Course Description

From adventure gear to drastically different outfits for today’s world, the natural environment has influenced human clothing and accessories design for centuries. As young people learn to explore themselves through fashion, they must also grapple with how a changing climate has changed human behaviors, especially as it relates to the ways we dress. As part of global discussions on Climate Change, students in this class will learn about how fashion choices, cloth-making procedures, and cultural practices intertwine with the future of life on planet Earth. 

Through design history and experimentation, students will learn to better navigate today’s drastically different fashion needs. To prepare for the final project, students will propose and design unique clothing accessories that reflect both young people’s fashion choices and how climate change impacts their vision and uses. As the final project, students will each create magazine pages for a collectively designed fashion magazine detailing various climate change influenced fashion designs. These individual magazine pages will result in a group story documenting various climate change decisions and proposed solutions for choosing, wearing, and advocating for fashion within a drastically changing climate and world.

Essential Questions

  • What is the role of fashion in society and history?
  • How can colors and materials be used as a tool for adapting to new environments?
  • How do different clothing making techniques impact our climate and clothing?
  • How do youth view the relationship between fashion, clothing, and the environment?

Weekly Breakdown

Week 1 Intro to climate stories
Week 2 Fashion & the Environment
Week 3 Animals, insects & raw materials
Week 4 Youth Telling Climate Stories
Week 5 Magazines as fashion stories
Week 6 Imagining Climate Stories through Fashion
Week 7 Telling Climate Stories
Week 8 Sharing Climate and Fashion Stories
Week 9                    Producing Fashion History

Instructor

Other Details

Cost

  • $337.50
    • 9 classes, 50 minute class

Location

Date & Time

  • Saturdays, September 26 - November 21st 2026
  • 11:00am - 11:50am

Refund and Transfer Deadlines

  • Full refund: Two weeks before classes start
  • 50% refund: One week before classes start
  • No refund: Less than one week before classes start