Joel Towers, executive dean of Parsons, has described himself as the institution’s “resident tree-hugger.” So it’s no surprise that the school’s latest appointment, Burak Cakmak, comes with a 15-year-strong background in sustainable fashion. Cakmak will officially begin as dean of fashion in August, replacing Simon Collins, who stepped down from the role in December, leaving the position vacant.
Cakmak comes fresh from a gig as Swarovski’s VP of Sustainable Development. Prior to that, he worked at MADE-BY Benelux, a non-profit in the Netherlands, where he helped brands like Acne Studios, Tommy Hilfiger and G Star develop sustainable business practices.
In an interview with Fast Company, Cakmak namechecked brands like Maiyet and Derek Lam that are using sustainable materials and making waves with their ethical business models. He’s also big on technology and its potential for transforming the design and production processes in sustainable ways. He expressed his interest in Carbon3D’s CLIPs [Continuous Liquid Interface Production] technology, for example — a new production system that literally grows components, rather than building them layer by layer as in 3-D printing.
“I truly believe the fashion industry is at a turning point, due to pressure on materials, an increasing population, and demand coming from the growing middle classes around the world.” Cakmak told WWD. “An intelligent design approach can play a role in updating existing business models to fit the realities of our time.”
Could this be the beginning of a new generation of super-conscious tech-savvy American fashion designers? We hope so.