Fashion Design

This course focuses on the fundamentals of design and its processes. Students use sketchbooks as documentary tools in order to developed design thinking and creative signature based on primary research. Students will acquire new approaches, observe material and specific characteristics, practice drawing in all its forms and play with a wide variety of techniques and media. Learning the construction of the garments by examining clothing and fashion in context are part of the fundamentals in design. Students will learn to observe representations of clothing and how they manipulate the meaning of the garment.

Prerequisites: Foundation core studios

Students observe and understand the basic pattern development for garment. In this course the focus is on understanding of professional pattern making, metric pattern cutting, and drafting skills. They learn about the architecture of garments and the technical implications of flat construction for the fit and construct basic patterns for skirt, dress, shirt, trousers. This development of the slopers are an excellent base for the students to explore and learn pattern manipulation through specific projects. Observing and exploring the adjustments to change the basic pattern towards individual design through the master plan and the manipulation. Student develop pattern in 2D and construct a 3D garment.

Prerequisites: Foundation core studios

Fashion Drawing and Illustration is one of the important cornerstones in becoming a Fashion Designer. More than ever within this digital age saturated with visuals it is important to have a unique voice with a hand-drawn line that stands out and does not blend in with the rest. This course will therefore focus on finding each student’s unique style and strength to develop it further throughout the year. During this semester we will focus on experimenting with various mixed media in order for each student to find their preferred medium or discover a new favorite technique for drawing. The emphasis will also be on the technical aspects of garments and how to represent them in fashion drawing. To build on the students creative expression we will also use collage, embroidery for another dimension as well as use life models in class. Each student will set a personal goal at the beginning of this Semester to advance his or her personal style throughout this course. The students will be encouraged to embrace new ways of drawing and to draw beyond their comfort zone.

LEARNING OUTCOMES

Upon successful completion of the course, a student should be able to:

1. Students will incorporate the ability to conduct research for inspiration, historical fashion references and upcoming fashion trends using different types of sources and disciplines.
2. Students will learn to compile story/concept boards, to draw flats, to develop a collection, and to present fashion sketches.
3. Students will explore and develop ideas into a 3D format.
4. Students will be able to present ideas in visual form from concept to 3D realization.
5. Students will convert research, concept, and story boards into cohesive fashion collections.

This course will focus on introducing students to the techniques of professional sewing and stitching. Through guided instruction and a series of fashion-focused projects, students will learn how to use the various machines in the fashion studios, develop their technical machine sewing skills to create their personal projects, create hand stitching swatch books, and gain an overall grasp on technical sewing and how it is utilized in the fashion industry.

Prerequisites: Foundation core studios

You may select an elective from the many liberal studies course offerings. Go to the Liberal Studies department page for more information.

Students learn how to explore the conceptual, aesthetic and formal qualities that inform how ideas and impressions are expressed. Applying new ways of design will bring students to innovation and exploration. In depth research, sketching, journaling, sourcing and production of 3D projects are part the fashion design course. Students will explore unusual / non- traditional materials to give their ideas freedom and demonstrate creativity. Learning how to apply the composition of a range of colors and the meaning behind it will be discussed.

Prerequisites: Foundation core studios – Fashion Design 1

Applying the basic pattern drafting skills to the creative world of fashion is the focus in this course. The tools and methods encountering will help to think out of the box and be creative in the research of volumes and how the body is behaving in. Students will use and apply geometric shapes in the flat pattern drafting to explore new ideas in the construction of the garment. Cutting, slashing and spreading the patterns in a creative way to develop interesting contemporary shapes and volumes which will be applied. Student develop pattern in 2D and construct a 3D garment.

Prerequisites: Foundation core studios – Pattern Drafting 1

Practical application of appropriate computer software is a must to cover the demands of hectic fashion market. This course explores CAD software techniques used in the fashion industry to enrich the possibilities of communication skills.

