curriculum
The goal is to learn everything taught in a fashion school program using whatever resources are available to me. This is a draft list of the material I'll need to cover. I'll refine my own curriculum based on these.
Parsons BFA Fashion Design
Parsed from the Parsons BFA Fashion Design curriculum [1] and course descriptions [2].
craft
- flat patternmaking (slopers, blocks, translating design to paper)
- draping / modelling on the stand
- sewing and garment construction
- fitting (muslin toiles, fit models, proportion on body)
- form, silhouette, and garment structure
- couture construction techniques
- tailoring (structured jackets, hand-tailoring methods)
- textiles: fibers, fabrics, weave, knit, finishes, dyeing, printing
- surface design and embellishment (print, embroidery, treatments)
- hand knitting and machine knitting
- material manipulation and experimental fabrication
- technical flats and spec drawing
- fashion illustration and croquis
- drawing and imaging for design
- 3D form through materials (space / materiality foundations)
- digital tools for surface design and pattern development
- shoe design basics
- accessory and millinery design
design process
- design research and reference gathering
- concept development and ideation
- developing a personal design identity and point of view
- working across 2D, 3D, and 4D processes
- visual communication and presentation of ideas
- material research and sampling
- systems thinking applied to fashion
- iterative making: prototype, test, revise
- critique: giving and receiving feedback, editing collections
- translating ideas into makable garments
- specialized studio depth (pathway focus)
- collection development (cohesive body of work)
- storytelling and narrative in fashion
- sustainable and ethical design approaches
- cross-disciplinary collaboration
- self-directed project planning and time management
- documenting process (research, development, outcomes)
- senior thesis: research → ideation → resolution
- thesis formats: garment collection, fashion products, material research, written study, film, or presentation
- pathway — collection: body, gender, age, size; new narratives and visual language
- pathway — fashion product: function, user, context; craft + technology (e.g. AR, AI)
- pathway — materiality: textile innovation, new fabrication, wearables and non-garment outcomes
- pathway — systems & society: fashion as interconnected system; speculative alternatives
- styling and look development for presentation
- integrative studio thinking (foundation-level interdisciplinary design)
art & fashion history / theory
- art and design history and theory (research, writing, critical reasoning)
- objects as history (material culture and design through objects)
- history of fashion, 1850–present (social, economic, industrial context)
- fashion as reflection of and influence on culture
- introduction to fashion studies (sociology of dress, power, identity)
- fashion, visual self-presentation, and social performance
- media, image, and mediated fashion
- fashion, capitalism, branding, and commodity culture
- advanced fashion research seminar (methods for self-directed study)
- analytical writing and oral presentation about fashion
- field research (interviews, observation, photo essay, documentation)
- reading fashion theory and criticism
- liberal-arts breadth (humanities, social sciences — self-directed)
- written exploration of fashion-related social and cultural contexts
industry
- how the fashion industry works: design, manufacturing, retail
- marketing, branding, and positioning
- trend forecasting and market context
- business basics for fashion designers
- entrepreneurship and financial planning
- professional portfolio development
- networking and career positioning
- internship / real-world industry exposure
- presenting work (runway, exhibition, lookbook, digital)
- live projects, competitions, and industry briefs
- understanding the full fashion system (sourcing, production, labor, distribution, care, end of life)
- ethics, responsibility, and sustainability in industry practice
- sustainable systems (environmental context for design decisions)
Central Saint Martins BA Fashion Design
Parsed from the CSM BA (Hons) Fashion Design unit structure [1] and pathway course pages [2].
craft
- flat pattern cutting
- modelling on the stand (draping)
- garment construction
- tailoring processes and finishing
- fashion illustration
- presentation skills (portfolio, lookbooks, show presentation)
- body proportions and cut for garment design
- print and surface decorative techniques
- dyeing, print, and surface treatments
- knit: hand skills through to computerized machinery
- yarn, fibre, and fabric performance
- weave and embroidery (surface design lab skills)
- digital print and emerging fabrication technologies
- material manipulation and experimental making
- working with regenerative and sustainable yarns and fabrics
- non-virgin and regenerative material selection
- 2D to 3D engineered garment realisation
- physical, digital, and hybrid making outcomes
- photography and lens-based documentation (communication pathway)
design process
- research methods for fashion design
- skills, research, and creative development (foundation of design ideas)
- pathway-specific workshop skills (menswear, womenswear, print, knit, or communication)
- exposure to all five pathways in year 1
- creative unions: cross-disciplinary collaborative project on world challenges
- participatory practice addressing social and environmental issues
- developing creative perspectives and individual design vision
- voice and vision: forming your own opinions through studio work
- positioning and articulating your own practice
- self-negotiated project briefs
- honouring and subverting boundaries (technical and conceptual)
- concept-driven design around relevant themes
- experimentation and openness beyond traditional techniques
- in-depth research and broad ideas development
- critique: studio tutorials, group critiques, seminars
- iterative development work (physical, digital, and/or hybrid)
- final collection: research, design, and development
- degree collection proposal to portfolio presentation standard
- final collection: resolution and global sharing
- defining creative identity through manufacturing processes and materials
- collaboration with other fashion pathways and BA Fashion Communication
- live projects, external briefs, and competitions
- pathway — menswear: research-led design responding to culture, identity, world issues
- pathway — womenswear: concept-driven womenswear bridging fashion and fine art practice
- pathway — print: fashion–textile–art intersection; colour, pattern, surface, storytelling
- pathway — knit: material-led knit; structure, technology, responsible outcomes
- pathway — communication: creative identity expressed via presentation formats (exhibition, zine, show, catwalk, etc.)
- climate emergency and inclusive definitions of fashion in creative practice
- ethical approaches and social, racial, and climate justice in design
- decolonising curriculum thinking in fashion practice
- non-gendered approach to fashion design
- engagement with emerging practices and new technologies
art & fashion history / theory
- fashion critical studies (critical and cultural theories underpinning practice)
- research methods for self-directed study
- understanding fashion in global cultural and systems context
- dissertation on visual, textual, material, social, media, or spatial culture
- aligning written research with studio-based work
- extended dissertation route (optional deeper theory focus)
- analytical writing, research, and communication skills
- critical reflection on your own work and development
- cultural awareness and contextual framework for design
- contemporary fashion design communication and promotion (awareness)
- social and cultural influences on your work
- inclusive and diverse fashion pedagogical thinking
- global fashion systems and international community perspectives
industry
- understanding the global fashion industry and system
- professionalism in studio practice
- positioning for employability and future career
- industry placement (DIPS: 100 days / 20 weeks, optional)
- collaboration with external professionals and sponsors
- guest speakers and industry feedback
- live industry projects and competitions
- exposure to manufacturing processes, systems, and materials
- presenting work publicly (fashion show, global sharing, portfolio)
- networking within the international fashion community
- optional diploma in storytelling (audience engagement, narrative industries)
- optional diploma in creative computing or Apple development
- community engagement as part of professional practice
- sustainable transformation of the fashion industry