Johnny Diamandis: Academic Profile
Over the past two decades, Johnny Diamandis has held academic roles and contributed as a visiting industry professional at some of the world’s top art and design schools, including the Royal College of Art (QS World Rank 1), Parsons School of Design (QS Rank 3), and the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (QS Rank 09). A graduate of Central Saint Martins (QS Rank 2), Johnny brings both academic insight and deep industry experience to the classroom. He has played a key role in shaping and creating course concepts, integrating studio-based pedagogy with industry-informed methodologies. His teaching approach guides students through the full arc of design development from initial concept generation to technical execution through critique, collaborative workshops, and experiential learning. See individual institution pages for more detail.
Johnny Diamandis (far right) representing Parsons The New School on the panel event” The Future Of Denim; Presented by WGSN and Parsons The New School For Design.” New York City.
Testimonial - Academic Reference - Johnny Diamandis
Abbreviated reference from the former Head of Menswear at RCA. Full signed version available upon request
“In my role as Senior Menswear Tutor at the Royal College of Art between 1998 and 2015, and Course Director of the MA Menswear Course as Westminster University between 2015 and 2017, I ensured that Johnny Diamandis remained a core contributor to both curricula.
As a teacher Johnny is inspiring, forward-thinking, encouraging and profoundly supportive of the creative and professional processes required to nurture change within students. His teaching inspired future thinking in established designers such as Aitor Throup, Matthew Miller, Astrid Andersen, Alex Mullins, Liam Hodges and FengChen Wang, and many others who work within established design houses internationally.
In equal measure he is an inspiring, encouraging, reliable and supportive colleague and it is with great pleasure that I write this reference because Johnny has helped shape my own development and understanding of what it means to consider teaching and design for future generations.”
Yours sincerely, Ike Rust Head of Menswear - Royal College of Art (1998 - 2015)
Aug 2018
Commended Academic Work
While completing his BA in Fashion Design at Central Saint Martins, Diamandis became deeply engaged in the academic component of the course, particularly his Cultural Studies thesis. His dissertation, ironically titled "How to Make Films and Influence People", explored how American popular cinema—through films like Rambo, The Deer Hunter, Platoon, Apocalypse Now, and Kubrick’s Full Metal Jacket—shaped public memory and rewrote the cultural and political narrative of the Vietnam War. This interdisciplinary research earned the highest mark ever awarded to a fashion student at the time. Diamandis received a personal letter of commendation from Dean Jane Rapley, shown here.