Sean Cabezas talks Parsons

Sean Cabezas, a Designer from California, discusses the realities of studying at one of the world’s most prestigious Fashion Schools.

Since his career began in 2010, Sean has been on a whirlwind Fashion journey, working at some of the biggest names in the biz like GAP, BCBG, and Lisa Perry.
We caught up with Sean to reflect back on his beginnings at Parson’s School of Design in New York.

When did you know you wanted to be a Fashion Designer?

I think I was around 19 years old. I was studying film at Cal State Fullerton, and it was at that time I started experimenting with my personal style. 80s clubs were all the rage in Hollywood back then and I just remember feeling the need to stand out in this incredibly flamboyant scene. Since I couldn’t find exactly what I wanted in stores, I would buy clothes and accessories from thrift stores and then customize them for myself. I would buy Vans sneakers and personalize them with doodles and words. I would add patches to jackets and bags and edit their construction.

I loved this newly found creative and tactile outlet. When I look back at that time in my life, it really was a moment of self discovery. Soon after, classmates and friends started to commission me to make them things and then I started to consider applying for design school.

Was it a difficult decision changing courses?

I was already 4 years into studying film at Cal State when I decided to change courses. Its actually kind of a funny story - I left the final decision half up to chance. I only had 1 year left, but I reached a point where I needed more of a challenge. Even with the connections I had made with people in film, I wasn’t getting what I needed out of film school. So I applied to both USC (school of cinematic arts, LA) and Parsons (school of design, New York). A film school and a fashion school on opposite sides of the country. It was a risky move, but I decided whichever one accepted me would show me the path I was supposed to take. That happened to be Parsons.

When applying to Parsons, what was the application process like?

Parsons wanted to see a portfolio of your current artwork and there was an additional 3 prompts asking to create art based off 3 vague concepts. It was definitely an exercise to test your creativity and how you can conceptualize things.

How did you celebrate when you got accepted?

My dad called me saying a packet from Parsons came in the mail. I knew just knew in that moment without opening the packet that I’d got in. I remember feeling a mixture of emotions. First shock, followed by excitement! Of course I went out and celebrated with friends that night. Needless to say I didn’t get into USC. In my eyes my risky move paid off, my path was chosen.

Why did you decide to apply to Parsons over other Fashion Schools? Do you have any regrets?

When considering my options, I knew I ideally wanted to get out of California and experience living elsewhere. I’d heard a lot of great things about Parsons, and it was known as one of the most prestigious Fashion schools in the country, so I took my chance. I feel I made the right decision in choosing Parsons and a career in Fashion. My creative instinct and love for film actually benefited me when designing collections. Even though this industry is tough, I have hope that it can change for the better. The more I see some of the ‘dinosaur’-led brands collapsing right now, the more I believe there will be a new wave of intelligent, smart and kind people leading the industry forward.

As someone who was accepted to a prestigious fashion school but turned it down for a lesser known school I got better vibes from, I often wonder whether I made the right decision. How important do you think the prestige of a Fashion school is when applying for a job in the industry?

Prestigious fashion schools (in the USA in particular) are expensive and hard to get into, but the connections you can make there are priceless. That’s really what makes it worth it. For example Parsons has an exclusive jobs board for students to apply for available positions at some of the biggest brands. Some of those jobs are specifically made available to Parsons students. They also hold events to connect with professionals in the industry. You can even access these as an Alumni after you’ve left the school. I was able to utilize those resources to land my first freelance gig at Ralph Lauren and my first full time position at Lisa Perry.

The other aspect is the type of people you’re surrounded by. Everybody had to be able to handle the rigorous workload to make it there. For me personally, I thrived in an environment where everybody’s ambitions were high and competition was fierce.

With that being said, when I moved back to LA, having Parsons on my resume didn’t seem to be as important as in New York. The name recognition didn’t seem to go as far on the west coast. But even 10 years later I still often get asked during job interviews, “what was Parson’s like?”. So it definitely has helped me in a lot of ways, but it’s really your portfolio of work and how you come across in an interview that lands you the job.

