Advisory Board

With a background in fine arts and design, collector and educator Corice Arman is a passionate patron of the arts, both in the United States and France. Her advocacy on behalf of art, art history, and artists developed and deepened during her marriage of 35 years to the renowned artist Arman, who died in October 2005. Together she and Arman assembled a personal art collection, including antiquities, works by contemporary artists, and one of this country’s most distinguished collections of African tribal art. For more than 20 years, Corice Arman was a trustee of New York’s Museum for African Art and was deeply involved with the museum’s outreach and educational programs. As trustee of Arman’s estate, she works tirelessly to further the understanding of the historical significance of Arman’s artistic legacy and that of his colleagues. In recognition of her contributions as art collector, patron, and educator, the French Ministry of Culture appointed Corice Arman a Chevalier de L’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres in 2009.

Miren Arzalluz studied history (BA) at the University of Deusto and comparative politics (MSc) at the London School of Economics before specializing in the history of dress and fashion at the Courtauld Institute of Art (MA). Between 2007 and 2013, she was curator and head of collections at the Cristóbal Balenciaga Foundation, where she played a key role in the conception and curation of the new Balenciaga Museum, inaugurated in June 2011. As a freelance curator and researcher, she has collaborated with various fashion museums on diverse projects such as Fashion Mix—Mode d’ici, créateurs d’ailleurs (Palais Galliera—Palais de la Porte Dorée, Musée de l’histoire de l’immigration); Les Années 50—La Mode en France, 1947-1957 (Palais Galliera—Museo de Bellas Artes de Bilbao); and Game Changers: Reinventing the 20th-Century Silhouette (MoMu Antwerp). She is currently director of Palais Galliera, Musée de la Mode de la Ville de Paris.

As a private collector and an entrepreneur, Gérald Azancot has supported the arts in France for more than a decade.

He has been a patron of several cultural institutions such as the Musée du Louvre, Salle Pleyel, and the Paris Opera. Azancot is an active supporter of the French National Collections and a member of the Acquisition Committee of the Centre Pompidou Friends—Musée National d’Art Moderne.

Through Groupe Fiminco, which was founded by Azancot in 1993, he supported the Orchestre de Paris from 2011 to 2018 as well as other cultural institutions, such as the educational programs of Festival d'Automne in Paris. Azancot is a founding member and treasurer of the Cercle de l’Orchestre de Paris, where he initiated an educational program allowing children from the Paris suburbs to meet and work with the musicians of the orchestra.

In 2016, Azancot launched his most significant philanthropic project so far: creating (with the future international residency program in Romainville) an artistic and cultural hub in the Grand Paris, to open in 2019. The hub will welcome philanthropic activities in support of the arts, private galleries, and academic and associative structures such as the Fonds Regional d'Art Contemporain (Paris Region).

Albert Bensoussan has more than 28 years of experience in managing apparel, accessories, shoes, watches, and jewelry in the luxury retail industry in Europe and Asia. He was the director of the watches and jewelry division at Cartier from 1984 to 1994. From 1996 to 2000, Bensoussan was the president of Givenchy Couture in Japan, responsible for local retailing of ready-to-wear apparel and accessories. Before his posting in Japan, he had managed the leather goods, fashion accessories, and eyewear division in France for Givenchy. Earlier Bensoussan was associated with Moet Hennessey – Louis Vuitton for more than 16 years, serving in various senior capacities. He was the director of the watch and jewelry business unit for the Louis Vuitton brand from 2003 to 2010 and the sales and marketing director of the entire LVMH Watch & Jewelry Division from 2000 to 2003. In that role, he was responsible for integrating all the brands acquired at the end of 1999, including streamlining distribution subsidiaries, planning distribution in China and India, and assisting individual brands with their marketing strategies. As the owner of AB Consultants, he advised retail groups on business plans and brand, sales, and marketing strategies for four years. From 2014 through 2019, Bensoussan served as chief executive officer for the Luxury — Watches & Jewelry Division at Kering Group.

