Debut of Mustang Unleashed Reveals Unique Fashion Collection by Parsons The New School for Design

• Mustang Unleashed brings together world-renowned designers and emerging talent from Parsons The New School for Design to create two distinct and inspiring fashion collections that celebrate 50 years of iconic Ford Mustang style and design

• Mustang’s spirit, innovation and legacy inspire next-generation designers from Parsons Design Lab to create a groundbreaking capsule collection

• Design visionaries Anna Sui; Rogan Gregory and Scott Mackinlay-Hahn of Rogan; Paula Cademartori; Tomaso Anfossi and Francesco Ferrari of CO|TE; and Pamela Love capture Mustang’s soul through each of their unique design aesthetics, creating a limited-edition 15-shirt collection on sale now at Gilt.com

The parallels between the fashion and automotive industries converge as design innovators and Ford Motor Company celebrate the official reveal of the Mustang Unleashed collections.

The two-phase global program spotlights world-renowned designers who created a limited-edition line of one-of-a-kind shirts, along with top emerging talents from Parsons The New School for Design who dreamed up a forward-thinking capsule collection.

In celebration of 50 years of fashion, design and pop culture, Mustang inspired the notable global designers, as well as the next-generation of designers who are pushing today’s boundaries in design and fashion.

“Mustang embraces passion, freedom, innovation and personalization, and by bringing together the very best of today’s designers and our next-generation talent, we are blending the parallels between the worlds of fashion and automotive like never before,” said Kim Cape, Ford group marketing manager. “The Mustang Unleashed collections celebrate the iconic pony car and its influence on culture and design over the last five decades and in the years to come.”

Unleashing the boundaries of design

Inspired by the Mustang legacy and the innovative design and technology showcased in the all-new 2015 Mustang, Ford and Parsons The New School for Design came together at the new Parsons Design Lab to create an intricate collection of 34 distinct looks.

A first-of-its-kind collaboration with Ford, the Parsons Design Lab is an entrepreneurial and research-driven unit that focuses on challenging assumptions, exploring new questions and defining new industry paths. Throughout the program, Ford, Parsons and design leaders Sui and Gregory and Mackinlay-Hahn of Rogan guided young designers to develop a thought-provoking and “unleashed” collection that pushes the boundaries of fashion and design by creating new principles, methodologies and industry approaches.

“Truly great designers look across multiple disciplines for inspiration – and that’s just what this incredible partnership is about,” said Simon Collins, dean, Parsons School of Fashion. “Working with Mustang has given our designers firsthand experience with a legendary American brand and has led to a collection of striking, innovative designs.”

The Parsons Design Lab Fellows interpreted the challenge by creating a unique capsule collection featuring three key themes embodied by the Mustang:

• Craftsmanship + Technology: Mustang is an example of premium craftsmanship and technological innovation that has stood the test of time. The collection features new techniques and assembly in the fashion industry, such as laser cut fabrics and accessories and the development of new fabrics, highlighting Mustang’s attention to detail and innovation.
• Freedom + Movement: The ultimate symbol of freedom and the open road, Mustang captures a sense of vibrancy, energy and optimism. In the collection, movement is expressed in the relaxed shapes, while utilitarian elements create a beautiful and unexpected feel.
• Customization + Personalization: The collection connects pieces, and these pieces work together to embody Mustang’s unique ability for customization. Tasked to look at modularity, mass personal customization and the ability to construct garments for multiple uses, items in the collection such as shirts and jackets with multiple sleeves represent the ability for the wearer to personalize the outfit, just as the Mustang is one of the most customized cars on the market.

“Having grown up in Detroit, I have a strong connection and appreciation for the Mustang,” said Sui. “It was an exciting experience to mentor the Parsons Design Lab Fellows, and help young designers pull inspiration from a vehicle that has such rich legacy and has played a defining role in shaping the last 50 years.

“I was instantly drawn to the freedom and movement of the car, and it was refreshing to see this come to life in the thought process and designs of the fellows,” added Sui.

Five visionary designers “unleashed”

Sui, Rogan, Cademartori, CO|TE and Love celebrate Mustang with the official debut of Mustang Unleashed, a limited-edition line of one-of-a-kind shirts.

These five designers from around the world each created three Mustang-inspired shirts, resulting in a collection of 15 designs. The line is proudly made in the United States by Loomstate, a leader in organic and sustainable apparel. The women’s casual-fit T-shirt features a U/V-shaped neckline, slightly fitted sleeves and Loomstate signature skewed sides. The men’s collection is available in the classic crewneck style.

The 15-shirt limited-edition collection is now available exclusively through Gilt (www.gilt.com/unleashed), an innovative online shopping destination. Each Mustang Unleashed limited-edition shirt retails for $39.