From a press release issued by Ducati North America:

DUCATI MOTOR COLLABORATES WITH PARSONS SCHOOL OF DESIGN TO CREATE INNOVATIVE MOTORCYCLE APPAREL

Collection will premier in New York on May 10 at Parsons Benefit and Fashion Show, with special appearance by Eric Bostrom, Ducati AMA Superbike race. Collection will also be on display in Italy from May 17 to May 23 at the World Ducati Week at the Santa Monica track in Misano.

Bologna (IT), April 2004: Famous for its racing-inspired motorcycles characterized by unique engine features, innovative design, advanced engineering and overall technical excellence, Ducati has partnered with the Parson’s School of Design in New York to create a collection of motorcycle-inspired apparel and accessories. The six month project has resulted in a collection which will be unveiled on May 10th at the 56th Annual Parsons Benefit and Fashion Show. Eric Bostrom, the Ducati AMA Superbike racer, will make his catwalk debut at the show, wearing select items from the collection.

The Ducati/Parsons project was initiated in Autumn 2003 by Ducati Creative Director, David Gross, who challenged Parsons Fashion Design students to create a new line of motorcycle-inspired apparel and accessories for the premium Italian motorbike manufacturer. With its unbeatable racetrack record, Ducati has long been known for its high performance sport motorcycles. In 1998, the company ventured into the apparel industry and today, apparel and accessories represent areas of tremendous growth for Ducati. Ducati’s expertise in protective gear and body armor complements Parsons’ creative insight on current fashion trends, resulting in an exciting new dimension in motorcycle gear. With additional support from the Italian Trade Commission, which supplied leather and high-tech fabrics for the project, the Parsons students have created impressive results.

Ducati has long been known for the premium it places on design. In the past decade, Ducati designers have created distinct modern masterpieces of industrial design: the Ducati Monster, the 916, the MH900e, and most recently, Pierre Terblanche’s new 999, Multistrada 1000 and the Sport Classic retro-futuristic dream bikes. Today, Ducati motorbikes are icons of industrial design and have been included as works of art in various museums, including the Guggenheim in New York and the Museum of Modern Art in San Francisco.

The students of Parsons have created an impressive collection, ranging from intimate wear to accessories and on-road gear. Student Jane Choi has created a line of sports bags and shoes that harness the wild, sleek energy of the bikes, while Nery Vargas focused on t-shirt style dresses inspired by the clean lines of the open road. Wing Sze Luk’s watches, jewelry and underwear bring the style to an intimate level, and Kristina Fuchs and June Keltaneh focused on a futuristic line of outerwear.

“Gorgeous, impressive and incredible! The collection anticipates many of the apparel and accessories trends in the high performance motorcycle world and adds an element of contemporary fashion that is truly exciting and avant-garde, “says Gross.

The Ducati/Parsons collection will premiere at the Parsons Benefit and Fashion show on Monday, May 10, 2004. This year’s event honors Parsons alumnus Marc Jacobs, and will take place at Pier 60, Chelsea Piers, New York. The show will showcase the best of the graduating seniors’ collection and feature student work for two other themes, including Italian textiles arranged by the Italian Trade Commission and new designs incorporating SAGA Furs. The Gold Thimble Awards and the Designer of the Year Award will also be presented, and about 700 fashion industry leaders are expected to be in attendance at the benefit and show, which raises funds for scholarships and academic program needs.

In addition, the collection will be on display in Italy from May 17 to May 23 at the World Ducati Week at the Santa Monica track in Misano Adriatico, where over 30,000 Ducati enthusiasts are expected. A huge event attended by press and celebrities from all over the world, the show promises international exposure on a grand level.

The Parsons School of Design is the alma mater of many fashion luminaries, including Donna Karan, Tom Ford and Fernandez Rodriguez. The school currently enrolls about 2,400 undergraduate students, 500 graduate students, and 2,500 non-degree students from the USA and 60 countries.