing since my undergraduate thesis collection. I heavily experimented with pushing the technique, combining more traditional draping techniques with the experimental molding to develop a series of skin like leather garments/accessories inspired by the Nina Ricci piece as well a concept which explored the dichotomy of revealing and concealing the female body.
Do you have a favorite course or elective you would like to share?
I am very excited for all of our courses this semester, I really feel like I am going to be pushed to create work outside my comfort zone, and to me that is what a graduate degree should be about. I am really looking forward to our Core Studio 3 in which we will have the opportunity collaborate with Versace, which is an incredible opportunity. I am also looking forward to seeing what the outcome of our Core Studio 2 course will be, which explores the relationship between fashion, art and performance, and which is really challenging me to not be too comfortable in my making process!
What challenges do you face as a student in Fashion Design and the Arts?
While there are the obvious challenges of being the first class of a brand new program, being a student in Fashion Design & the Arts forces you to work outside of the comfort zone of the conventional fashion industry. It requires you to experiment with new ways of making and new, less conventional materials. It also requires you to consistently question the lines between fashion and the arts, and be comfortable with carving your own niche within the fashion industry that might not be well received by others within the industry. It teaches you to defend your ideas and your direction, even if they don’t initially make sense to others. And it reminds you that discomfort promotes growth and development.
Do you have any advice for incoming MFA students?
My advice to incoming MFA students would be to also push yourself to work outside your comfort zone. It isn’t easy and it’s uncomfortable, but you are here pursuing another degree for a reason and that is how you will get the most out of it. I am a firm believer that the more work you put in, the more you will get out of it, as well as the greatest limitations on your work and your future successes are the ones you set for yourself.
