Fashion as Design: Silhouettes and Icons

Overview

Every garment we choose is a deliberate act of design. This course offers a deep dive into the iconic silhouettes that have defined the last century, shifting your perspective from seeing clothes simply as products to understanding them as social and cultural blueprints. Through exclusive access to The Museum of Modern Art’s network of designers, historians, and photographers, you will analyze how specific shapes and designs have been used to project power, navigate gender, and redefine the self. Whether you are a student of design, a professional in a creative industry, or a lifelong learner curious about fashion, you will develop a sophisticated vocabulary for the evolution of style. Career Application: This course transforms the study of silhouettes into a professional competency in visual storytelling and cultural trend analysis. By developing a sophisticated vocabulary around how garment shapes project power and navigate identity, you acquire the critical insights necessary to lead high-impact creative direction in marketing, forecast consumer aesthetics, and produce authoritative cultural commentary.

Syllabus

Introduction

In this course, examples of silhouettes and iconic garments from the 20th century to today serve as a springboard to consider how we use clothing and accessories to project, aspire, and shift our sense of self.

Silhouettes

When we get dressed, the shape our clothes create—a silhouette—is influenced by everything from shifting trends in fashion to what looks and feels good. In this module you will explore how clothing shapes the body and how our ideas about the body shapes the clothing we wear.

Icons

What makes a garment iconic? Sometimes it’s the power of the wearer’s personality, or a person’s role—from an athlete to the military—that elevates an ordinary item to fashion’s mainstream. In this module you’ll consider how the clothing we wear reflects who you are and what you want to become.