Olivier Bialobos has a passion for creativity and culture in all their forms.

After earning a master’s degree in art history, he began his career at the Escada Group in 1991, eventually becoming director of International Communication for Escada Couture.

Beginning in 2000, as press director of the KCD Paris agency, he oversaw the creation of the communication strategy for YSL Fashion and Perfumes.

Within two years, Olivier had moved to the House of Yves Saint Laurent, where he worked closely with Tom Ford as the brand’s international press and public relations director.

He joined Dior in 2006 as chief communication and image officer at Christian Dior Couture. In this position, he oversaw projects ranging in scale from exhibitions and artistic collaborations to international projects that raised the maison’s profile and furthered its reputation for innovation.

In 2021, Olivier’s responsibilities expanded to include communications for Christian Dior Couture and Parfums Christian Dior at Dior Beauty. In this position, he has applied his sharp eye, expertise, and passion for art to inspire creative dialogues that make Dior’s heritage shine even brighter.

Grégoire P. Blanche began his professional career in 1996 with the internationally acclaimed firm Jewellery Maison Cartier. Having majored in marketing and business management, he focused on product management, communication, and branding and was posted in Europe and the Americas. He was then appointed chief of staff to the Cartier president, Bernard Fornas. In this pivotal role, he contributed to the drafting and formulating of the Maison’s global strategy. Building on this rich experience, Blanche returned to operational missions, successfully taking the leadership role of the fast-growing Southeast Asian Region before being appointed regional managing director for the European Region in 2017. With a mandate to accompany the Maison’s transformation in its leading and historical markets, he has engaged his teams in a thoughtful reassessment of its core offering and positioning.

Blanche has developed over the years a deep understanding of the jewelry and fashion industries and is a regular keynote speaker at international luxury conferences and summits. He has also served as a board member of the Cartier Charitable Foundation since its inception in 2012.

Dominique Bluhdorn established the Altos de Chavón Cultural Center Foundation in the Dominican Republic, with the mission of developing and supporting a multifaceted arts community that encompasses the visual and performing arts, craft workshops, an artist-in-residence program that also serves as the Caribbean site for the Davidoff Arts Initiative, an archaeological museum, and teaching programs in design and visual arts.

At the center of the Cultural Center Foundation is the Altos de Chavón School of Design, with campuses in La Romana and Santo Domingo. Since its establishment in 1983 the school has been affiliated with Parsons. This two-year university-level school has graduated nearly 3,000 students, many of whom now hold distinguished creative positions in fashion, graphic design, digital design, fine arts, and illustration around the world.

Bluhdorn is a member of the Davidoff Art Initiative Advisory Council. She has served on the boards of the Corcoran Gallery in Washington, DC, and the New York Academy of Art.

Jimmy Chan began his journey by persuading his parents to let him forgo a university education to pursue a career. He invested in the first streetwear store in Hong Kong in 1991–1992 and went on to several ventures in Toronto: a streetwear store (carrying Stüssy, Union, Supreme, Bathing Ape, and other brands) in 1993–1994 and a haute couture store (carrying Yohji Yamamoto and Comme des Garçons) in 1994–1995. By the time he sold his business, in 2000, his company operations had expanded from 1,000 square feet to more than 8,000 square feet, with over 26 exclusive brands and 20 staff members.

Dissatisfied with the state of retail and seeking greater creative opportunities, Chan applied to and attended Parsons School of Design in New York to develop his knowledge of design and aesthetics.

In 2003, Chan founded Semeiotics to serve as a creative platform, with investments in Paris, New York, and Hong Kong. Though focused primarily on fashion, the company is also involved in other creative fields, such as graphic design, film, and publishing.

Thomas du Pré de Saint Maur has been working in the luxury industry for almost 25 years.

