JOFF .

Associate Professor

JOFF adopted his simple one-word moniker when he graduated from the Gerrit Rietveld Acadamie in 2001 to mark the breaking of ties with his upbringing as a Jehovah’s Witness and the birth of his own community. He has since approached fashion through multidisciplinary collaborations as a solo artist or part of a duo or collective.

A self-proclaimed polyglot of fashion, JOFF sees collaboration as central to his professional practice. He has worked as a designer with CX, A Red Skirt, B.O.B. and OFOFFJOFF One-to-One; as a fashion director  for Blend Magazine; as the creative director and editor of Capricious Magazine and Le Derrière Cri; and as curator and artistic director for Arnhem Mode Biennale and Pradasphere. He has executed, engaged and collaborated across disciplines from fashion to fine art, photography to architecture, communicating the image of fashion through polarizing design, performance, fiction and non-fiction writing, publishing and exhibitions. 

JOFF has worked with such brands and institutions as Prada, Maison Martin Margiela, Museum of Contemporary Art Amsterdam (SMA), Swarovski, Robertet Groupe, Nicholas Kirkwood, AF Vandevorst, Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA), Museum of Modern Art/PS1 (MoMA), The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, Raf Simons, Architectonics, Six Scents, Colette Paris, Jil Sander, Karlheinz Weinberger Estate and Chanel, to name a few. 

From 2015–21, JOFF fully committed to the world of academia and became associate director of the Parsons MFA Fashion Design & Society program in NYC. Alongside program director Shelley Fox, he co-directed the multidisciplinary two-year MFA degree in Fashion Design, guiding graduate students not only to become world-class designers but to use their privilege and skillsets to uplift and centralize the voices of those in need within society. This has resulted in various curricular volunteering projects with nonprofit organizations and institutions like Rikers Island Arts Programming and the Ali Forney Center, an organization that supports harmed and homeless LGBTQIA+ youth and communities in the self-described categories of Fat, Advanced Age and Disability.
 

Courses

Fall 2023 Courses

APPAR 3142-01 - SENIOR THESIS: DESIGN IDENTITY I (FALL)
Level Undergraduate
Unit Apparel Design
Subject Apparel Design
Period Fall 2023
Credits 3
Format Studio
Mode In-Person
Start date
End date

APPAR 3142-01

SENIOR THESIS: DESIGN IDENTITY I (FALL)

Level Undergraduate
Unit Apparel Design
Subject Apparel Design
Period Fall 2023
Credits 3
Format Studio
Mode In-Person
Start and End 2023-09-06 to 2023-12-13
Times: M | 8:00 AM - 1:00 PM Instructor(s): JOFF . Location(s): Canal Street Studios, Room 302 Enrolled / Capacity: 14 Status: Open

SECTION DESCRIPTION

This class builds over two semesters, and works in concert with Senior Collection Development. As students begin to develop their thesis Collection, they will uncover what motivates them, what they aspire to in the context of their work and creative practice, as well as what they stand for in the world. The class fosters research, invests in the emotional experience of clothing: how it makes the wearer feel, where it comes from, who it serves. Communication is at the heart of the process, and moves between the visual, written, and the spoken word. Writing prompts are used to bridge thinking and making and students learn to articulate their creative process while developing a distinctive design language and identity. As students explore approaches to fashion/clothing as an embodied discipline, they investigate the sense orientated potential for their designs. Classes are navigated through group work, tutorial-based sessions, cross-disciplinary prompts and critiques.

Majors are pre-registered for this course by the department. Enrollment is limited to Senior Apparel Design Students. 

Major Requirement | BFA Apparel Design

APPAR 3142-02 - SENIOR THESIS: DESIGN IDENTITY I (FALL)
Level Undergraduate
Unit Apparel Design
Subject Apparel Design
Period Fall 2023
Credits 3
Format Studio
Mode In-Person
Start date
End date

APPAR 3142-02

SENIOR THESIS: DESIGN IDENTITY I (FALL)

Level Undergraduate
Unit Apparel Design
Subject Apparel Design
Period Fall 2023
Credits 3
Format Studio
Mode In-Person
Start and End 2023-09-06 to 2023-12-13
Times: W | 11:20 AM - 4:20 PM Instructor(s): JOFF . Location(s): Canal Street Studios, Room 302 Enrolled / Capacity: 14 Status: Open

SECTION DESCRIPTION

This class builds over two semesters, and works in concert with Senior Collection Development. As students begin to develop their thesis Collection, they will uncover what motivates them, what they aspire to in the context of their work and creative practice, as well as what they stand for in the world. The class fosters research, invests in the emotional experience of clothing: how it makes the wearer feel, where it comes from, who it serves. Communication is at the heart of the process, and moves between the visual, written, and the spoken word. Writing prompts are used to bridge thinking and making and students learn to articulate their creative process while developing a distinctive design language and identity. As students explore approaches to fashion/clothing as an embodied discipline, they investigate the sense orientated potential for their designs. Classes are navigated through group work, tutorial-based sessions, cross-disciplinary prompts and critiques.

