New York, NY (May 17th, 2026) Parsons School of Design announces Ensemble, the BFA Fashion Design Class of 2026 runway showcase.
About the Show
Ensemble brings together 31 designers from 12 nationalities across 4 continents, a graduating class whose work reflects the full breadth of what fashion can hold. Through both runway collections and product design, the Class of 2026 spans womenswear, menswear, and gender-neutral design, with dedicated work in size-inclusive and adaptive fashion.
The Name and Its Meaning
The show takes its name from the condition it embodies. Like a musical ensemble, where every instrument remains itself while contributing to something larger, Ensemble is a celebration of creative diversity in its truest form. Here, dress becomes social critique, identity finds its place on the runway, and no voice is left out. Represented nationalities reach across the Americas, Europe, Asia, and the Caucasus, with work rooted in traditions and lived experiences ranging from Georgian youth protest to Indigenous Filipinx spirituality, Turkish feminist craft to Southern American identity, and Japanese repair traditions to the material culture of Yunnan and Thailand.
Design Philosophy
Multiple collections engage with upcycling, circular design, reclaimed textiles, and slow craft traditions, alongside collections that expand who fashion is designed for. Together they reflect a generation of designers asking not just what fashion looks like, but how it is made and who it is made for.
A Global Program
Ensemble stands as a testament to Parsons School of Design’s place as one of the most internationally diverse fashion programs in the world, and to what becomes possible when that diversity is given a runway. United, they are an ensemble.
Program Support
Ensemble is proudly supported by Theory, official partner of the 2026 Parsons BFA Fashion Design Runway Showcase.
BFA Fashion Design Leadership and Runway Showcase Creative Directors
Anna Lerner-Zwick, Program Director Deshon Varnado, Associate Director of Curriculum and Planning Laura Lanteri, Associate Director of Academic Partnerships Charlie Morris, Program Administrator and Runway Showcase Production Manager
School of Fashion Leadership
Ben Barry, Dean, School of Fashion Fiona Dieffenbacher, Associate Dean, School of Fashion Catherine Cacho-Leary, Associate Director, Operations John Bartlett, Director of Industry Partnerships and Special Projects
Runway Show Credits
Taylor Uchytil, Executive Producer and Show Director Fiorella Michael, Backstage Producer and Show Caller Studio Productions, Lighting and AV BFA, Runway and Backstage Photographer New School Marketing and Communications, Video Production Dakoit Pictures, Videography Leland Parker, DJ Ryan LeMere, Graphic Design PURPLE, PR Mai Mor (@mai.mor) with @newyorkmakeupacademy, Makeup Melissa Tello (@melissa__tello) with @uberliss, Hair Tiffany Webber and John Bartlett, Co-Chairs, SOF Events Committee
