The audio recordings comprising this collection were created over the course of two consecutive fall semesters at Parsons School of Design. The recordings consist of established fashion designers -- many Parsons School of Design alumni -- introducing themselves to groups of Fashion Design seniors and proposing projects, known as "concepts," to the students as part of Parsons' “Critic Direction” program. The students then ask questions about the projects in order to select the "designer critic" with whom they would like to work. In addition to designers and students, Fashion Design Department Chair Frank Rizzo and professor Marie Essex can be heard in the recordings, often in the role of moderator. It is likely that the sessions occurred in the former Parsons Fashion Education Center, located at 560 Seventh Avenue in New York's Garment District.

Designer critic introductions vary depending on the approach of the designer. Some critics provide extensive biographical information, while others immediately start to describe their concept or theme for the year's project. Some concepts are open-ended, while others restrict students to designing for specific seasons, color palettes, apparel categories (e.g., evening wear, menswear), and/or creating new designs inspired by earlier fashion designers' work. Some critics focus on technical advice, such as how to create certain silhouettes, or how certain fabrics can be used. Others explain what sets their projects apart and why students might benefit from working with them. Many of the recordings include question and answer sessions in which students and professors ask the designer critics to elaborate on their ideas, or seek general career and design advice.

The designer critic program created an opportunity for students to learn from and create garments under the guidance of successful fashion designers. Students worked with these designers to conceptualize, design, and produce an outfit throughout the semester. The culmination of the program was a fashion runway show featuring the students' work, with the work available for sale at the event. With three exceptions, each recording has been matched to a collection identified in the printed fashion show programs (available in the New School Archives).The recordings indicate that designer critics worked with students throughout all phases of the design process (e.g., looking at design sketches, fabric choices, and the construction process). It is unclear from the recordings how often the designer critics and their group of students actually met. However, it is evident that some of the recordings were made on the same day in the same classroom, giving the impression that designer critic presentations often happened in quick succession over the course of several days or a week. Not every designer critic who participated in the program is captured in a recording.

Recordings are an average of eighteen minutes in duration, with some lasting no more than five minutes and others spanning a half hour. The microphone or the recorder placement appears to have been next to the designer critic. Student voices are often faint or inaudible, although the microphone does pick up student conversations during a few critic sessions. None of the students are identified by name. Sound quality is inconsistent between recordings. Some are clear, while others exhibit considerable static. No audio clean up has been performed on these recordings, nor have transcripts been commissioned.