Fashion (FASH)

In this studio course, students are introduced to professional standard sewing techniques and apparel construction. Through assignments, the fundamental techniques are applied and explored to study proper garment construction and execution.

This course introduces students to the qualities and properties of fashion fabrics. By investigating the fibers, quality, construction, care and finishing of textiles, students learn the basics of fabric identification and specific uses in the fashion industry. The course requires studio projects and provides demonstrations of basic methods of textile design development, weaving, printing and dyeing.

This studio course addresses the basic elements of fashion design. Assignments introduce the design processes of trend and fabric research, storyboarding compiling, color story, design innovation and the 2D to 3D development of creative ideas.

Tailoring represents a foundational discipline within fashion design, distinguished by its sophisticated construction techniques and structural precision. This course advances students from introductory pattern analysis to the execution of fully realized garments using industry-standard methodology. Through rigorous application of traditional machine and hand-tailoring methods, structured canvas construction, and correctly sequenced assembly, students develop the technical expertise required for professional-grade garment execution.

This studio course focuses on advanced garment construction. It explores the development of basic level apparel styles through the application of pattern drafting principles. Students draft and execute professional standard patterns through flat pattern methods, measurements and rub-off. Students study the full process of garment construction from initial design through prototyping and finishing.

This course introduces fashion sketching techniques to communicate the ideas, concepts and details of garments by visually interpreting fashion apparel, including the body proportions and garment fit used in basic fashion sketching.

From design materials to manufacturing and distributing processes, the life cycle of a garment must be examined to ensure proper ethically, economically and socially responsible stewardship. In this course, students investigate current sustainable practices and explore new strategies for tempering the fashion industry's impact on the environment.

This course presents a visual history of fashion from ancient Egypt to the present, with particular emphasis on recent history from the mid-19th through the early 21st centuries. Students discuss and analyze historical periods and their influence on contemporary fashion.

This course is directed toward the commercial and professional elements of fashion. Students are expected to analyze all aspects of merchandising and marketing within fashion and its related industries.

This studio course focuses on a more advanced approach to garment construction. Students conceptualize complex apparel styles through the study of draping principles and processes.

This course introduces a fashion drawing technique to communicate the ideas, moods and details of garments by visually interpreting fashion apparel, including the body proportions used in basic fashion drawing. Drawing techniques integrate the use of croquis and the concept of flat specification. As students create various croquis bodies for individual portfolios, they are expected to develop their own personal style and flat specification drawing skills.

This course explores many aspects of fashion illustration, from drawing basic fashion figures to producing finished professional illustrations in color. The course addresses fashion illustration from the perspectives of both fashion designers and fashion illustrators and examines the role of fashion illustration in different areas of the fashion industry.

This course provides the opportunity for students to integrate their fashion design development with computer- aided systems. The emphasis is on fashion innovation and concept design exploration enhanced by computer applications.

Students are introduced to the processes of creating fully-fashioned knitwear. Assigned projects support the development of a knitwear sample book, and students explore various techniques and processes needed to create finished apparel.

This studio course explores the fashion menswear market. Focus is on trend identification, silhouette and style, portfolio presentation of trend boards and design developments.

Students in this course learn how to create and analyze styled outfits that communicate ideas, trends, and themes within fashion images. While researching contemporary styling icons, students explore both commercial and personal styling techniques applicable to the industries, fashion, film and television, photography, advertising, and more.

This course is for students who are interested in the concept of innovative menswear design. Students gain a clear understanding of the construction and cutting skills that inform the designer while acquiring the skills necessary for the construction of menswear blocks and patterns.

This course is for students who are interested in the concept of innovative design. Students acquire a clear understanding and the necessary experience of generating, developing and realizing a wide variety of creative menswear ideas.

This required junior year course prepares students for the rigorous Senior Collection I, II and III series. The course enables students to develop a personal design ideology through exploration, experimentation and problem-solving.

Performing a variety of functions in the organization, storage and retrieval of patterns within a CAD system, students in this course are introduced to and develop skills for the application of current CAD/ CAM technologies for apparel production, including computer-aided design for apparel patternmaking, pattern alterations and made-to-measure patterns.

The next generation of designers are key in developing new and efficient methods of production for the fashion industry. This course introduces students to the robust 3D simulation engine that allows designers to organize countless layers of intricate design details and complicated pattern pieces into a sustainable design process. Students utilize complex software to review changes to colors, textures, and finishing details for refinement before fabric finalization.

