Seven mannequins wearing colorful garments against a white backdrop

Work by Li Yichen

Fashion Design

Undergraduate Overview

Fashion Design Undergraduate Overview

As a Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) student, you can concentrate your studies in Fashion Design after you have completed your Contemporary Practices requirements through taking sequenced classes in one of two pathways below.

Fashion Design and Construction Pathway

The undergraduate Fashion pathway curriculum consists of a scaffolded sequence of co-taught design and construction courses over the course of the sophomore, junior, and senior levels, providing a firm foundation in drawing, draping, pattern-making, and garment construction. In courses that combine historical research with contemporary explorations, students transcend the traditional boundaries of fashion to examine clothing as it relates to lifestyle, performance, display, costume, and art. 

Recommended electives:

  • FASH 2005 Shape and Theory in Garments
  • FASH 2007 Beginning Fashion Illustration
  • FASH 2016 Footwear Design
  • FASH 2017 Knitwear Design: Manipulated Stitch
  • FASH 2008 Hand Knitwear Design

We encourage intermediate and advanced students to enroll in Art History courses such as ARTHI 2560 Survey of the History of Dress and ARTHI 3560 The Shape of Fashion in the 20th and 21st Centuries. Students focusing on the garment as metaphor—dealing with issues of the body, material, and identity—will examine the areas between body/space and material/virtual in classes like FASH 2005 Shape and Theory in Garments and FASH 2012 Objects/Artifacts and No Nonsense.

Hands-on Experience

When you complete your junior year, we encourage you to start applying for internships with designers throughout the world. Faculty conduct study trips to fashion capitals such as Paris, London, Antwerp, and New York.

Body-Builder Pathway

Body-builder as a pathway through the elective course offerings on their own gives students the opportunity to specialize in their self-selected area of interest such as illustration, accessories, knitwear, embellishment, performance-oriented design, or foundation studies as part of the academic spine.

Course Listing

Title Catalog Instructor Schedule

Description

This course develops drawing skills with an emphasis on figure gesture and proportion along with a wide range of media. Students are taught to sketch from a live model while communicating design concepts in clothing with style and expression.

Class Number

1174

Credits

3

Department

Fashion Design

Area of Study

Costume Design, Illustration

Location

Sullivan Center 734

Description

This course enables students who hand knit to pursue the challenge of creating garments and/or objects with knitting machines. Through demonstration and discussion of traditional basic methods and structured exercises will give the students a foundation in various stitch patterns and techniques. Shape and fit along with texture manipulation are explored. Historical reference as well as current contemporary design concepts will be researched enabling students to focus on individual design to produce a garment or an object. Students will design, sample and explore possibilities in a traditional and non-traditional manner using various materials.

Prerequisites

Student must have completed any 2000 Level FASH course

Class Number

1324

Credits

3

Department

Fashion Design

Location

Sullivan Center 701

Description

This course explores the sensualness and design of over one hundred years of lingerie making through the use of beautiful fabrics including linen, lace, silk, satin, chiffon and ribbons. Historical references and modern technology are explored through slides, video, books, museums and boutiques for the design of lingerie and under garments. The students drape, make patterns, and fit on a live model. Students are required to make one garment in muslin and their choice of fabric.

Class Number

1173

Credits

3

Department

Fashion Design

Location

Sullivan Center 705, Sullivan Center 706

Take the Next Step

Visit the undergraduate admissions website or contact the undergraduate admissions office at 800.232.7242 or ugadmiss@saic.edu.

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