Fashion Design and Making: Residential Summer School (14-16 Year Olds)

If you are considering a career in fashion design, garment making and textiles then this exciting fashion course will offer insight into how designers research, record and communicate their ideas.

You will start the week with a trip to a London museum or current exhibition, accompanied by LCF tutors who will guide you in creating your own sketchbook full of research and inspiration. Back in the classroom, you’ll use the collected research to begin creating your own designs on paper, you’ll then select your chosen design /detail and develop these onto mannequin stands to create sculptural outfits.

You’ll move on to look at fashion figures and how to create your own templates which you will then use to draw outfits inspired from the work on the stand. You’ll also make stencils based on the designs you have created to be used to print your own t-shirts. You’ll be taken step by step through the t-shirt printing process as well as being shown how to use various embellishment techniques such as foils.

During the weekend you will be taken on a trip to London for a retail safari led by an LCF tutor. You’ll be taken to markets, vintage stores and famous department stores to experience the latest trends and styles on the streets of London.

For the second week you will be working with a purchased skirt pattern and be taught how to decipher the many markings and terminology as well as how to layout and prepare your fabric. You’ll also be shown how to use the sewing machines and what types of stitches to use to assemble your skirt. Finally you’ll also be introduced to a variety of embellishment techniques such as felting, fringing and beading, which you can then select to decorate your skirt.

Topics include:

• Fashion drawing: learning to capture movement and gestures
• Drawing clothes from a stand onto templates: understanding drape and volume
• Mood boards: colour, theme and style
• Fashion illustration: developing your own drawing style
• T-shirt printing: stenciling, screen printing and heat transfer
• Understanding a shop bought pattern: marking and laying
• Introduction to using a domestic sewing machine: what stitches to use with what fabric
• Investigating various embellishment techniques: ribbon work, beading and hand stitching
• Customising your own garment
• Garment assembly: sewing, pressing and finishing techniques

This summer school will give you a taster of many different areas of the fashion industry and will help you decide which direction you wish to take your fashion career in. Please download the course timetable for more information on what the course includes.

What are the benefits of attending a Residential Summer School at LCF?

This course will allow you to experiment with new techniques, build confidence, acquire new skills and be inspired to learn more. It's also a great way to meet like-minded friends from around the world. In addition, you'll leave the course with:

• Sketchbook full of ideas and inspiration
• Final mood board including figure templates
• A selection of embellishment samples
• Two hand printed t-shirts of your own design
• Completed hand embellished garment

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.