Fabric draping allows designers to push the boundaries of fashion design. Students in this course analyze fabric properties and master the art of draping to create diverse and experimental designs. Students showcase their creativity and proficiency in manipulating fabrics to produce innovative fashion concepts..

This course introduces students to the skills and discipline of the specialized area of evening wear. Researching occasions for the different applications of formalwear, students develop a series of designs suitable to tailoring techniques and select fabrics that explore color, texture and pattern. Students conceptualize a collection of suitable evening garments for professional review. Results may range from the traditional to the avant-garde.

This is the first in a three-quarter sequence of courses in which the student focuses on conceptualizing an original 2D collection specializing in a major area of design. Students explore identifying customer profiles, researching major areas of specialization, sources of inspiration and fabrication selection. The student develops portfolio-ready technical sketches, illustrations, flats, storyboards, color storyboards and fabric swatches in preparation for the Senior Collection II course.

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.

Students enhance their 3D software skills with the advanced practice of 3D surface technology. Through the exploration of digital processes, new materials and textiles are developed to improve the quality of designs for the future of fashion. Students use critical decision-making techniques to solve fabric challenges and construct finished prototypes.

Leveraging an expansive and evolving menswear market, students learn to generate an array of concepts to support an original menswear collection. Students develop portfolio-ready technical sketches, illustrations, flats, storyboards, and fabric swatches. Researching customer profiles and fashion trends, students construct a professional presentation that articulates their design direction and process for a modern fashion menswear market.

Fashion-forward menswear requires innovative creativity and a memorable brand identity to thrive in the marketplace. In this course, students hone their drafting and draping skillsets as they translate 2D menswear designs into runway-ready garments. Students gain fluency in the brand identity, promotion, and marketing techniques that illuminate their inventions.

With the successful unification of history and sustainability, denimwear has evolved with style. In this course, students explore contemporary denim production as they learn its cultural significance and understand how to navigate technologies and manufacturing process that create ethical, eco-friendly fashions. Students design their own collection alongside entrepreneurial approaches that promote their vision.

In this course, students explore all aspects of denim product development, from conceptualization to fabrication to presentation. Students extensively research the industry as they produce ethical denim designs that meet customer needs and sustainability expectations. Students learn how the visual identity and presentation of their denimwear leads to fashion with an impact.

Students in this course develop skills necessary to create advanced sample garments. The emphasis is on the production of the first sample muslin or prototype through the application of advanced draping and pattern drafting techniques. Students work with fit models to learn the various fitting procedures used in the industry. Pattern alterations and manipulations are demonstrated in class to show how alterations are processed and corrected on the paper pattern. Presentation of final muslins is critiqued prior to the development of final garments.

In this course, students are immersed in the highly specialized, multi-billion dollar bridal and eveningwear industry. Students examine historic and contemporary silhouettes while taking a deep dive into structure, draping, and tailored fits. Students learn how to identify market shifts in order to create design concepts and prototypes that respond with elegant innovation.

Bridal and eveningwear fashion expresses individuality with pomp and flair. Students in this course evolve their techniques to design and transform muslin prototypes into radiant runway looks. Through brand research and analysis, students understand how to identify opportunities for their own creative expansion.

Utilizing specialized techniques and tools, students explore the process of machine knitting for the creation of fully-fashioned knitwear. Students acquire the technical skills needed for developing a body of work that demonstrates an understanding of knitwear fashion and garment construction. Furthermore, students explore the various design potential within the specialism of fashion knitwear through a process of analysis, conceptual realization, sampling, and collection development.

Utilizing complex industrial machinery, industry-standard construction techniques, and advanced sample garments, students complete a professional body of work from their own constructed knitted fabrics. Incorporating previous knitwear research and design, students execute a final collection evidencing their personal design ideology.

The future of fashion serves all. In this course, students explore the principles of inclusive fashion design and the responsibility of fashion designers to create with inclusivity in mind. Through evidence-based research, students conceptualize and present an original collection of inclusive fashion designs and functional solutions.

From concept to construction, students design garments with consideration for inclusivity in material, form, and function. Students research and address design challenges, utilize innovative technology, and produce inclusive and adaptive designs. Students thoughtfully develop and successfully communicate their human-centered design solutions that make fashion more accessible and functional for all.

