Fashion Design - Specialization in Marketing

This course will introduce students to the fundamentals of drawing and fashion illustration. Students will develop a visual vocabulary by exploring a variety of mixed media and drawing techniques to enable them to create a signature illustration style. Rendering and art concepts such as 2D and 3D perspectives, lines, shapes, textures, patterns and shading will be explored to aid in this creative expression. By gaining an understanding of proportions through the breakdown and blocking of the elongated fashion croquis and accessories, students will produce imaginative and visually dynamic illustrations that successfully communicates their personal unique style and ideas.

Students will explore both natural and synthetic fibres, their primary and secondary characteristics and properties, how fibres become fabrics, fabric names and usages, care, labelling, life and hand. Yarn production, weaves, knits, printing, dyes, and the new technologies in fibre production are examined. Eco-friendly trends in fabrication in the 21st Century are emphasized.

Understanding colour and design principles through exploration and application across media, visual, and applied design genres. This course will introduce students to the fundamental principles of colour theory through design, such as layout, composition, balance, colour science as well as a diverse range of colour theories, and how to employ them creatively. These concepts will be reinforced through specific practical exercises, and activities that will serve to demonstrate how each of the concepts is integrated into functional, purposeful design.

This is an introduction to pattern making using standard accepted industry practices. Basic principles of flat pattern drafting, development of industry blocks and their use in pattern development in accordance with professional standards are addressed. Students will learn to develop basic pattern blocks and manipulate these drafts to create various design styles. Correct terminology and markings are emphasized.

This course presents Illustrator as an industry standard tool for the production of professional quality illustrations such as technical illustrations, mapping, illustrating from photographic reference, and colorizing bitmapped images. Students will not only learn how to create precise, organized and professional illustrations that will meet the demands and standards of art directors and advertising agencies, but they will also learn to express their creativity in design by using the advanced distortion, blends, fills masks and effects tools offered by the software. Students will understand how the production of graphics ties in within the overall design process.

This course provides an understanding of garment styles, fashion elements, fashion forecasting, and an ability to recognize brands and people from within the industry. Fashion forecasting is a process that includes knowledge of changing colours and styles, lifestyles, and consumer buying patterns. Students will learn the science and art of fashion forecasting and how this affects decision making in the apparel industry. Digital forecasting techniques will be covered to help students uncover trends in marketing, technology, and popular culture.

In a studio setting, and guided by instructor mentorship, students are introduced to fashion design principles, R.T.W, Couture as well as the entire Fashion Cycle from concept through design and production with a specific demographic and market. Fashion mood boards, research files, and analysis are utilized to form a brand DNA. Students will create a 20 look mini apparel collection, designed with original concepts that are suitable for a determined market. Fabrication of the line, fabric swatching and sourcing will be discussed on an individual basis. Students will develop and refine the croquis into a personalized style in preparation for Fashion Design Studio I. Students will learn how to draw accurate technical specs. Student will be exposed to the process of critique, selfanalysis and editing a collection.

This course continues to develop further patterning techniques. Students will apply the knowledge learned from previous pattern making class on bodice manipulation. Students will create multiple bodice styles in both ½ and ¼ scale, utilizing the basic foundation blocks as a base. Flat pattern drafting, correct terminology and markings in accordance with professional standards are emphasized continually.

This course introduces students to computer-aided design for pattern making. Students will learn how to transfer pattern drafts to a computer with industry standard software. This course introduces the digital equivalents of pattern creation, alterations on existing product patterns. Through hands-on experience, students will gain knowledge of the system’s capabilities to digitize and modify designs, manage files.

Understanding the application and importance of image editing and construction as a universal skill in all design genres. This course introduces the students to raster image-editing software such as Adobe Photoshop. Through this 'hands-on' course, the student will learn the fundamentals of design, as well as advanced features, and tips, to prepare images for digital output as well as for print. Emphasis will be placed on technical skills, however conceptual development, and creative thinking and approaches will also be considered in all work. By the end of this course, the student will be able to create, modify, and enhance sophisticated images using raster editing tools, and features; craft special effects; work in 3D space; and prepare files for export to various applications in web, mobile, print, and manufacturing.

In a studio setting, and guided by instructor mentorship, students build on the design techniques, research and brand development learned in collection design development. Fabric swatching, experimentation and textile development will be used as a creative tool to generate original ideas. Utilizing the unique fashion croquis created in Collection Design & Development, students will research, create mood boards, establish brand development, a consumer demographic, market analysis, trend reports and an inspiration resulting in a 40 look cohesive collection.

In this advanced course students create patterns for specific design problems integrating the knowledge of flat pattern methods. Course work requires research of historic patterns, pattern development, and modern industrial methods. Studio projects will address specific design problems integrating knowledge of draping methods. This course will refine acquired skills and require efficiency in the application of pattern-making skills, methods, organization, and application.

This course builds on the concepts and tools introduced in Digital Patten Making I. Students will be expanding their knowledge of the AccuMark Explorer and Pattern Design Systems to develop, manipulate and modify digital garment patterns.

This course introduces the fundamentals of web site development. The students will learn about the structure, and components of code-based languages, and website programming. Students will learn to work with text, tables, tags, images, forms, and hyperlinks to design, and create a fully functional website.

In a studio setting, and guided by instructor mentorship, students are guided through the patterning, draping and construction process of 4 toile looks from the 40 look collection. Working from a fashion croquis and technical spec drawing students will learn how to decode a sketch, manipulate a block, lay, cut and construct a toile. Sequence of construction, sewing and pressing techniques, fabric yields and fitting will be covered in this class. Fittings will be executed on a cabine model by the instructor and notes will be recorded by students.

