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Audio interview with Frank Rizzo, 1994 May 13

 File — Box: Mixed pav_9, cassette: 10.A

Scope and Contents

In this audio interview with Martica Sawin, Frank Rizzo, Chair of the Fashion Design Department of Parsons School of Design, discusses his experiences as a Parsons student in the 1950s under Ann Keagy, his professional design career, and his return to Parsons as an instructor. He describes his first years as a faculty member, learning to teach with longtime faculty member Theresa Chiappetta and educating many students who would later become respected professionals, including Donna Karan, Louis Dell’Olio, Michael Vollbracht, Willi Smith, and Constance Saunders. He recounts the history of the annual Parsons fashion show and its growth in fame. In describing current challenges, Rizzo acknowledges the growing enrollment of Asian students and the introduction of computer technology into fashion design curriculum. Rizzo and Sawin are briefly joined by a third speaker, identified only as "Bill," who may be William Rancitelli. Sawin recorded this interview in the offices of the Fashion Design Department during an end-of-the-year party.

Dates

  • 1994 May 13

Participant Biography

Frank S. Rizzo began attending Parsons School of Design in 1955 after military service during the Korean War, during which he studied textile design in Japan. He graduated from the Fashion Design Department in 1958. After a decade of professional designing at labels such as Jablow, Hannah Troy, and Ceil Chapman, Rizzo founded his own boutique in Midtown Manhattan in 1960. In 1966, Rizzo returned to Parsons as a member of the Fashion Design Department, and in 1982 was promoted to chairman following the retirement of Ann Keagy. He served in this capacity until 1996.

Container Summary

01:02:22 duration; Includes PDF transcript