Fashion Style Icons and Design History

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.

• From Fashion’s Rich Renaissance to Going Baroque
• 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.
• From Edward to Erte
• 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.
• The Turn of a Century Curves Into a Corset
• In this session, we’ll continue looking through some informal and formal European styles that emerged throughout the Victorian era.
• The Flirty 30s to the Sultry 70s
• 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.
• Flashes in the Pan to Fashions on the Lam
• 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.
• From Research to Revelation
• In this session, we’ll be taking major fashion elements from the previous lessons to visualize and inform our own fashion narratives.