Fashion as Design: Expression and Community

Overview

No true design history can be told without discussing garments and everything that they encompass. Fashion As Design addresses both everyday and high fashion garments from the early 20th Century to today. In this specialization you will consider the design and impact of what you wear, explore fashion as a tool for expression, and experiment with creative prompts that engage your closet. You’ll hear directly from a range of designers, photographers, makers, historians, and others working with clothing—and, in some cases, reimagining and repairing garments for the future. In the Fashion, Expression, Community course, you'll explore how the clothes in your closet connect you to others and make you stand out through items that express identity, create and demonstrate community ties, and borrow and remake existing styles.

Syllabus

Introduction

What we wear informs our everyday experience of self and society. Explore how the clothes in your closet connect you to others and make you stand out through items that express identity, create and demonstrate community ties, and borrow and remake existing styles.

Individuality

In this module explore garments that have been used as a tool for expression—from religious wear to clothes that play with gender and performance. You’ll consider the role of fashion in distinguishing yourself as an individual.