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TeachNet Grant: Researching Your Fashion Design Portfolio
Belinda David
msdavidsonlineclassroom@gmail.com

HS of Fashion Industries
225 West 24th street
New York, NY 10011

Grades Taught: 9th Grade / Fashion Design


About the Grant:

In this unit, students will learn how to incorporate researched details into original fashion design collections. Students will conduct  online research on current fashion trends, a visual artist, the traditional cultural dress of a specific ethnic group and fabrics.  For each research component, excluding the fabric section, students will submit  a one-page type written information sheet and a one-page visual collage. Students will organize the researched material in their sketchbook. This research will become the basis for a Fashion Design Portfolio. Each student will choose one design category and will develop a portfolio that will include: a mood page, fabric page, manual illustrations, computer illustrations, and flat manually illustrated back views. They will also be provided with a presentation worksheet that will help prepare them for the oral presentation of their portfolios.

How This Grant was Adapted:

This research based fashion design portfolio has several features and innovative aspects. It includes the fact that students are required to learn about fashion current trends, visual artists, and the traditional clothing worn by different ethnic groups in order to develop their collection. What they ultimately learn in the process of designing is multiplied by the additional data that they gather.

Another feature that I believe makes this project innovative and unique, is that this art unit effortlessly integrates various academic components including technology, english, social studies, and science.

Project URL

This  project is on line. My classroom website is http://msdavidsonlineclassroom.org/

My website  provides the school community with  insight on what the fashion design curriculum is all about. Students can access assignments, course outlines, link to resourceful websites, and the classroom blog. The website also contains an Art Gallery where one can view students' original fashion design illustrations, completed garments, and more.

The Fashion Design Portfolio unit is created by my Computer Fashion Art Class. The following link contains finished samples of this project. http://msdavidsonlineclassroom.org/Artgallery%20computer%20fashion%20art.htm

Objectives Students will:
  • understand the process involved in developing  a fashion design collection
  • conduct extensive internet research and apply researched details onto their original designs
  • become knowledgeable about various fashion designers and the design categories they specialize in
  • identify the appropriate fabric textiles and classifications suitable for their design category
  • reinforce writing, and reading comprehension strategies
  • use  Adobe Illustrator CS2 to draw their original design ideas
  • utilize manual fashion drawing skills to illustrate their original design ideas
  • students will deliver oral presentations
Websites Used
Websites
The following websites will be used to conduct research and develop the requirements for each component of the portfolios.
Current Fashion Trends Links
The following links provide students with the current seasonal fashion trends from designer's world wide:
Visual Art Links
The following links provide students with information about various visual artists whose work is exhibited at museums in New York City:
Traditional Cultural Clothing Links
The following links provide students with resources about the traditional clothing worn by various cultures and ethnic groups.
Fabric Resource Links
The following links provide students with information about various fabric classifications and their  uses. Students will also copy and paste selected fabrics to use in their computer generated illustrations.
Fashion Drawing
The following links will allow  students to execute manual fashion drawings, and to copy and paste selected croqui's or fashion figures onto adobe illustrator, in order to draw their original designs on the croqui.
Blog
 
Students will use the following website to reflect and provide feedback about the development of their projects. http://whatilearnedforsure.blogspot.com/
Standards Addressed:
Standards
 
Career Development and Occupational Studies
  1. Career Development
  2. Applications of skills to the workplace
  3. Mastery of scans foundation skills
  4. Selection of Career Majors
English Language

E1 Read and comprehend informational materials.

E2 Produce a report of information.

E3 Prepare and deliver an individual presentation.

E4 Conventions grammar & usage of the English language

E6 Critique public documents with an eye to strategies common in public discourse.

E7 Critique functional documents with an eye to strategies common to effective functional documents.

Math, Science, and Technology (MST)
Standard 1, 2, 5:
Standard 1:  Analysis, Inquiry, and Design
Students will use mathematical analysis, scientific inquiry, and engineering design, as appropriate, to pose questions, seeks answers, and develop solutions.
Standard 2: Information Systems
  • Students will access, generate, process, and transfer information using appropriate technologies
Tools, Resources, and Technological Processes:
  • Use appropriate graphic and electronic tools and techniques to process information.
Standard 4:   Science
  • Students will understand and apply scientific concepts, principles, and theories pertaining to the physical setting and living environment and recognize the historical development of ideas in science.
Standard 5:   Technology
  • Students will apply technological knowledge and skills to design, construct, use, and evaluate products and systems to satisfy human and environmental needs.
  • Social Studies
  • Standard 2:   World History
  • Students will use a variety of intellectual skills to demonstrate their understanding of major ideas, eras, themes, developments, and turning points in world history and examine the broad sweep of history from a variety of perspectives.
Lesson 1:
 Day 1: Portfolio Development 
Objectives 
  • Students will identify and discuss current fashion trends
  • Students will work in pairs to research four fashion designers
  • Students will identify customer target
  • Students will become knowledgeable of the various retail price range of designer labels
  • Students will learn how silhouettes, color, and fabric textile influence seasonal fashion design collections
  • Students will be informed of curriculum purpose, objectives, and assessments
  • Students will be introduce to and use resourceful websites that will help them with their research
 
Materials
 Desktop computers with internet access, Microsoft word, projector with overhead, response worksheet.
 
