Fashion Design AAS Degree Program

Students who successfully complete the Fashion Design AAS program will be able to:

1. Apply comprehensive abilities in creating and presenting product for entry-level

positions in the fashion industry.
2. Work well together as emerging team players and innovative design thinkers.
3. Understand and implement new technologies relative to design development,
material choices, and the manufacture and distribution of fashion.
4. Adapt their inspired knowledge and abilities to ongoing changes in global fashion
and related creative industries.
5. Bring their evolving design point-of-view and work aesthetics to various types of
imaginative challenges.
6. Explore sustainability in their design development.

The program is designed to enable students to evolve successfully as creative womenswear

apparel design leaders and brand-builders through creative application of design knowledge
acquired using experimental learning. The program is progressive and leads to the
development of the student's own aesthetics. Successful students will be able to adapt and
apply their acquired knowledge to the evolving fashion industry, related design fields, and
other creative careers not yet imagined. Curriculum below is for the entering class of Fall
2019.

Semester 1 Credits
MAJOR AREA FD 117 - Design Studio I - Introduction to Draping 2
FD 133 - Materials and Construction I 2
FF 111 - Visual Design Concepts I 2
FF 143 - Digital Design Studio 3
RELATED AREA TS 131 - Textile Principles for the Fashion Designer 3
ART HISTORY choice - see Requirements* 3
GENERAL EDUCATION choice - see Requirements* 3

Design Studio I - Introduction to Draping: This course introduces fashion design students to
the basic principles and techniques of draping in fabric as a means to creatively interpret
and develop contemporary designs. An emphasis on proportion, balance and shape as
related to design aesthetics broadens students' understanding for actualizing and realizing
three-dimensional design prototypes through manipulating muslin.

Materials and Construction I: As related to the fashion designer, course stresses hands-on
construction, cutting, and finishing techniques for creating garment prototypes. It
introduces materials (cottons, wools, interfacings), core characteristics, and handling. Visits
to MFIT study rooms/exhibitions provide further opportunities to explore the influence of
fabrication choices, construction details and techniques on silhouette development.
Visual Design Concepts I: This course teaches students to understand, analyze, and draw
the female fashion figure, front, turned, and back views. Students learn how to
communicate their design ideas in a fashion sketch through garment details, silhouettes, and
color theory. Acquiring skills in design development sketching enables them to create
simple design groups.

Digital Design Studio: Students learn the fundamental and advanced techniques specific to
fashion design using relevant software such as Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator. Course
assignments emphasize digital design development sketching techniques, color stories, line
planning, silhouette, and fabric design. The first 15 sessions focus on Photoshop, the last 15
sessions cover Illustrator.

Textile Principles for the Fashion Designer: For Fashion Design students. Study of textile
materials with an emphasis on the factors that produce a successful apparel fabric. Fabric
characteristics such as appearance, drapability, hand, and performance are studied. Fabrics
used in Fashion Design are also studied.

Semester 2
MAJOR AREA FD 127 - Design Studio II - Soft Draping 3
FD 134 - Materials and Construction II 2
FF 121 - Fashion Research and Inspiration 2
FF 161 - Fashion Art Studio 3
RELATED AREA FA 105 - Life Drawing ** 1.5
GENERAL EDUCATION choice - see Requirements* 6

Design Studio II - Soft Draping: In this course, Fashion Design students explore more
advanced principles and techniques of unstructured draping using soft fabric for the
creative interpretation and artistic development of contemporary designs. Emphasis on
proportion, balance and shape as related to design aesthetics broadens students'
understanding of actualizing and realizing three-dimensional design prototypes through
manipulating soft fabrications.

Materials and Construction II: This course advances students' knowledge about materials,
core properties and construction techniques that inform their choices made for silhouette
creation and hands-on prototype development. Visits to the Museum at FIT study rooms
and exhibitions provide further opportunities to explore fabrications. Students make
garments using high-end construction details and techniques.
Fashion Research and Inspiration: This course provides a cohesive and creative approach to
the study of costume history from prehistoric and ancient eras to the Industrial Revolution
and the start of the 20th Century. Students study menswear, womenswear and
childrenswear silhouettes, textile development, construction innovation, garment details,
accessories and the arts and culture of each period. Historic inspiration as utilized by
contemporary designers is identified and analyzed.

Fashion Art Studio: Students learn to render various fabrics and design, using them in their
fashion design projects. They develop original designs through research. Design journals,
various presentation formats and design markets are explored. Module A covers designing
and drawing fashion presentation groups. Module B covers drawing from live fashion
models.

Life Drawing: For Fashion Design and Menswear students. Focus on figure drawing,
stressing line, gesture, and composition. Study of proportion and anatomy of the human
figure is undertaken.

Semester 3
MAJOR AREA FD 217 - Design Studio III - Structured Draping 3
FD 243 - Apparel Design Studio - Patternmaking 3
FF 211 - Visual Design Concepts III 2
FF 245 - Digital Design: Flats and Floats 1.5
ART HISTORY choice - see Requirements* 3
GENERAL EDUCATION choice - see Requirements* 3