He started his career in the mid-1990s at Parfums Dior, where he eventually oversaw the Fragrance category. He worked closely with John Galliano and Hedi Slimane on developing product image and communication.

In 2006, he moved to Yves Saint Laurent, where he served as international communications director.

Thomas joined CHANEL in 2008 as head of artistic direction for Fragrance, Beauty, Watches and Fine Jewellery, a position he held for eight years. He now serves as head of Global Creative Resources.

In addition to working at CHANEL, Thomas lectures at Sciences Po in Paris, with a focus on how business can create a stimulating framework for creatives.

Art consultant, writer, and editor Gay Gassmann’s creative career spans decades and continents. Gassmann is an American who has spent most of her life abroad, creating a vast network across the worlds of fashion, art, publishing, and lifestyle. An academically trained art historian, she has collaborated with the J. Paul Getty Museum, Peter Marino Architect, T: The New York Times Style Magazine, and the Serpentine Galleries in London. Gassmann is currently a contributing editor at Condé Nast and an ambassador for Architectural Digest. She also works closely with contemporary artists on site-specific commissions and projects and contributes art-focused features to the pages of Architectural Digest, both online and in print. She recently co-authored a Phaidon monograph on the contemporary French artist Jean-Michel Othoniel. Gassmann has also served on the Parsons Paris Senior Fashion Jury for several years.

Alexandra Gowdie has more than ten years’ experience in the luxury industry. She is now based in London, where she serves as the global head of Client Development at Stella McCartney. She specializes in customer relationship management and client development strategies, focusing on client experiences and growth and producing impressive results.

An Australian native, Gowdie has lived abroad for most of her professional life. She started her career in the LVMH group in the Asia-Pacific region. She went on to work in the UK as a consultant to service brands in the LVMH Fashion Group, then served as the global private client relations manager for Louis Vuitton in Paris.

Gowdie is a graduate of Bond University and is a qualified legal practitioner. Passionate about education and learning, she has taught the Marketing, PR, and Branding course at Parsons Paris for several years while working full-time.

Paul Guyot-Sionnest is the chief of staff to the president and CEO and the director of External Affairs at Saint Laurent. He was previously head of institutional affairs at Kering, a global luxury group led by François-Henri Pinault, where, beginning in 2014, he oversaw Kering's relations with companies and political institutions, employing an international approach to a perpetually changing sector.

A graduate of Sciences Po Paris and ESSEC Business School, Guyot-Sionnest began working in the political sphere alongside former French Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin and Roger Karoutchi. Since 2011, he has served as an advisor to Bruno Le Maire, the French minister of the economy, first in the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Fisheries and then on the minister's campaign team. In 2015, he was elected vice president of the Young Republicans and board member of Les Républicains.

Guyot-Sionnest has also worked in a number of private-sector organizations, including Crédit Agricole in New York and Lazard and Caisse de dépôt et placement du Quebec in Paris.

In 2019, Guyot-Sionnest was elected a Young Leader of the France–China Foundation. He is also involved with the Philippe Chatrier Foundation, which fights Alzheimer's disease, and the Friends of Philharmonie de Paris Association.

Leon Jakimič is the founder and president of Lasvit, the Czech Republic-based manufacturer of unique works of glass, including bespoke glass art installations, innovative design lighting, and original crystal glassware. Born into a glassblowing family in Liberec, Czech Republic, Jakimič graduated in 1998 from Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles with a Bachelor of Business Administration and Economics degree. He came to Hong Kong in 1999 to complete his studies at the Kellogg-HKUST EMBA and founded Lasvit in 2007.

Over the course of 12 years, Jakimič has built Lasvit into a prestigious multinational company that has won worldwide recognition, including, most recently, receiving the Milan Design Award at Salone del Mobile 2018. His vision is for Lasvit to be the most inspirational and successful glassmaker in the world.