Procedures
 
Students and teacher will discuss the following facts about NYC Fashion Week;
The New York Fashion week is a grand event within the fashion industries which takes place twice a year. Well known Fashion Designers from New York and abroad showcase their seasonal collections. The Spring / Summer collection is always previewed around mid to late September, and the Fall / Winter collection is previewed mid to late February.
 
Do Now (Interactive Questions)
 
Teacher will ask students motivational questions that will open up discussion, and exchange of information among teacher and students. Students will  answer the following questions independently in their sketch books prior to discussing their answers with the class.
 
Motivational Discussion Do Now Questions
 
  1. What is a fashion current trend?
  2. Why are seasonal current trends important to a fashion designer?
  3. What fashion current trends are popular amongst teenagers? Why do you like or dislike the trends?
 
Aim: How do we research Fashion Current Trends? Note* (This aim may be elicited from the students after the discussion, or can be written on the board prior to the discussion.)
 
Development
 
Class will discuss the do now and teacher will provide additional information about fashion current trends. (During this discussion students will take notes in their sketchbook)
Students will be introduced to the Style http://style.com/ website via desktop/projector.
 
Students will be taught how to navigate the site in order to efficiently utilize its features to answer the questions on the handout.
Students will be paired into groups of two and they will use the computer to research 2 fashion designers of their choice.
 
Students will be provided with a handout which they will use to develop their reports. (Worksheet link http://msdavidsonlineclassroom.org/images/Fashion%20Trends%20Report.doc)
 
Students will use Microsoft word to record the information found and write it in their own words.
 
Students will use Microsoft Word to create a collage which depicts current fashion images from the designers they researched.
 
Students will blog and post their thoughts onto http://whatilearnedforsure.blogspot.com/ Blog Topic Spring / Summer 2009 Fashion Week http://whatilearnedforsure.blogspot.com/2008/09/week-2-computer-fashion-art-draping-1.html
 
Assign Homework: Teacher should leave about 6 minutes for discussion of homework requirement
 
Homework
Students will use the class lesson and instructional method to independently research 2 more designers of their choice. Each student will develop a Fashion Current Trends report on 4 different designers. The assignment worksheet will offer additional websites that they can use to conduct their research.  (http://msdavidsonlineclassroom.org/Assignments.html) 
 
Assessment
 
Teacher will check each report to ensure that student understands key facts about the current trends and styles for each fashion designers seasonal collection. Students will incorporate the fashion trends into their original fashion design portfolio collection.

Lesson 2:
Day 2: Portfolio Development 2
 
Objectives
 
  • Students will identify and discuss the various mediums used in art
  • Students will identify and discuss the various artwork and visual artists
  • Students will work in groups to research a specific type of artwork
  • Students will be informed of curriculum purpose, objectives, and assessments
  • Students will be introduced to and use websites that will help them with their research
 
Materials
 Desktop computers with Internet access, Microsoft word, projector with overhead, response worksheet.
 
Procedures
 
Teacher will ask students the following questions in order to assess students understanding about visual artists and to open up discussion about the lesson that will be taught. Students will individually answer the following questions in their sketch books prior to discussing their answers with the class.
  
 Motivational Discussion Do Now Questions
 
1.      Do you have a favorite visual artist? If so, who?
2.      What type of artwork do they specialize in?
3.      Graffiti, Abstract, and Surrealism are all different type of artworks. How would you define the differences?
 
Aim: How can a visual artist influence a Fashion Design Collection? Note* (This aim may be elicited from the students after the discussion, or can be written on the board prior to the discussion.)
 
Development
 
Class will discuss the do now answer and teacher will provide additional information about specific types of artwork. (During this discussion students will take notes in their sketchbook)
Students will be introduced to the following websites via desktop/projector; http://metmuseum.org/Works_of_Art/index.asp
Students will be taught how to navigate the websites in order to answer the questions on the worksheet.
 
Teacher will organize the class into small groups of about 5 students.
 
In these groups, students will use the computer to research and answer the questions on their worksheet.
 
Worksheet  has a total of 6 questions. Each group member will be responsible for answering 1 of the 5 questions plus question # 6.
 
Students will record answers to the questions directly on the worksheet
 
 
Assign Homework:  Teacher should leave about 6 minutes for discussion of homework requirement
  
Homework
 
Students will use the class lesson and instructional method to individually research an artist of their choice. Students will use the following worksheet to develop a report.
Assessment
 
Teacher will check each report to ensure students understanding of the visual artist they researched. Students will ultimately apply this research to their finished portfolio design collection.NON
Lesson 3:
Day 3: Portfolio Development 3
 
Objectives
 
  • Students will learn about the traditional cultural dress of various ethnic groups
  • Students will identify various clothing components and its purpose within its culture
  • Students will learn how religion and climate influences the silhouettes, color, and fabric textile of traditional cultural dress
  • Students will be informed of curriculum purpose, objectives, and assessments
  • Students will be introduced to and use  websites that will help them with their research
 
Materials
 Desktop computers with internet access, Microsoft word, projector with overhead, response worksheet.
 
