Parsons School of Design appoints new Dean of Fashion

By

Obi Anyanwu

Published
Apr 16, 2015

Cakmak will join the top-ranked fashion program in early August, overseeing all areas of the school, including the BFA in Fashion Design; AAS degree programs in Fashion Design and Fashion Marketing; and the MFA in Fashion Design and Society.

Cakmak has extensive international experience in the field of sustainable design and is passionate about education. Most recently, he worked at Swarovski Group in London as the company’s first Vice President of Corporate Responsibility where he established global programs fostering environmental stewardship.
 
Prior to that he served as the General Manager of MADE-BY Benelux in the Netherlands, advancing sustainability practices for brands like H&M, Tommy Hillfiger and Primark, among others, and he was the Kering Group’s first Director of Corporate Sustainability for luxury brands including Gucci, Bottega Venetta, Yves Saint Laurent, Alexander McQueen, and Stella McCartney.

Many influential designers have come out of the Parsons School of Design Program, including Tom Ford, Marc Jacobs, Donna Karen, Isaac Mizrahi, Alexander Wang, Jason Wu, Derek Lam and Jack McCollough.