Parsons announces new Chair of Board of Governors

New York-based Parsons has named fashion designer

Kay Unger as Chair of its Board of Governors for a term commencing July 1. Unger, who graduated from Parsons in 1968, has served as a member of the Parsons Board of Governors since 2009 and was elected a trustee of The New School in 2011.

"It feels wonderful to be the first Parsons alumna to serve in this position," said Unger. "When I graduated, Parsons was a stand-alone school of art and design. Since then it has joined forces with The New School, a design-led university that offers a rich, interdisciplinary education that is essential for designers to be successful today."

Executive Dean Joel Towers, added: “As Parsons and The New School focus on the future, and the role that our students and faculty will play in shaping an increasingly designed world, we could have no better leader than Kay Unger. Kay’s commitment to both design and education has been integral to her efforts at Parsons.”

Unger launched her namesake label in 1970, and went onto became a founding partner and designer of labels St. Gillian and A.J. Bari in the early seventies. The womenswear designer also established label Kay Unger New York in 1995, and served as its partner, designer and chief creative officer, alongside her design responsibilities at Phoebe Couture until 2012. In addition she also oversaw the launch of Marchesa Notte.