Students will learn how to use vector drawings in Illustrator to create technical flats of essential garments. Different commands in Illustrator will be taught to facilitate the smooth creation of industry appropriate garment. In addition rendering techniques will enhance their digital image presentation such as the creation of pattern, brushes or symbols for technical garment details like print, zips or embellishments. Students will also learn to create digital fashion illustrations using Illustrator that will accompany their flat drawings. Essential InDesign skills will be taught to create a coherent layout and presentation of all the students work.

LEARNING OUTCOMES

Upon successful completion of the course, a student should be able to:

1. Students will learn how to design appropriate flat drawings that are standardized within the fashion Industry covering all of the essential garment types.
2. Students will learn various command and short cuts to speed up their design process.
3. Students will be able to create Patterns, Symbols and Brushes to enhance their designs.
4. Students will learn how to create fashion illustrations in InDesign.
5. Students will convert research, concept, and story boards into cohesive fashion collections.
6. Students will learn the basics InDesign tools to create Mood-boards and a coherent Fashion Presentation.

This course increases students’ knowledge of natural and synthetic fibers, fabrics, and materials as well as the range and application of textiles to the special requirements of clothing production. Students are given an overview of the textile and fiber markets, including fiber identification, knowledge of yarns, and fabric constructions. Dyeing, printing, and finishing methods are introduced to learn characteristics of finished cloth for end use. The historical background of different textiles is examined as well as contemporary developments and the changing values assigned to different textiles.

Prerequisites: Sophomore core studios

Design pervades every aspect of the world around us, from how we communicate information and identity, to the tools and systems that help us navigate through physical and digital environments. As design has such a broad reach, it is important that we learn to think about its implications, and the way it is influenced by—and influences—our society. Design Studies is the academic discipline that examines design’s role in our culture, and in our experience of life. By looking at the processes and products of, as well as the discourse on design, we can better understand how the objects and systems we create can solve problems—or, in some cases, create them. The approach for this course will be multidisciplinary and thematic: each week, we will investigate a new topic, considering how design relates to broader issues such as the ethics of consumption, gender, identity, and sustainability, to name just a few. By looking at theoretical essays, historical and contemporary case studies and key texts about design, students will learn to be more critical about how design gets assimilated into our society, our visual culture and our daily experiences, ultimately bringing that understanding into their presentations of their studio practice and their own creativity.

Students will analyze in this course social, societal, cultural, artistic, ethnic, and historic ideas with a focus on a statement driven development of a collection. Referential work and encounter historic and iconic influences are important elements to develop creative abstraction in designs and emphasis on authentic and personal designs. In this course students learn to analyze and use properties and principles of materiality to make design decisions informed by sustainable practices and take responsible decisions. Students will experiment a variety of design ideation methods to encounter innovations and develop a new vision.

Prerequisites: Sophomore core studios – Fashion Design II

This course analyzes the qualities and characteristics of the fabrics to develop a garment in 3D by draping on the form. Students will analyze traditional garments and reproduce in 3D by learning the classic draping techniques and principles. This course introduces the practice of draping muslin on the mannequin, fabrics workshops and analysis students learn how 2D materials become 3D forms. Students will explore and focus on draping a garment in fabric by using style lines on the body, analyzing the creative use of volume. Students will produce multiple looks in 3D to prepare for the senior year.

Prerequisites: Sophomore core studios – Pattern Drafting II

This course teaches fashion hand drawing techniques mainly from live fashion models; first it will focus on body proportions, body details and body movement to later concentrate on the stylized fashion figure, allowing students to synthesize and create their own ideas.

Students will analyze the behavior of the fabric on the body, how different types of clothing hangs and reacts to movement. Volume and perspective will be a subject of study through lights-shadow and forth-shortening techniques, which help students to situate their fashion figures in the space and prepare them to design clothes as “soft sculptures”, a bridge from 2D to 3D.

Prerequisites: Foundation core studios – semester 1 is prerequisite for semester 2.

You may select an elective from the many liberal studies course offerings. Go to the Liberal Studies department page for more information.

You may select an elective from the many liberal studies course offerings. Go to the Liberal Studies department page for more information.

You may select an elective from the many course offerings in your department or in other departments with the approval of your department chair.