Now more than ever, the fashion industry needs qualified leaders to address systemic issues. In this course, students explore issues in product life cycles, sustainable practices, and a circular economy. Examining wasteful resource practices, manufacturing pollution, and unethical treatment of workers throughout the supply chain, students learn how to shift toward ethical and environmentally-responsible practices.

Sustainable fashion is necessary to minimize the environmental impact of the industry. In this course, students expand their sustainable strategies, incorporating their research into environmentally-responsible designs. Considering material sourcing, manufacturing techniques, distribution logistics, longevity of use, and responsible disposal, students develop a portfolio of sustainable construction samples.

This is the last in a three-course sequence where students produce a final collection in selected fabrics. Industry-standard construction techniques are applied in the execution of the student’s final collection. Portfolio-quality presentation boards support the collection.

Internships offer students valuable opportunities to work in a professional environment and gain firsthand experience to help them prepare for careers. In an approved internship setting, a student typically spends one quarter working with an on-site professional supervisor and a faculty internship supervisor to achieve specific goals and objectives related to the program of study.

This course gives incoming graduate students an understanding of the creative process of design development as it relates to the fashion industry, and includes projects focused on ideation, visual research and communication skills, sketching, and design presentation.

This course both explores and evaluates the student’s understanding of how sketching is used to communicate ideas, concepts and details of garments and accessories by visual interpretation through drawing and illustration. It includes proportion, fit, technical representation, fabric and surface rendering, and professional portfolio development, as used in the fashion apparel and accessory design industries. Students work in various media and explore communication and drawing techniques.

This course is directed towards the global fashion marketplace. Students analyze business practices and market trends. Aspects of marketing and merchandising within the fashion industry are explored.

Based on feedback from departmental faculty, this course is necessary to address the additional need for technically-focused preparation for our incoming graduate students. This additional opportunity to hone skills in apparel realization will enhance the quality of work produced in all successive graduate courses for M.A. and M.F.A. fashion students.

This course develops students’ investigative approaches to fashion materials, creative processes, and the working relationship between fashion design and related technology. This course provides an opportunity for students to explore and experiment with three-dimensional development and realization techniques to inform their individual design identity.

This course develops students’ ability to communicate creative fashion designs in two dimensions. Projects focus on the exploration of media, proportion and line in developing an individual illustrative style that expresses their unique identity as a brand.

From digitally simulated fabrics to sophisticated collection presentations, fashion professionals leverage a mastery of digital tools to design and present innovative concepts. In this course, students use a range of industry-specific technology solutions to develop original fashion collections and create engaging visual presentations.

From the creation of fashion illustrations and technical drawings to the application of finishing techniques, students cultivate mastery of design ideation, visual communication and realization. Students use an industry brief to research, design and produce an innovative collection for a specific customer profile.

This course furthers the students’ research into visual media through the conceptualization and realization of multimedia presentations. Projects are formatted to encourage the cross-disciplinary exploration of advanced applications, such as drawn media, computer-based techniques, photography and film.

Within the context of cross-disciplinary collaborations, students in this course are expected to produce original design work, making a unique and innovative contribution to fashion. Students design and produce a collection in an area of their choice that demonstrates the mastery of both technical and aesthetic skills.

Fashion M.A. students are required to develop and complete a final project that represents the culmination of their academic program.

Students in this course undertake a field assignment under the supervision of a faculty member.

Students in this course undertake a teaching assignment under the supervision of a faculty member.

This course is phase one of the three-step thesis series. Students compile the research necessary to support their thesis concept, and complete a written literature review. This research is then implemented in the development of a final collection concept. In this first phase, students initiate the development of prototypes (muslins) that reflect their material selection and silhouette exploration.

This course is an advanced study of the mechanisms that promote fashion change. Topics include color, textile and style forecasting. The course promotes discussion of fashion as a psychological and sociological phenomenon of temporary style preferences. Through methods of consumer research and sales forecasting, students identify and analyze the connection between consumer preferences and product.

In this course, phase two of the thesis series, students refine their concepts and articulate their design methodology within an approved final collection. Students finalize their materials and fabrications to begin constructing the collections.

This course constitutes the culmination of the students’ thesis series. Fashion M.F.A. candidates finalize their thesis collection, present their thesis process, and complete a professional portfolio.