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Go at your own pace
6 Sessions / 6 hours of work per session
Price
Premium membership $20/month (Preview session 1 free)
Included w/ premium membership ($20/month)
Skill Level
Beginner
Video Transcripts
English, Spanish; Castilian, Russian, Chinese, Portuguese
Topics
Design, History, Runway, Couture

Not available for purchase in India

Open for Enrollment

Fashion Style Icons and Design History

Open for Enrollment
You can also start immediately after joining!

Would you like to enroll?

Enrollment for this course has closed. But you can enroll in a future offering (please select)

Enrollment has closed

Go at your own pace
6 Sessions / 6 hours of work per session
Price
Premium membership $20/month (Preview session 1 free)
Included w/ premium membership ($20/month)
Skill Level
Beginner
Video Transcripts
English, Spanish; Castilian, Russian, Chinese, Portuguese
Topics
Design, History, Runway, Couture

Not available for purchase in India

Course Description

While the term “Fashion Icon” is relatively modern, fashion has always been defined and redefined by bold visionaries throughout history. Images of today's celebrities and fashion mavens are ever-present, but long before the selfie, sculpture and painting captured individuals and their fashion styling. Designers still look to these powerful sources for fashion elements and inspiration, and this course will trace the history of clothing and the way that themes have been interpreted over the last 500 years.

Starting in the 15th century, we will view the fashion biographies of notable individuals and examine garments and ‘looks’ for their trend-setting elements. Fashion is extremely and pointedly cyclical, and garment elements and design ideas that look ‘fresh’ to a certain generation can often be directly or indirectly traced to a prior moment or figure in history. In this course we will look at some of these times and people, and compare and contrast them to fashion that has emerged. Contemporary designs will be reviewed to identify the reuse or redefinition of many of these details. We will progressively develop the eye and skill to sketch and create our own ideas through a creative journaling process, culminating in an original design project based on historical elements.

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schedule

This course is in adaptive mode and is open for enrollment. Learn more about adaptive courses here.

Session 1: From Fashion’s Rich Renaissance to Going Baroque (April 2, 2024)
In this session, we’ll be going over how prominent figures and styles from the 15th century to the end of the 19th century expressed wealth and power.
7 lessons
1. From Fashion's Rich Renaissance to Going Baroque
2. Pass the Duchy
3. Tudors and Four Layers
4. The Virgin Queen and the Deflowering of Moderation (Premium Exclusive)
5. Blinded by the Light of the Sun King
6. Louie, Louie, oh, oh! (Premium Exclusive)
7. From Duchies to Dancers
Session 2: The Turn of a Century Curves Into a Corset (April 9, 2024)
In this session, we’ll continue looking through some informal and formal European styles that emerged throughout the Victorian era.
6 lessons
1. An Icon of Tremendous Proportion (Premium Exclusive)
2. Short in Stature but Long on Style (Premium Exclusive)
3. Time Marches on, but Fashion goes Backwards (Premium Exclusive)
4. Victor/Victorian (Premium Exclusive)
5. Fashion Finds Its Worth (Premium Exclusive)
6. Sum of the Parts (Premium Exclusive)
Session 3: From Edward to Erte (April 16, 2024)
This session will dive into icons from the industrial age and onward, with the most notable icon being Coco Chanel. We’ll also recognize how certain societal changes brought more freedom and exploration to women’s fashion up into the early 1920s.
5 lessons
1. Give Some to the Glib-some Gibson (Premium Exclusive)
2. The Epoque Epic (Premium Exclusive)
3. Edwardian Style Steams Ahead (Premium Exclusive)
4. Paul Prepares a Harem of Oriental Passion (Premium Exclusive)
5. The Poiret Parade Flaps Out (Premium Exclusive)
Session 4: The Flirty 30s to the Sultry 70s (April 23, 2024)
Designers throughout the 1930s and 1970s strayed from ornate garments to bring clean silhouettes and bold flares to the forefront. We'll also be looking at the influences of utility over women's fashion.
5 lessons
1. Rivals and Revelry: Lapels and Liberation (Premium Exclusive)
2. Femmes to the Forefront: Hold the Frills (Premium Exclusive)
3. Fifty Stars and Fifty Skirts (Premium Exclusive)
4. Hip, Hippie, Hooray! The 1960s, from the Mod Squad to Beatnik Bods (Premium Exclusive)
5. You can ring my bell, bell, ring my bell... Bottoms! (Premium Exclusive)
Session 5: Flashes in the Pan to Fashions on the Lam (April 30, 2024)
The 80s became an era of excess and materialism: With bold logos and over-the-top glamour, fashion became a visual representation of the yuppie lifestyle. These bold statements progressed into the 90s, later clashing with grunge-inspired flannels of the Seattle music scene.
2 lessons
1. Solid Old turns to Solid Gold- Bigger is Better as the New Style 80s Take Over the World (Premium Exclusive)
2. Conform to the Anti-Conformist- Glo, Grit, Grunge, and the Trend Mainstreaming of the 1990s (Premium Exclusive)
Session 6: From Research to Revelation (May 7, 2024)
In this session, we’ll be taking major fashion elements from the previous lessons to visualize and inform our own fashion narratives.
6 lessons
1. Gather your thoughts- and your scissors! (Premium Exclusive)
2. Dive in and Drape! (Premium Exclusive)
3. All Artists are willing to suffer for their work- but why are so few prepared to draw...?- Banksy (Premium Exclusive)
4. Drawing Parallels- and pleats! (Premium Exclusive)
5. Get Familiar with Fibers (Premium Exclusive)
6. Revere, Revise, Recap.... and Revolutionize! (Premium Exclusive)
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Learning Outcomes

Below you will find an overview of the Learning Outcomes you will achieve as you complete this course.

Instructors And Guests
What You Need to Take This Course
  • Materials: Sketchbook and Pencil
  • Equipment: Computer with installation privileges
  • Software: Photoshop/ Illustrator or related photo editing software
Additional Information

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