This course focuses on contextualize design philosophy with evidence of fashion history, theoretical underpinnings, and contemporary culture that addresses issues of justice, equity and social responsibility. Students professionalize principals and practices of developing the fashion collection from initial concept to final garments. Understanding and contextualize the codes of garments and re-interpret them into a new vision, taking critical topics including gender, race, size inclusivity and activism through the lens of fashion are core goals in this course. Students communicate muse ideas through research and abstract textile manipulation to develop a collection based on a character.

Prerequisites: Sophomore core studios – Fashion Research I

The focus of this course is placed on creative problem solving of designer garments via advanced construction techniques, tailoring methods, draping, pattern making and finishing techniques. Students will learn how to drape a jacket and how the tailored jacket is constructed. They will interpret the traditional techniques into a garment with vision to make a statement. Understand and contextualize the codes of tailoring and re-interpret them. Learn the complex construction of a tailored garment and use that to be innovative. Students will produce multiple looks in 3D to prepare for the senior year.

Prerequisites: Sophomore core studios – 3D Pattern Development I.

This class focuses on digital tools for fashion design and fashion illustration. Students use Photoshop, Illustrator and InDesign to prepare concept boards and collection concepts completed with scanned sources and original artwork. Exploring a variety of digital design and presentation methods, students will focus on developing new design concepts for defined niche markets; project briefs will involve research and style analysis of a French couture house or a European luxury brand. Applying digital communication and presentation skills, students will develop a new contemporary vision for an innovative product range and their own graphic identity presented in a professional PowerPoint presentation.

Prerequisites: Sophomore core studios – Semester 1 is prerequisite for semester 2.

You may select an elective from the many liberal studies course offerings. Go to the Liberal Studies department page for more information.

Students reflect an individual design aesthetic and philosophy through the execution of contemporary collections ideating engineered skill, imagination and creative vision. In this senior course students reflect authentic identity within a collaborative environment, informed by self-reflection and engaged critiques to ideate fashion practice as cultural messaging through clothes. Conceptualizing an original 2D collection specialized in critical research, investigative fabrication, and a strong concept underpin the creative approach to collection development with purposeful solutions.

Prerequisites: Junior core studios – Fashion Research II.

Managing a fashion collection implies understanding the various steps necessary to produce and sell a designer’s concept. If a person on that chain does not do his/her job properly and on time, the item may not make it to the store. Whoever is interested in “fashion,” a fashion designer or a retailer for example, needs to know the fundamentals of how a fashion collection comes together and how it makes it to the store. Students learn about fashion logistics, the financial aspects of fashion and the relation to retail spaces.

This course is offered to students to get a more in-depth knowledge about materiality and knit. Students will encounter multiple facets of material manipulation to integrate the individuality of the designer’s vision as well into the fabrics. This class will cover as well the fabrication of knit on the industrial knitting machines. Fully fashion products can be explored and the importance of knit with the sustainable aspect.

Prerequisites: Junior core studios.

You may select an elective from the many liberal studies course offerings. Go to the Liberal Studies department page for more information.

You may select an elective from the many course offerings in your department or in other departments with the approval of your department chair.

In this course Students present their resolution and the innovation, which will be communicated throughout the looks of the senior collection fabricated in 3D and final fabric. The focus is on innovative solutions to the challenges the world is facing. In this course students fabricate the entire collection on a professional level with industry standards. Finishing the collection through accessorizing, fashion photography, casting and choosing the staging for the various modes of presentation (installation, catwalk parade, performances, video editing, etc.)

Prerequisites: Junior core studios – Senior Collection 1

This course gives students the opportunity to develop a personal portfolio of creative work. Students identify their specified career goals and prepare their portfolios accordingly, demonstrating their professionalism and understanding of the fashion industry. Focus in this course is the development of individuals and authentic way of presenting the designers universe and vision.

Prerequisites: Junior core studios

You may select an elective from the many liberal studies course offerings. Go to the Liberal Studies department page for more information.

You may select an elective from the many liberal studies course offerings. Go to the Liberal Studies department page for more information.