What were your overall expectations before starting at Parsons?

I expected it to be a challenge (which it was for sure!) But I was hungry for it. I wanted to learn and most importantly be around other creative people. I definitely had a very ‘romantic’ idea of attending a fashion college, surrounded by like minded visionaries. But I wasn’t naive. I knew it would be highly competitive. Parsons was known for it’s many contests, awards and prizes. It was going to be tough, but I knew I had to stand my ground and stay true to myself.

Were those expectations met or exceeded?

Parsons tests your limits and it pushed you to lengths you didn’t realize you could go. In that sense Parsons met my expectations, the experience left me with a strong life long work ethic. I was also right in thinking being around other creatives would inspire me enormously. But I remained true to myself and didn’t let it cloud my vision

Was there anything that shocked or surprised you about your experience in college?

I was expecting politics to play a part in a school like Parsons, but how deep it went was eye opening. It was definitely a warm up to how the real industry can be. It’s like that age-old saying “it’s all in who you know”. Sometimes true talent wasn’t celebrated as much as it should have been. That being said, the professors I had at Parsons were very nurturing of my creativity and to this day I owe a lot to the confidence they instilled in me.

How did you find the transition from California to New York?

I had never been to NYC up until I moved there so it was a big change. I assimilated quickly but I think a city like NYC doesn’t give you a choice. New York continues to move at high speed without you. If you don’t jump with the wind you fall off the side. I needed to be challenged and pushed out of my comfort zone. While living in the city that never sleeps, I learnt how to survive, hustle and seize the endless possibilities.

During my time at Parsons, I was also working part time and doing internships. I knew in order to have a chance of breaking down the walls of the Fashion Industry I had to work hard and have a desirable resume. To survive in New York and break into the Fashion Industry, you had to wear many hats.

Name the biggest overall lesson you learnt from your experience at Parsons, and how this has helped you in your career?

To trust your creative instincts.

Not everyone will see what you see, but having confidence in your vision is everything. However, this should not be confused with arrogance. That’s what I see is most needed especially now in this industry. Some leaders don’t always have true vision - they’ve become complacent in making safe decisions, which in turn isn’t the safe bet at all. The consumer is way more savvy now, and you see that the people who are winning in this fashion game have something unique and exciting to give.

Is there a collection/item you designed from college that you are the most proud of?

I’m really proud of my senior thesis. It was a perfect creative end to my time at Parsons. The collection was based on the ideas surrounding the holiday - Dia De Los Muertos. It is all about celebrating one’s life, even after death. I incorporated this concept into hidden details in the clothing which celebrated my life up to that point. It was an act of gratitude and self reflection. I also teamed up with 3M and made prototype handbags that used their micro projection technology. The thought was that one day our phones will have the ability to project our photos\videos, so having compartments in our bags to help to display these images seems inevitable.

Do you have any advice for students thinking of applying to a competitive fashion school?

Consider that most of these competitive Fashion Schools are ridiculously expensive. Unless you can get a scholarship or come from a wealthy family, you may be paying off your student loan for the rest of your life. However if you know you are talented, passionate and have a real vision in your work then you shouldn’t necessarily let that deter you. If you question yourself on any of the above, this may not be for you.

When studying at Fashion school remember you’re only there for a few years. Be humble, be excited and be enthusiastic! You will be surrounded by creative people from all walks of life, soak up every minute of it. Try not to compete with everyone or get sucked into the politics - just focus on your vision and doing the best you can do. The worst thing you can do is compare yourself to others. I saw that happening a lot at Parsons, which resulted in many student’s collections looking very similar. You need to find your own style.

Share a motto that you feel is important for someone starting out their career in Fashion...

You better love it! It’s a very hard industry but times are changing and so is the industry. There is a new wave of creatives entering this market and I see that they are leading with more efficiency and confidence. It’s up to you to make the change.

By Emma Golley and Sean Cabezas

Sean’s Senior Thesis at Parsons