Moksh Ramaswamy: Studying design at Parsons in New York, with a passion for fashion

Moksh Ramaswamy always hated Mathematics. But that was until he met Dr John Park, his professor at The New School’s Parsons School of Design in New York. John’s simple yet effective teaching methods not only enable Moksh to understand concepts better but also sharpen his skills as a student of Strategic Design and Management.

“He starts off with stories and somehow connects his stories to the problems. He made me fall in love with Maths. I always look forward to his classes at 8:30 am on Mondays and Wednesdays,” smiles Moksh, in a chat with The Global Indian, highlighting the excellent faculty at the prestigious institution.

Moksh had always wanted to study in New York, and that too within the city rather than in the suburbs. “Parsons, located on Fifth Avenue in New York, is on the best street for fashion and art, which made sense to me,” says the youngster, who had been considering NYU or Pratt before finalising Parsons.

The New School and its interdisciplinary approach

For more than a century, Parsons has been inspired by the transformative potential of design. Today, the school’s groundbreaking academic programmes carry forward that mission, making Parsons the No.1 design school in the United States and one of the top three globally.

Part of The New School, Parsons draws on a range of academic fields to deliver a uniquely interdisciplinary education, enriched by the resources of its home in New York City. The university’s approach allows the next generation of creative leaders to engage in real-world learning and develop as critical thinkers.

“I wanted to have a university with extremely good ties, so I could have a shot at landing one of my dream jobs,” says Moksh of his four-year course at The New School.

Building a portfolio for admission

Moksh applied to the institution in August 2025. He submitted his essays that day and his 12-page portfolio on December 25.

“The process of admission can be complicated if you start late. When I started working on my portfolio, I was three and a half months away from the deadline. Although it looks like an ample amount of time, it is absolutely not,” insists Moksh, who spent sleepless nights preparing his portfolio.

It consisted of photo collages, an extremely elaborate abstract oil painting, hand casts, and photography.

“All my art was political and left-leaning. It was mostly made for queer rights, feminism, caste differences, and mental health awareness,” says Moksh, who credits his high school art and sociology teachers for helping him with his artwork.

The long wait for an acceptance letter

Moksh received his acceptance letter through The New School portal on March 31, 2026.

“I read just one word, ‘Congratulations,’ and started celebrating. Little did I know that I had also got a scholarship,” recalls Moksh, who waited six months before receiving the acceptance letter.

Arriving in New York

His course commenced on August 26, 2026, and he arrived in the city on August 6.

“I reached early so that I could get used to the subways, figure out my new phone number and bank account, and get over jet lag. Twenty days passed like it was nothing, and we were already at the end of summer.”

The first year includes classes ranging from two to six hours, covering Integrative Seminars, Quantitative Reasoning, Integrative Studio, Sustainable Systems, and Drawing and Imaging.

Sharing a dorm with six students

Moksh is housed at Stuyvesant Park Residence, a 15-minute walk from the university centre. He shares his gender-inclusive dorm with six students.

“We clicked instantly, and all of us are best friends.” Beyond the friendships, Moksh says there is a solution for every problem on campus. “The academic advisors respond immediately if there is any issue with academics. The staff are really kind, and everything is clean.”

Students have access to gender-neutral bathrooms, safe spaces, silent rooms for music practice, and several other facilities designed for their comfort.

Fifth Avenue and campus life

“The university centre is directly on Fifth Avenue, with an amazing dining hall that serves almost all types of food, like sushi, tacos, buffet, and Indian food too,” says Moksh, who receives allowance for food at the dining hall as well as for food off campus or through Grubhub.

The university centre also has a huge library with a view of the Empire State Building. “The two other Parsons buildings are directly opposite the university centre, where I have four classes.”

The College of Performing Arts and Eugene Lang College are two blocks away from the university centre, giving students access to other parts of The New School’s campus.

First classes and a new love for Maths

On his first day of classes, Moksh had an 8:30 am class in the Lang building.

“I walked my way through the silent and beautiful neighbourhood, scanned, and arrived at 8:25. At exactly 8:30, people started entering the class,” recalls Moksh of his first class with Dr John Park, a teacher at both Columbia and Parsons.

“Sometimes I find myself drifting into a math problem without even realising it, as he (Dr John) always says math is about finding patterns, rather than the solution.”

Discovering the foundations of drawing

Later that afternoon, he had a Drawing and Imaging class with Professor Lepson. “He started with the concept of line, how it is the foundation of many drawings and how a mere line can be used to differentiate between light and dark, and asked us to make a grey scale with only lines.”

For these classes, every Parsons student is required to buy a “Blicks kit”, which contains the necessary items for a first-year student. “It has three types of sketchbooks, newspaper, Bristol pad, and an ordinary sketchbook. Light-to-dark pencils, ink pens, and Sharpies of different sizes.”

A diverse student community

“Parsons is a really diverse school. Most of the students I see are international students. My class is extremely diverse. I am the only Indian student in three of my classes,” says Moksh, who has come across students from Mexico, China, Canada, Macau, and Indonesia.

Exploring New York beyond the classroom

On weekends, Moksh likes to walk around Manhattan, something Parsons encourages its students to do. “They say New York City is your very own classroom. There is nothing you can’t do. I challenge myself with a variety of things,” says Moksh, who takes pole-dancing classes, goes to puppy yoga sessions, attends Pilates classes with hyperpop music, and feeds the pigeons.

When he wants a day to relax, Moksh simply heads to the Union Square flea market or farmers’ market.

From fashion styling to his own luxury brand

“My plans in the future are to work for Vogue or as a fashion stylist and, after that, start my own brand of luxury apparel,” says Moksh.

His father is a businessman who runs a chain of hotels across South India. His mother is a homemaker and his biggest inspiration.

Moksh has also worked with his relative Shravan Kumar, one of the well-known fashion designers in South India, who specialises in bridal wear and authentic jewellery. “Working under him brought out aspects in me I didn’t even know existed within me, such as garment art, sketching, and my love for handicrafts,” adds Moksh.

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