Jakimič is a member of many prominent professional organizations, including the Hong Kong-Europe Business Council and Young Presidents' Organization, and through the Lasvit Foundation is actively engaged in supporting underserved people in the North Bohemian region of the Czech Republic. He is a keen tennis player and the father of five children. He and his wife, Lucie, live in Hong Kong.

Kece is the founder and chief creative officer of the Paris-based sensory design agency The Refreshment Club. He is also a partner of the Paris-based fashion brand Heimstone and the New York–based beverage company Found Bubbly. Kece graduated in 2003 from RMIT University in Melbourne with a degree in advertising and a diploma in marketing. At the time of his graduation, he was the Melbourne Advertising and Design Club’s Student of the Year. Kece worked as a creative in top independent advertising agencies in Australia before moving to New York, where he partnered with Danone Water to launch a sparkling water company employing disruptive business and marketing techniques. In 2016, he took a role as executive creative director of global clients at the Paris office of the interdisciplinary creative agency BETC.

Kece has been recognized globally for his work in the fields of communication, design, and architecture. He advises Parsons Paris on brand growth. 

Florence Leclerc is the dean of Parsons Paris. She is also senior director for Strategic Academic Partnerships and works on both campuses—New York and Paris—of The New School. Leclerc has spent most of her life abroad and currently lives in the United States and France. She obtained her master's degree in translation from the École de Traduction et d’Interprétation of Geneva, Switzerland, as well as an MBA in Marketing from SUNY New Paltz. For a number of years, she chaired the Foreign Languages Department at The New School in New York, where she taught all levels of French language and culture. In 2013, she moved back to France to relaunch Parsons Paris. Leclerc is an associate professor of foreign languages and a novelist.

Tim Marshall is the deputy vice-chancellor at the College of Design and Social Context and vice-president of and professor at RMIT University in Melbourne, Australia, the No. 1 art and design school in the country. He assumed this role in January 2021 after serving as provost and chief academic officer of The New School from 2009 to 2020. Previously Marshall was the dean of Parsons School of Design, where he developed an ambitious comprehensive academic plan that included an integrated suite of undergraduate and graduate design degrees. He served as Parsons’ associate dean for Academic Affairs from 2004 to 2006 and held a tenured professorship at The New School. From 1994 to 2004, Marshall held a number of academic leadership positions at the University of Western Sydney in Australia, including chair of the School of Design and director of Academic and International Programs. He has also served as a consultant to academic institutions in Australia, Germany, Hong Kong, China, and Singapore and has been a visiting critic at the Köln International School of Design (KISD) and guest professor at the China National Academy of the Arts (CNAFA), Shanghai Institute of Design. Marshall has written and lectured widely on design research and design education. He was co-editor, with Michael Erlhoff, of Design Dictionary: Perspectives in Design, the first publication of its kind in print (Birkhauser Press, 2007). In recent years, Marshall has been a featured speaker at the Design Museum in London (“Design School: The Future of the Project,” 2016), Hong Kong Polytechnic University and Jockey Club Design Institute for Social Innovation (Social Innovation Festival, 2015), the India Design Forum (2012), and the inaugural Beirut Design Week (2012). Early in his career, Marshall was a professional photographer and designer, and he has an extensive background in fine arts. He co-founded the Cadre Design group in Sydney, a firm that specialized in Web-based educational media. Marshall received his education at the City Art Institute and College of Fine Arts at the University of New South Wales, Australia.

Matthew Pollock is an Australian entrepreneur who has been breaking new ground in digital development since 1992. He has seen his companies influence the growth and development of the industry. Pollock is a founding partner of InDigital. In 2001, InDigital started working with major publications and fashion weeks around the world to modernize accreditation and image rights for digital content and its exploitation.

In this new landscape, InDigital has become one of the leading video and stills companies for fashion, luxury, lifestyle, arts, and culture—amassing 6 million images in 25 years. In 2007, Pollock was asked to become a director of Fashion Rocks on behalf of the Prince’s Trust, and since 2014, he has worked with the UN and UNICEF to develop content programs such as John Lennon’s IMAGINE Project.

