A Look Into the Highlights of the 2025 Parsons MFA Fashion Show

By Kelly Moon 

February 2, 2026

Ever wondered life as a student in in one of the most prestigious fashion schools in the world? During New York Fashion Week, fifteen graduates of Parsons Masters in Fine Arts (MFA) fashion show of 2025 presented a collection of honest and personal works that provides a glimpse into fashion’s boldest up-and-coming minds. The pieces were captivating and strived to carefully execute each student’s experiences with cultural identity and heritage. With 2 years of work leading up to this moment, it’s a runway show that certainly deserves a spotlight.

Kimberly Ortega

One student named Kimberly Ortega focuses on recycled and donated materials by drawing from her parents’ work as managers of an auto-parts junkyard. She adds her own cultural touch by collaborating with Ecuadorian crafters to tell stories that she feels has been lost in history. She strives to build pieces from history and mistakes and to work with more Ecuadorian artisans to give them a bigger platform in the New York fashion world. 

(Effe) Qi He’s “31: Offside Identity”

Another introspective student, (Effe) Qi He, tries to incorporate his experience growing up in Chinese unisex uniforms into his reimagined sportswear collection. He builds tension between the traditional masculine identity of sportswear and femininity that lies in lingerie and clothing shaped into bold silhouettes. He’s work is inspired by his fascination with hyper-feminine work, representing the desire for individuality and its clash with the conformity that dominated most of his childhood. He uses recycled and vintage pieces such as sports jerseys, scarves, track pants, and lace, highlighting sustainability throughout his work.

Camila Bustamante

For Camila Bustamante, the internet is the prime inspiration for her work. She recalls her teenage years as a girl growing up amidst the age of Tumblr, YouTube, and Instagram to represent herself online. Her pieces are rebellious, dramatic, and flattened and humorously shows the awkwardness of finding one’s identity as a child immersed in technology. Eyes can’t help but to scatter across the blend of Japanese denim with cotton and dress materials as they create rivalry between what is ordinary and exaggerated.

The students of Parsons’ MFA in Fashion Design and Society thus present marvelous scenes from around the world, exploring their identity and its influence on their most authentic designs.