In a uniquely Parisian endeavor, students in Parsons Paris’ BFA Art, Media, and Technology program — under the direction of instructor Clarisse Labro — participated in a collaboration with luxury fashion house Dolce & Gabbana and the Paris arm of Chelsfield Ltd., a leading global property developer.

Students were divided into four teams to take part in a competition to design a temporary creative covering for the facade of Dolce & Gabbana’s Paris flagship store on Avenue Montaigne in the heart of the 8th arrondissement. The creative challenge for students was to merge Dolce & Gabbana’s distinct Sicilian heritage with the spirit of Paris’s architecture.

During the project, students worked closely with Dolce & Gabbana’s creative directors, along with a team from Chelsfield, to develop and hone their designs, giving students the chance to learn directly from experts in their fields. After professional reviews, the winning design was selected, produced, and installed on the fashion house’s facade. The design, a hand-drawn image in the style of Haussmannien architecture, reflects a signature look of many Parisian buildings. In it are drawings of the store’s windows, offering viewers a glimpse into the D&G’s specific areas of expertise, such as tailoring and modeling.

At the conclusion of the competition, Chelsfield hosted a celebration for all students who participated in the project to congratulate them for their contributions. A spokesperson for Parsons Paris described the project in L’Officiel as a “truly unique opportunity for students...to understand luxury branding through direct collaboration with a team of professionals, and to apply their learning to a real-world project.”