Today Pollock is a partner in Fidem Capital Partners Hong Kong and the executive director of Quintessentially China and Macau.

Pollock and InDigital have worked with Parsons in both New York and Paris.

Judith Price is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania and attended Columbia University Graduate School of Economics. She is president of the National Jewelry Institute, which conducts courses and presents global events on the business of luxury in fashion, jewelry, beauty, and design. Price began her career at TIME magazine as a business reporter; she later founded AVENUE magazine and its international editions in China and Japan, which she published for 25 years.

Price is the author of six books, including Executive Style and Masterpieces of French Jewelry. She has received an Emmy Award from the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences as the creator of the NBC series Made in New York. Price received the L'Etoile Award from the International Herald Tribune, was honored by the mayor of Paris with the Medaille de Vermeil, and was appointed to the rank of Chevalier in the National Order of the Legion of Honor by the president of the Republic for her “exemplary personal commitment to the culture of France.”

Price is currently a member of the Young Presidents’ Organization and the Chief Executives Organization.

With a degree in industrial engineering from Columbia University and experience on Wall Street, Mindy Prugnaud seemed destined for a high-flying corporate career. But her next move took her in a different direction: She applied and was accepted to the executive training program at Saks Fifth Avenue and took her first steps into the world of the international fashion trade.

After moving to Hong Kong and acquiring experience in international trade, Mindy relocated to Paris. There she joined Mint Merchandising Group and expanded the firm into the European buying office for Saks Fifth Avenue, Hudson’s Bay Company, and David Jones. Mindy set the standard for a seamless professional buying experience and cemented the position of the group across its key markets through her networking skills.

With a discerning eye for trends, Mindy views fashion beyond the confines of the runway. She is now developing retailtainment experiences that bring together creation and the narratives that support it. The inaugural project pairs luxury brands with the hugely successful Emily in Paris series, created by Darren Star, selling chic Parisian styles through the show’s streaming partner, Netflix; Saks.com; and the vendors’ e-commerce and retail outlets.

Mindy is a firm believer in female leadership and won recognition for her contributions to the 2016 Democratic campaign, for which she raised a record-winning amount outside of the United States.

Mindy lives with her family in Paris.

Ian Rogers is the chief experience officer at Ledger, leading the consumer-facing business that offers the world’s No. 1 way to buy and secure cryptocurrency. Earlier Ian served as the chief digital officer at LVMH for five transformative years, working with a portfolio of nearly 100 brands in luxury, including Louis Vuitton, Dior, Sephora, and Hennessy. He also sits on the boards of Dr. Martens and Lyst.

Rogers spent 20 years bringing digital music to the mainstream, first with Winamp and then Yahoo!, Beats, and Apple. He contributed to the 2015 launch of Apple Music and its digital streaming channel, Beats 1. He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Computer Science with honors from Indiana University in 1994 and was a member of Phi Beta Kappa. Rogers built some of the earliest music-related websites in the early 1990s and has been working with the Beastie Boys since 1993.

A graduate of INSEAD, Philippe Schaus began his career in 1987 at J.P. Morgan Inc. before joining The Boston Consulting Group in 1990. In 1992, he became international commercial director of the Porcelain Tableware Division at Villeroy & Boch A.G. before being promoted to managing director for the division in 1999 and then member of the board.

He joined Louis Vuitton in 2003 as president of the Europe Zone and was appointed senior vice president, international, in 2006. Between 2009 and 2011, he was executive vice president of Louis Vuitton. Schaus joined DFS Group in Hong Kong in 2011 as group president of Merchandising and Marketing. He was named chairman and chief executive officer of DFS Group in 2012. In 2017, he was appointed CEO of Moët Hennessy. He has been a member of the Executive Committee of LVMH since 2012.

