The Parsons BFA Runway Show Just Got More Exclusive

As the value of a higher education degree gets called into question, the bar for academic excellence is getting higher.

At the Ivy level, rampant grade inflation has led Harvard to finalize a decision this week on a proposal capping the number of A’s per class at 20 percent. One of the upsides, according to advocates, is that it would encourage risk-taking.

Of course, no one ever accused fashion students of taking too few risks. But the mentality of awarding participation can still dull a design school’s competitive edge. That’s why Parsons sharpened its 2026 BFA show, which occurred Sunday, by making access more exclusive, downsizing from last year’s 263 participants to 31. 

“We really wanted to highlight the best work across the program,” said director Anna Lerner-Zwick backstage at The Glasshouse in Manhattan during final touches. She outlined a new three-tier system involving faculty nominations and reviews, both by BFA leadership and an industry panel of alumni designers like Narciso Rodriguez, Peter Som and Tracy Reese. Sticking with the magic of threes, fewer students meant each could present a trio of looks instead of just one. 

“What can you say in one look? You can say a little, but not enough,” Zwick continued, “so they’re having their mini collection, they’re having their moment.” And as for the rest of the graduates? “That’s just the industry, not everybody wins.”

They’ll be recognized elsewhere during commencement or the Parsons BFA awards, but in order to win this specific opportunity, Zwick said she was keen on well-rounded students who displayed creativity as well as commerciality. “We’re really asking them to think about the world, not just pretty things for the runway, so execution is a big part of it.”

While there wasn’t really anything commercial about Micah Wong’s Filipino ceremonial garb complete with headdresses made of carabao horns and capiz shells or Vy Le’s queer interpretation of a Vietnamese “Mother Goddess” coat in tulle-topped Chantilly lace with hand-painted sequins, their execution was impressive and they sure did look pretty for the runway. 

In fact, there were a lot of pretty curiosities to ogle at, bursting with color and fun costume-party energy (note the many party hats). All the more curious then that the majority of students referenced war zones or used their senior theses to protest governmental suppression. Scared the world is ending? Throw on an enormous bicorne or maybe a potato-chip bag top, they seemed to say.

Food and fashion was certainly the cure for designer Tianni Li’s woes. The restaurant worker said she wanted to capture the hustle and bustle of street markets in Yunnan, China, collaging fruit and basket prints with sequins and argyle. Li also shredded the silk threads on a pannier skirt to mimic the texture of tofu. “I don’t do things very seriously. I like to keep my clothes in playful situations,” she said. Asked what her plans are post-graduation, Li admitted her basic printing skills could improve, hopefully with assistance from someone at Dries Van Noten. “If I can get in there, I’d be really happy.”

Another highlight was Ziv Liu, especially because his genderless garments were among the few that felt relevant and wearable. According to the designer, he presented them on male models as a way to deconstruct masculine stereotypes. “One side was inspired by my dad. He’s a very soft, loving person and the other was inspired by my experience in the military, where everything is very rigid. And I was kind of finding a reflection of myself in between the two extremes,” he explained. 

A single drawcord lined the drop-waist of Liu’s black balloon dress, while a gingham shirt sprouted them all over, allowing the wearer to play with proportions and volume. Liu said the patterns are fairly simple, “but by adjusting them you break out that form, almost like me or anyone else, you’re defining yourself based on how much you pull.”

Liu’s dream is to start a brand of his own, “but we’ll see where this takes me,” he said. Then, referencing the interview in progress, he added, “Hopefully, this will get me somewhere, right?”