Fashion Design Summer School

Do you dream of designing your own clothes? But not sure how to get started? This four-week fashion design and fashion drawing course will provide you with the skills you need.

Through practical exercises and focused discussions, you will research a theme and learn how to develop this into fashion designs. You will begin to draw and communicate your ideas exploring silhouette, detail and colour, eventually developing a small capsule collection of designs. This unit includes:

• Experimental design analysis
• Primary and secondary design research
• Creating research sheets and mood board
• Developing a colour palette
• Fabric awareness
• Exploring different art materials
• Range planning

In the second week you explore drawing styles and techniques in the context of fashion. We will show you how to express your designs figuratively, and get your ideas on paper. You will learn to draw a fashion figure, deconstruct and sketch garments, and seamlessly combine figures with clothing. By the end of this week, you will know the ins and outs of drawing throughout the design process, and you will be able to communicate design ideas more freely and effectively, and begin a collection of work for your portfolio. This unit includes:

• Drawing a fashion figure
• Gesture, movement and pose
• Drawing hands, faces and feet
• Fashion silhouettes, cut and style of different garments
• Drawing drapery and volume
• Drawing flats
• Sketching for fashion

Week three is a follow-on from week one. The course will help you develop your understanding of the principles of fashion design, with an emphasis on three-dimensional experimentation. You'll work with fabric directly onto dress mannequins and your experimental ideas will then be developed onto paper. This course will help you consolidate your understanding of fashion design. This unit includes:

• Development of primary and secondary research
• Draping on the mannequins using fabric
• Experimental design analysis

In week four you have the chance to develop your ideas and creative skills through the medium of fashion illustration. You'll study different methods of illustration and recording work in the context of fashion, and learn conventional and new media techniques. The idea is to find your own visual language and unlock your creativity through experimentation, from concept to completion. This unit includes:

• Creating a fashion illustration
• Developing your visual vocabulary
• Exploring different media and techniques
• Interpreting concepts and ideas
• Importance of keeping a sketchbook
• Developing a personal drawing style
• Exploring colour palettes
• Understanding the wider role of fashion illustration
• Beginning a portfolio of design and illustrative work

Beginners. You should have an interest in fashion and a desire to learn but no previous experience is required.

Your course place is confirmed once you have booked online or via the phone using a credit or debit card. There is no deadline for booking. Places are offered on a first come, first served basis, and all courses have a maximum number of students. We suggest you book early to avoid disappointment.