Stefano Tonchi is a fashion journalist, author, and curator. In the course of his award-winning career in the magazine industry, he has held the role of editor in chief of W, creator and editor in chief of T: The New York Times Style Magazine, and fashion creative director for Esquire. Under his leadership, the publications won a number of accolades:
W won five National Magazine Awards, and T and Esquire were each named Magazine of the Year by the Society of Publication Designers. He is currently the global chief creative officer for the L’OFFICIEL group, overseeing its editorial activity in print and digital media in more than 30 countries.

Tonchi is a co-curator of Italiana: Italy Through the Lens of Fashion, 1971–2001 at Milan’s Palazzo Reale and Bellissima: Italy and High Fashion 1945–1968, a traveling exhibition presented at the MAXXI Museum in Rome and NSU Art Museum Fort Lauderdale; he is also the co-author of the accompanying books. Before that, he oversaw the publication of W: Stories and W: The First 40 Years. His previous books include Uniform: Order and Disorder, accompanying an exhibition at MoMA PS1; Total Living, Excess: Fashion and the Underground in the ’80s, accompanying an exhibition at the Pitti Palace in Florence; Human Game: Winners and Losers; and Walter Albini and His Time. Most recently, he was the visual editor for the exhibition and book Memos on Fashion in This Millennium at Museo Poldi Pezzoli in Milan. In 2021, Marsilio published L’OFFICIEL 100: One Hundred People and Ideas from a Century of Fashion, edited by Stefano Tonchi with Marco Pecorari.

Tonchi has served as a guest lecturer at the Fashion Institute of Technology, Parsons, and Columbia University and has appeared on a variety of national television programs. As a public speaker and media commentator, he covers contemporary culture, society, and the future of fashion.

Tonchi serves on the board of the International Center of Photography.

Fashion designer, entrepreneur, and philanthropist, Kay Unger began her multifaceted career in 1968 as a design assistant to Geoffrey Beene. Two years later, she founded her own dress firm, Kay Unger—the first of several successful global fashion concerns she founded and managed, including The Gillian Group, Kay Unger New York, Kay J’s Pajamas, and Phoebe Couture. In 2012, she formed Kay Unger Design as a means of focusing her boundless energy on unique design projects that benefit from her creative and leadership skills.

A committed philanthropist, Unger is CEO of the Kay Unger Family Foundation (KUFF), with its mission of “venture philanthropy.” KUFF supports foundations for cancer care and research and also provides funding for scholarships to underserved youth who display talent in the arts.

Born and raised in Chicago, Unger has lived in New York throughout her career; she currently lives in SoHo. She has two sons and five grandchildren.

Alisa Volskaya is an entrepreneur and a specialist in public relations, international fundraising, and partnerships. She studied at Trent University and Russian State University for the Humanities and holds a master’s degree in business administration. Volskaya started her career at Condé Nast International in Paris, where she managed digital projects and partnerships. Since 2015, she has served as executive director of Naked Heart France, a charity founded by the top model and philanthropist Natalia Vodianova. Volskaya has extensive experience in bringing in new talent, sponsors, partners, and donors to companies and organizations and building brand awareness at events taking place all over the world.

Nicole Weiss is the vice president and global head of Client Relations & Client Experience and High Jewelry at Tiffany & Co. She has spent her career in the luxury goods industry, creating unique products, providing clients with extraordinary experiences, and growing and expanding luxury brands, consistently producing exceptional results. 

Weiss has spent more than a decade with LVMH and before the company’s acquisition of Tiffany held senior leadership positions at Louis Vuitton and Christian Dior. She is an active volunteer and philanthropist with NY Presbyterian Hospital, the New York Public Library, New 42, the Spence School, and the Allen-Stevenson School. She is a graduate of Cornell University. 

Weiss has a long-standing passion for and love of jewelry, fashion, art, and design. She recently returned to Manhattan with her husband and two children after three years living in Paris.