Fashion As Design

About this course

We engage with fashion every day, yet we rarely analyze the complex design systems, histories, and environmental impacts stitched into what we wear. This Specialization will elevate your relationship with clothing—not only in decoding trends, but exploring fashion as a powerful medium of cultural expression and social change. By looking at landmark garments from the early 20th century through to today’s cutting-edge innovations, you will develop a critical framework for understanding how design shapes identity and industry. You will gain firsthand insights from designers, historians, and makers who are currently reimagining the lifecycle of clothing across the globe. Whether you are a student of design, a professional interested in sustainability, or someone just looking to think more about what you wear, this Specialization provides the tools to see the world—and your own wardrobe—through a lens of purposeful innovation. Career Application: This Specialization will transform your daily engagement with clothing into a professional competency in visual culture, design history, and garment lifecycles. By learning how apparel creates identity, relies on specific production systems, and drives social change, you’ll acquire the strategic tools necessary to forecast cultural trends, direct resonant visual brand storytelling, and navigate the future of sustainable product development.

Course objectives

• to explore fashion as a medium for cultural expression
• to examine the interplay between fashion and social change
• to acquire strategic tools for forecasting cultural trends
• to navigate sustainable product development