83231 Fashion Cultures
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particular session, location and mode of offering is the authoritative source
of all information about the subject for that offering. Required texts, recommended texts and references in particular are likely to change. Students will be provided with a subject outline once they enrol in the subject.
Subject handbook information prior to 2025 is available in the Archives.
Credit points: 6 cp
Subject level:
Undergraduate
Result type: Grade and marksThere are course requisites for this subject. See access conditions.
Description
This subject encourages students to further investigate fashion practice through design investigation while integrating individual research into studio activities. A lecture series provides an overview of the relationship between fashion history, cultural innovation and the fashioned body in relation to a emerging perspectives and approaches in sustainable fashion. This subject addresses issues of value and meaning in relation to everyday dress practices, sustainable fashion and future fashion practice. Weekly activites provide a practical context for the exploration of fashion practice in relation to alternative garment-making methodologies, creative process, process documentation, reflective practice and image-making. The subject culminates in the creation of an original fashion design project enabling the student to position fashion design practice as a form of future oriented cultural research.
Subject learning objectives (SLOs)
On successful completion of this subject, students should be able to:
| 1. | Understand how the design process is applied and practiced in fashion |
|---|---|
| 2. | Carry out independent research to inform the design process |
| 3. | Conceptualise and articulate knowledge of the significance of fashion in culture and society during the 20th century, through both visual and theoretical research |
| 4. | Analyse and evaluate the relationship of clothing design to the human form |
| 5. | Demonstrate competency in communicating visual and oral concepts. |
Course intended learning outcomes (CILOs)
This subject also contributes to the following Course Intended Learning Outcomes:
- Demonstrate an awareness of the social and ethical responsibilities of a fashion and textile designer (A.2)
- Demonstrate an ability to speculate, experiment, challenge boundaries and take risks (I.2)
- Accuracy, rigour and care (P.5)
- Analyse and synthesise knowledge in both visual and written forms to undertake in-depth research. (R.1)
- Ability to reflect on practice and research (R.3)
- Interpret complex ideas and connect them to fashion and textile practice. (R.4)
Contribution to the development of graduate attributes
The term CAPRI is used for the five Design, Architecture and Building faculty graduate attribute categories where:
C = communication and groupwork
A = attitudes and values
P = practical and professional
R = research and critique
I = innovation and creativity
Course intended learning outcomes (CILOs) are linked to these categories using codes (e.g. C-1, A-3, P-4, etc.).
Teaching and learning strategies
The subject involves weekly sessions including lectures/presentations and a 2 hour design studio. The subject is facilitated through a combination of lectures, design studio and student presentations. Lectures promote theoretical inquiry and observation of case studies and pre-empt design studio. They provide forums for explanation and contextualisation of briefs. Studiol sessions incorporate a range of teaching and learning strategies including lectures and presentations, critique, group work and student presentations. These are complemented by independent student studio work, research, reading and reflection on studio based work.
Regular collaborative feedback and critique sessions are integrated into weekly design studios that support Task 1 and Task 2. Informal feedback will be given to students bi-weekly by the Design Tutor which will help students progress within the subject. Lecture and studio activities include: note taking, reflective writing, undertaking readings, visual and conceptual research, web research and iterative design work in the form of 2D and 3D visual and material based exploration. Students will record iterative design development process in an A4 journal to document their work process, visual and written research and design development in Task 1 and 2. This journal is educational context upon which feedback is based. Assessment Items are due throughout the semester and will be submitted on Canvas as well as presented in class. The rationale for studio to simulate discussion and crtique employed by fashion design professionals in industry practice. Please note Weekly program content is subject to change.
There are a number of online resources used to support the learning objectives of this subject. A detailed overview of the pedagogy and associated tasks and assessment items are included in the subject documents. There is also an essential and recommended reading list. The readings Assessment Task 1 & 2 as well as complement the lectures and studio sessions.
Feedback is provided bi-weekly by the design studio teacher in response to student's iterative design development work. It is the student's responsibility to record and to respond this verbal feedback given during feedback sessions, which will assist how iterative development is accessed and assessed. Feedback can only be delivered on teh basis of work in the hard copy journal. Students are also expected to provide critical feedback on each others work in class sessions. Feedback is to be recorded and integrated into projects interative development.
Assessment feedback is provided via Canvas. Students are notified via email once feedback and assessment has been completed and is available via Re:View.
Content (topics)
The subject covers the following topic areas:
- The evolution of fashion in the 20th century: analysis of the historical, technological, cultural and socio-political factors that have influenced fashion.
- Further study of the principles of the design process in the context of fashion and textile design.
- The critical analysis of design and own practice.
- The importance of theory to underpin design practice.
Assessment
Assessment task 1: Fashion Design and Research Project
| Intent: | The purpose of UNDO/REFROM is for students to gain knowledge and skills in alternative fashion design methodologies, research, and critical reflection to explore ways to engage with meaning and value of fashion beyond a focus on over-consumption and unsustainable practice. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Objective(s): | This task addresses the following subject learning objectives: 1, 2, 4 and 5 This task also addresses the following course intended learning outcomes that are linked with a code to indicate one of the five CAPRI graduate attribute categories (e.g. C.1, A.3, P.4, etc.): A.2, I.2, P.5, R.1 and R.3 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Type: | Project | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Groupwork: | Individual | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight: | 50% | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Criteria linkages: |
SLOs: subject learning objectives CILOs: course intended learning outcomes |
Assessment task 2: Fashion Design and Research Project
| Intent: | The purpose of this task FUTURE HISTORIES is to gain knowledge of fashion as a future making practice. In this project students will gain practical and theoretical knowlege of how fashion history can be used to catalyse and generate new fashion ideas. | ||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Objective(s): | This task addresses the following subject learning objectives: 1, 2 and 3 This task also addresses the following course intended learning outcomes that are linked with a code to indicate one of the five CAPRI graduate attribute categories (e.g. C.1, A.3, P.4, etc.): A.2, P.5, R.1 and R.4 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Type: | Report | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Groupwork: | Individual | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight: | 50% | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Criteria linkages: |
SLOs: subject learning objectives CILOs: course intended learning outcomes |
Minimum requirements
The DAB attendance policy requires students to attend no less than 80% of formal teaching sessions (lectures and tutorials) for each class they are enrolled in to remain eligible for assessment. Students are expected to attend for all contact hours. Attendence is recorded in lectures and studio. Week to week attendence and particiation for all studios will be recorded and is an assessable component of the subject.
Required texts
see Canvas for subject resources
Recommended texts
See Canvas for subject resources
Other resources
WGSN - access through UTS library