Anna Hovet Dias

This engaging course invites you to unleash your creativity as you explore innovative design methods and materials, focusing on illustration, styling, draping, and fabric selection rather than the construction of specific garments. You'll learn about the rich history of fashion and discover research techniques that will spark your imagination. Plus, you'll examine contemporary works and practices currently reshaping the fashion industry. Visits to SAIC's Fashion Resource Center, a treasure trove of fashion history and stunning collection of garments and accessories, and the Art Institute of Chicago's collection of art and textiles will inspire your designs. Throughout this course, you'll create unique textile and garment designs while exploring how clothing communicates who you are. You'll develop skills in fashion illustration, draping, and even patternmaking while gaining a deeper understanding of garment history and contemporary designers. Whether you're new or have some experience, this course will help you unlock your design potential and express yourself through the powerful medium of fashion.

This course is for students interested in exploring contemporary fashion design methods and materials rather than constructing specific garments. Students develop skills in illustrating the fashion figure, styling, draping, and fabric selection; are introduced to the history of fashion design and new research and documentation methods; and are exposed to contemporary designers and design practices. Students may explore resources such as SAIC's Fashion Resource Center, which houses a library on fashion and the history of costume, a number of individual garments and accessories of significant historical importance, and a rich collection of visual material not accessible to the general public, as well as the AIC's collection of art and textiles to develop an informed, thoughtful, and creative approach to design. The class will draw on these resources to develop unique textile and garment designs and to learn about clothing as a language, how garments communicate, and what they signify.

*NOTE* Basic drawing skills and figure drawing/illustration experience is beneficial. Students are encouraged to bring their own digital camera, tablet, and/or laptop for homework/research and after-studio hours projects.

This course is for students interested in exploring contemporary fashion design methods and materials rather than constructing specific garments. Students develop skills in illustrating the fashion figure, styling, draping, and fabric selection; are introduced to the history of fashion design and new research and documentation methods; and are exposed to contemporary designers and design practices. Students may explore resources such as SAIC's Fashion Resource Center, which houses a library on fashion and the history of costume, a number of individual garments and accessories of significant historical importance, and a rich collection of visual material not accessible to the general public, as well as the AIC's collection of art and textiles to develop an informed, thoughtful, and creative approach to design. The class will draw on these resources to develop unique textile and garment designs and to learn about clothing as a language, how garments communicate, and what they signify.

*NOTE* Basic drawing skills and figure drawing/illustration experience is beneficial. Students are encouraged to bring their own digital camera, tablet, and/or laptop for homework/research and after-studio hours projects.

This course examines the fundamentals of designing a fashion collection. Students will explore a fusion of conceptual inspiration and technical apparel design and apply real-world practices of marketing plans, competitive research, and costing. Students will develop critical tools to appreciate and contextualize fashion design and better comprehend issues such as labor practices, size inclusivity, and sustainability.