In this advanced drafting course students will continue to build on the skills and aptitudes gained from Pattern Making & Drafting III. As a continuation of Pattern making and Drafting III, students will create patterns and toiles of the three designs selected from Collection Design & Development and digitized in Digital Pattern Making II. This will be an opportunity for students will pattern draft and sew toiles for their own original design ideas. Students will understand proper fall and fit of a garment as well as techniques to add or reduce fullness/drag lines, and create figure pleasing proportion on the body. Students will learn how to lay pattern pieces and create a fabric yield. Designers will utilize proper patterning and alteration techniques in order to create a toile, identify and correcting fit issues, and create industry production patterns.

In this course, students will explore various digital design techniques and tools necessary for developing professional fashion appropriate content. These key digital design skills will ensure the students are marketable and easily move forward into their respective fashion industries with the ability to create impactful presentations, layouts and designs. By exploring topics such as composition layout, textile design and technical drawing, students will learn how to visualise, plan and communicate multifaceted design concepts efficiently and creatively. In the second half of the course, students will be introduced to CLO 3D software which gives one the ability to instantly review changes and modifications to 2D patterns, colours, textures and finishing details. One can reduce design preparation time, review new designs and automatically generate pattern pieces. Lessons covered include software overview, avatar and patterns. Fabric simulation in 3D and export for sampling and manufacturing.

During the final term this capstone course provides studio time and individual mentoring, so that advanced sewing techniques can be applied in a measured manner to each garment. This studio time will allow for revisions and a level of detail and sewing accuracy and precision expected in a final collection that is to be presented to industry. Students will be able to perfect advanced techniques learned throughout the program.

Fashion stylists are responsible for organizing and preparing people, and assembling accessories and garments worn by models at a photo shoot. In creating “the look”, stylists must be up-to-date in all aspects of fashion forecasting. In this class, students will learn what is involved in fashion styling, turning theory into practice while working on a real-life photo shoot and magazine spread which will become a portfolio piece.

Knowledge and technical skills learned from previous terms will be applied in the development and production of a portfolio containing original design work that reflects the student’s strengths and abilities. Topics include copy writing; planning and organising a digital project; professional layouts; marketing collateral and translating fashion ideas into visual design elements. Concepts will be executed using industry relevant software as well as implementing photographic, hand rendered and multi-media elements into a single digital medium. This course will encourage students to further develop their brand matrix, content and technical skills. This portfolio will endorse the values of the student’s fashion knowledge to enable them to highlight their designs, achievements and presence to potential buyers, partners and audience.

Computer pattern drafting techniques are further enhanced in this course. Through hands-on experience students will gain advanced knowledge of the pattern design system and will acquire additional computer-based pattern drafting skills. Students will complete a garment pre-production cycle in digital format.

In this advanced level studio class, students will continue to build upon the technical skills developed throughout the course and create a minimum of two cohesive looks that support the Final Capstone collection. Utilizing a concept from their 40-look collection, students will pattern and sew two additional advanced editorial press pieces that complement the overall feel of the collection. The goal of this course is to support designers in completing a comprehensive capsule collection for presentation to clients, buyers, editors or feature their designs at VCAD Fashion week.

Fashion is a highly globalized industry, with clothing often designed in one country, manufactured in another, and sold worldwide. Presently, with the help of education and technology a lot individuals have the opportunity to learn the needed skills and are either opening their own small business or being employed at an apparel organization. In this course students will learn how to run a fashion business as an entrepreneur and an employee of an organization. This course focuses on learning about the front end (B2C) and back end (B2B) of a fashion business. A large section of the course will focus on sales (lobbying and closing clients) and on legalities involved in the business of fashion.

Brand strategy is a long-term plan for the development of a successful brand in order to achieve specific goals. A welldefined and executed brand strategy affects all aspects of a business and is directly connected to consumer needs, emotions, and competitive environments. Brand strategy involves various factors such as audit, expression, activation, measurements, long and short term goals, architecture for international expansion, amongst many others. In this course students will explore various business strategy frameworks, how they work and how to draw conclusions from them for the brand’s short and long term goals.

In this course students will examine, from a Canadian perspective, the movement of goods into the international marketplace, with a focus on understanding the legal, political, socioeconomic and cultural aspects, as well as the development of a marketing campaign. Topical coverage includes: global marketing and the fashion business; social, political, economic, legal and cultural aspect of the movement of goods; emerging international markets; and marketing strategies in the international market place.

Buying involves complex decision making, which involves fashion forecasting, consumer buying trends, vendor selection and negotiation, pricing, sales, inventory record-keeping and ordering. This course introduces students to retail buying and the role of the buyer who makes daily merchandising decisions. Topical coverage includes: responsibilities of a buyer; fashion buying for retail outlets; applying marketing research; merchandising mix; and buying plans, inventory control, and negotiation.

E-commerce is growing day by day in both B-to-B and B-to-C context. Retailing industry including fashion retail has jumped on the bandwagon and has begun to offer E-trading or online shopping. E-commerce as a model is totally different from the traditional shopping in all respect. Retail companies have fast realized the need to have E-commerce strategy separately but as a part of overall retail strategy. This class will focus on setting up an online as well as brick and mortar retail business, and will cover in detail strategy development for each.

Social media has changed the landscape of marketing in the fashion industry. Social media is a tool for connection, brand building, and customer engagement. In this course, students will explore social network theory, digital storytelling, and key social media channels like Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and more. Students will learn how to plan, create, and manage a social media campaign on multiple platforms.