Majors are pre-registered for this course by the department. Enrollment is limited to Senior Apparel Design Students. 

Major Requirement | BFA Apparel Design

Spring 2024 Courses

APPAR 3143-01 - SENIOR THESIS: DESIGN IDENTITY II (SPRING)
Level Undergraduate
Unit Apparel Design
Subject Apparel Design
Period Spring 2024
Credits 3
Format Studio
Mode In-Person
Start date
End date

APPAR 3143-01

SENIOR THESIS: DESIGN IDENTITY II (SPRING)

Level Undergraduate
Unit Apparel Design
Subject Apparel Design
Period Spring 2024
Credits 3
Format Studio
Mode In-Person
Start and End 2024-02-15 to 2024-05-24
Times: W | 11:20 AM - 4:20 PM Instructor(s): JOFF . Location(s): Canal Street Studios, Room 302 Enrolled / Capacity: 13 Status: Open

SECTION DESCRIPTION

Building upon the research, explorations and discourses that began during the fall, students are prepared to be resourceful, feeling thinkers who use fashion/clothing as a platform for diverse cultural dialogue. They refine and execute a series of works that demonstrate their philosophy, vision, and establishes their authentic design language and identity. As they develop the capacity to express their mission and concepts in their fullest form/s, they are better equipped to communicate their ideas to their intended audience, and potential collaborators. The two semesters culminate in a portfolio, lookbook, film short and written essay. Students also have the opportunity to collaborate with International Flavors and Fragrances on the scent of their collection. Classes are navigated through group work, tutorial-based sessions, cross-disciplinary prompts and critiques.

Majors are pre-registered for this course by the department. Enrollment is limited to Senior Apparel Design Students. 

Major Requirement | BFA Apparel Design

APPAR 3143-02 - SENIOR THESIS: DESIGN IDENTITY II (SPRING)
Level Undergraduate
Unit Apparel Design
Subject Apparel Design
Period Spring 2024
Credits 3
Format Studio
Mode In-Person
Start date
End date

APPAR 3143-02

SENIOR THESIS: DESIGN IDENTITY II (SPRING)

Level Undergraduate
Unit Apparel Design
Subject Apparel Design
Period Spring 2024
Credits 3
Format Studio
Mode In-Person
Start and End 2024-02-15 to 2024-05-24
Times: F | 8:00 AM - 1:00 PM Instructor(s): JOFF . Location(s): Canal Street Studios, Room 302 Enrolled / Capacity: 13 Status: Open

SECTION DESCRIPTION

Building upon the research, explorations and discourses that began during the fall, students are prepared to be resourceful, feeling thinkers who use fashion/clothing as a platform for diverse cultural dialogue. They refine and execute a series of works that demonstrate their philosophy, vision, and establishes their authentic design language and identity. As they develop the capacity to express their mission and concepts in their fullest form/s, they are better equipped to communicate their ideas to their intended audience, and potential collaborators. The two semesters culminate in a portfolio, lookbook, film short and written essay. Students also have the opportunity to collaborate with International Flavors and Fragrances on the scent of their collection. Classes are navigated through group work, tutorial-based sessions, cross-disciplinary prompts and critiques.

Majors are pre-registered for this course by the department. Enrollment is limited to Senior Apparel Design Students. 

Major Requirement | BFA Apparel Design

JM 4445-01 - SOPHOMORE JEWELRY DESIGN: TECHNOLOGY AND MAKING
Level Undergraduate
Unit Jewelry + Metalsmithing
Subject Jewelry + Metalsmithing
Period Spring 2024
Credits 3
Format Studio
Mode In-Person
Start date
End date

JM 4445-01

SOPHOMORE JEWELRY DESIGN: TECHNOLOGY AND MAKING

Level Undergraduate
Unit Jewelry + Metalsmithing
Subject Jewelry + Metalsmithing
Period Spring 2024
Credits 3
Format Studio
Mode In-Person
Start and End 2024-02-15 to 2024-05-24
Times: TH | 1:10 PM - 6:10 PM Instructor(s): JOFF . Location(s): Metcalf Building, Room 220 Enrolled / Capacity: 15 Status: Open

SECTION DESCRIPTION

Whether you work with pencil and paper or create drawings on the computer, the tools of a designer are all means by which you can define an idea, create a model, and make a finished piece of jewelry. This course begins with a series of design study assignments, in-class lectures, and technical instruction in Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign. Using these tools, students learn the fundamentals of image manipulation, illustration, laser cutting, vector graphics, layering, and graphic editing on the computer. Play and experimentation with materials will be expected and by the end of the course, students will have an understanding of how the use of computers combined with handwork can create exceptional pieces of jewelry.This course will bring technology to the bench.

Majors are pre-registered for this course by the department. Enrollment is limited to Sophomore Jewelry + Metalsmithing Students.

Major Requirement | BFA Jewelry + Metalsmithing