Here at OC, we are struck by how often we end up in everyday conundrums. The ones that land you in the thick of semi (or full-blown) awkwardness, or maybe, the doghouse.
So, we turned to Simon Collins, the dean of the School of Fashion at Parsons, who after six years in his plum perch, just announced plans to step down at the end of this year. Here, he answers a question tied to his news.
So, we turned to Simon Collins, the dean of the School of Fashion at Parsons, who after six years in his plum perch, just announced plans to step down at the end of this year. Here, he answers a question tied to his news.
Q: When do you know it's time to move on?
A: You know how at the end of your party there are always a couple of guests who just don’t know when to leave? They’ve probably drunk all your booze and eaten all the food. And they’re hanging around at the very end, when all you want is to go to bed and for the fairies to clean up while you sleep.
As a young English lad, I’m sure I filled that role on occasion. But, I’ve since made it my business to leave when the party’s at its height. You get to take away the best of memories––and be the one everyone else associates with the best bits of the night. It’s common sense, really, but it’s amazing how people don’t realize.
The same logic can be applied to myriad other situations. If you’re doing something that has a finite life span, ask yourself if you want to be the person associated with its rise or with its fall. For me, I like to create and then pass the creations on to people who know better how to maintain them. With this in mind, I recently announced my intention to depart from my beloved employer Parsons at the end of the year. If anything could be described as being at its height, then surely it is the School of Fashion at Parsons. Amazing things happen every day, and our students, graduates, faculty, and partners are second to none. The world is watching us as we continue to create beautiful design solutions.
So, of course, I have to leave. To wait another year would run the risk of me being the guy in the kitchen nursing a warm glass of wine and not reaching for his Uber. That’s not me.
Simon Collins