Laura Layfer, MA, History of Decorative Arts

Intensive art and architectural study trips abroad, classes at Cooper-Hewitt with curators and collections, and a semester student teaching a ¡¥History of Modern Design¡¦ course, are some of the opportunities I associate with my Parsons education. The campus culture, like the material culture, proved plentiful: student-organized annual symposia, career panel discussions with figures in the field, and the resources abound with New York City as a backdrop, expanded my rolodex of contacts and ideas. At Parsons, I learned how to think critically and analytically on a broader scale, and as a result, have been able to combine both of my passions, fashion and furniture, into a career.

When I began studying for my MA degree, I was also working full-time at Sotheby¡¦s auction house with their educational program, The American Arts Course. Also a graduate of this Course, I knew early on that I wanted to complement my American decorative arts background with its European counterpart. Fortunately, Parsons helped me figure out how to accomplish this part-time during evenings and summer months, all along encouraging me to continue in my professional role and to find creative ways of incorporating the day-to-day of the auction arena into class projects and papers, maximizing my time and exposure all-around. In fact, practical application was key in every aspect of the curriculum. No doubt, the best example of this being my thesis on French couturier Paul Poiret as the innovator linking fashion and furniture for the twentieth century that not only coincided with a major show at the Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute, but was subsequently published as an article in Antiques & Fine Art Magazine.

Today, as a furniture and couture specialist at Christie¡¦s New York, a typical day can start off at the warehouse to examine property, transition to phone bidding in the saleroom, continue with desk time to research and write a catalogue entry, and finish with a visit to see a client¡¦s collection. This fast-paced, high-energy, hands-on environment is exactly the challenge I seek and enjoy most about my job.

When I look around at Christie¡¦s, at other auction houses, at galleries, and various museum institutions, and see the roster of former classmates that are now current colleagues, I am constantly reminded of the value in being a part of the Parsons community ¡X then and now.