THE UNIVERSITY of EDINBURGH

DEGREE REGULATIONS & PROGRAMMES OF STUDY 2021/2022

Information in the Degree Programme Tables may still be subject to change in response to Covid-19

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DRPS : Course Catalogue : Edinburgh College of Art : Design

Undergraduate Course: Fashion Design 2B: Designing Diversity for the Fashion Industries (DESI08069)

Course Outline
SchoolEdinburgh College of Art CollegeCollege of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences
Credit level (Normal year taken)SCQF Level 8 (Year 2 Undergraduate) AvailabilityNot available to visiting students
SCQF Credits40 ECTS Credits20
SummaryIt has been established that the fashion industry continues to promote images of digitally perfected bodies in the media, combined with the use of underweight, youthful models in fashion campaigns. In turn, this is blamed for promoting narrow concepts of beauty and attributing to poor self-esteem of their audiences.

The course allows students to advance their design skills by learning the importance of exploring the ethical issues relating to the topical concept of diversity. Student will evidence emotionally considerate methods of fashion design, research, practice and communication through a celebration of human diversity including age, race, gender, disability, and body size. The course addresses the need for fashion designers to place empathy at the core of design processes.

This course also teaches students creative and alternative approaches to pattern cutting. Students will develop 3d cutting using the stand, introducing experimental cutting methods that challenge the classic models of working. Students will apply creative pattern design development and manufacturing skills to produce fashion garments exploring and addressing consumer diversity of the human body, where the real context of the diverse consumer is fundamental to design process and outcome.

Course description This course allows students to develop innovative research and practice, where they are challenged to celebrate and design for a spectrum of diverse beauty and body image types. The course is strategic in educating and encouraging students to implement an emotional consideration of (and towards) the consumer, allowing them to understand the diverse world we live in, addressing key issues of identity, self esteem and the influence of style to a much broader customer base. Students will discuss and debate the key ethical issues relating to fashion & diversity, addressing the many challenges that the subject addresses and highlighting strategic possible methods of future design thinking and contexts.

The course also teaches students to develop skills in advanced experimental pattern cutting methods through creative and experimental practical methods. Students will apply creative pattern design development and manufacturing skills to produce fashion garments exploring emotionally considerate design, by producing garments celebrating a variety of body shapes and fit, where the real context of the diverse consumer is fundamental to design process and outcome. Students will be asked to consider the function and emotional impact of their garment work on a targeted consumer demographic.

Research will be undertaken into contemporary and historical fashion design, focusing on designers who challenge standard pattern cutting methods, and those who explore diversity as part of their ethos.

The course also allows students to develop all design, presentation and garment productions skills to an advanced level, with examination focused on the submission of all design projects through the portfolio project Design Book and final work exhibited in the Fashion Show at the culmination of Semester 2.

Additionally, students will collaborate with 4th year Fashion Students on an internship project, learning the production process undertaken when producing graduate collection for a directed consumer market. This experience enhances the students understanding of the context for their future design work.

Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
Pre-requisites Co-requisites
Prohibited Combinations Other requirements This course is only available to students on the Fashion Degree Programme in the School of Design.
Additional Costs Cost below are approximate:

Basic costs of paper/sketchbooks/drawing materials estimated at £30 per course
Basic costs of Calico fabrics for experimental prototyping estimated at £40
Average cost of fabric for the final garment - £30-£40
Costs of Printing for prototyped Design Book presentation submission - estimated at £40
Course Delivery Information
Academic year 2021/22, Not available to visiting students (SS1) Quota:  22
Course Start Semester 2
Timetable Timetable
Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) Total Hours: 400 ( Lecture Hours 6, Seminar/Tutorial Hours 10, Supervised Practical/Workshop/Studio Hours 50, Feedback/Feedforward Hours 20, Formative Assessment Hours 4, Summative Assessment Hours 2, Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 8, Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours 300 )
Assessment (Further Info) Written Exam 0 %, Coursework 100 %, Practical Exam 0 %
Feedback Formative verbal feedback will be given weekly on project design work and pattern cutting and production work presented at one to one tutorials. This work may be evidenced through research files, garment prototyping and design journals depending on the stage of the project as stipulated by the brief.

Formative verbal and written feedback and grading is issued at the culmination of specific design briefs which form the full course. This will normally comprise of an 8-10 page creative visual presentation outlining personal research themes, season and contexts for the work, colour direction, edited & selected design process (taken from the Design Journal), final fabrics and a fully illustrated design conclusion.

Completed garments or prototypes (where required) will also be assessed under this category when required by the project brief.

Summative assessment constitutes a total submission of the work completed throughout the course, with comprehensive written feedback and grading issued. The principal component of assessment is the DesignBook, which showcases all completed design projects on the course. This will also include professionally finished garments, a folio of pattern cutting experimentation, completed experimental prototyping, self-generated design prototypes and a file of sampled construction techniques and CAD technical drawings and all supporting journals.
No Exam Information
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
  1. Respond to project briefs through in-depth exploration of personally selected research themes relating to diversity ethics within fashion industries, culminating in an original and highly creative design concept.
  2. Explore personal concepts through sustained design practice using rigorous, original and imaginative design and prototyping methods, addressing specific targeted consumer demographics related to diversity.
  3. Use a variety of professional practical and creative techniques to communicate project outcomes through the DesignBook (portfolio) presentation and full garment completion.
Reading List
Diversity and Design: Understanding Hidden Consequences: Beth Tauke (Editor), Korydon Smith (Editor), Charles Davis (Editor). Routledge
Visual Research Methods in Fashion: Julia Gaimster (Author) Berg Publishers
Pattern Cutting: The Architecture of Fashion (Module Reader): Pat Parish (Author) AVA Publishing
Fashion Designers Sketchbooks Two: Hywel Davies Laurence King
Bodies: Susie Orbach (Author), Profile Books
Draping: The Complete Course. Karolyn Kiisel. Laurence King
Pattern Cutting: Dennic Chunman Lo . Laurence King
Pattern Magic: Tomoko Nakamichi. Laurence King
Pattern Cutting the Architecture of Fashion: Pat Parish. Fairchild Books
Pattern Magic 2 Tomoko Nakamichi: Laurence King
Technical Drawing for Fashion: Basia Szkutnicka. Laurence King

Additional Information
Graduate Attributes and Skills Comprehensive knowledge of current and historical issues relating to fashion and diversity.
An ability to design for diverse consumer groups.
Advanced abilities in time keeping, project management and organization skills.
An ability to reflect on personal practice, making independent decisions on developing work forward in response to teaching guidance.
KeywordsFashion,Diversity,Self Esteem,Identity,Empathy
Contacts
Course organiserMs Emma Clifton
Tel:
Email: eclifto2@exseed.ed.ac.uk
Course secretaryMr Rhiordan Langan-Fortune
Tel: (0131 6)51 5926
Email: rhiordan.langanfortune@ed.ac.uk
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