Procedures
 
Teacher will show students videos found on the Internet. The videos will cover information about the traditional cultural dress of various countries. Students and teacher will discuss the garment details, religious influences, purpose, and status symbol that traditional cultural dress has within a country and its people.
{NOTE:  It is recommended that the videos be downloaded at home since most schools block access to you tube.}
 
Do Now (Interactive Questions)
 
Teacher will ask students motivational questions that will open up discussion, and exchange of information between teacher and students, as well as students and students. Students will individually answer the following questions in their sketch books prior to discussing their answers with the class.
 
Motivational Discussion Do Now Questions
 
1.      What is your family's ethnic background?
2.      List the names of the traditional clothing pieces worn by men, women, and children in your country?
3.      In your general observation of fashion trends, how have fashion designers incorporated traditional cultural dress onto their collections?
 
Aim: How can traditional cultural dress influence your fashion design collection? Note* (This aim may be elicited from the students after the discussion, or can be written on the board prior to the discussion.)
 
Development
Class will discuss the do now and teacher will provide additional information about the topic. (During this discussion students will take notes in their sketchbook)
Students will view the videos listed below via desktop/projector. Each video will educate students about the traditional clothing worn within each culture.
Video #1 Explanation African Zulu Tribe Women's Clothing, Marriage Customs
Interesting explanation of all the components of traditional women's attire in the African Zulu Tribe, also. The tribe's marriage/marital customs - including dowry, sacrificial offerings, feasts.
Ndebele Nguni ethnic group Xhosa Swazi
Video #2Hanbok - Traditional Korean Dress
Video presentation on Hanbok.
Video #3 How to Put on a Hanbok
A lesson in how to put on a hanbok (traditional dress for Korean women)
 
Video #4 Mexican indigenous women in traditional dress, documented as part of Mexican indigenous Textile pro
 
Students will view and take notes on the information learned from the videos.
 
Students will be provided with a questionnaire worksheet which they will answer after viewing the videos.
 
Students will blog and post their thoughts onto http://whatilearnedforsure.blogspot.com/ Blog Topic Fashion Designs inspired by traditional cultural dress http://whatilearnedforsure.blogspot.com/2008/12/fashion-designs-inspired-by-traditional.html
 
Assign Homework: Teacher should leave about 6 minutes for discussion of homework requirement
 
Homework
Students will use the class lesson and instructional method to individually research an ethnic group of their choice. Students will be provided with a handout which they will use to develop their reports. Homework assignment link

In their portfolios, students will also begin organizing the mood page component of their portfolio. The following link contains the mood page procedures, requirements, and example. http://msdavidsonlineclassroom.org/images/HW%205%20Mood%20Page.doc
 
Assessment
 
Class work questionnaire worksheet will be collected and graded in order to assess students understanding of the lesson. Teacher will check each report to ensure that student understand key facts about the country they researched. Students will incorporate different aspects of the traditional cultural dress research onto their original fashion design portfolio collection.
Lesson 4
Day 4: Portfolio Development 4
 
Objectives
 
  • Students will identify various fabrics and textiles
  • Students will use the internet to research and learn about fabric properties (natural fibers, and man made fibers)
  • Students will be informed of curriculum purpose, objectives, and assessments
  • Students will be introduced to  websites that will help them with their fabric research
 
Materials
 Desktop computers with internet access, projector with overhead, Scavenger hunt worksheet, fabric swatches.
 
Procedures
 
Teacher will ask students the following questions in order to assess their understanding about fabric classification and to motivate the discussion. Students will individually answer the following questions in their sketch books prior to discussing their answers with the class.
  
 Motivational Discussion Do Now Questions
 
1.      What is the difference between a woven fabric and a nonwoven fabric?
2.      What type of fabrics is commonly used by intimate apparel designers?
3.      Which important properties must a fabric have in order to be used to design a snow suit?
 
Aim: What type of fabrics is appropriate for my fashion design portfolio collection? Note* (This aim may be elicited from the students after the discussion, or can be written on the board prior to the discussion.)
 
 
 
Development
 
Class will discuss the do now  and teacher will provide more factual information about fabric properties. (During this discussion students will take notes in their sketchbook)
Teacher will share actual non woven and woven fabric swatches and pass these around the classroom.
Students will be introduced to the following websites via desktop/projector;
 
 
Students will be taught how to navigate the site in order to answer the questions on the scavenger hunt worksheet.
 
Students will work independently on a computer station
 
Students will record answers to the questions directly on the worksheet
 
Assign Homework:  Teacher should leave about 6 minutes for discussion of homework requirement
 
Homework
Students will select one of the paintings created by the visual artist they researched. They will then use the color scheme and texture of that painting to help them choose the fabrics for their portfolio collection.  Students will use the following worksheet to develop the fabric page for their portfolio collection.
 
Students will present a well organized  fabric layout in their finished fashion design portfolio. The fabric page will be the second page within the portfolio.

I am a Fashion Design Teacher at the High School of Fashion Industries. In this position, I teach Computer Fashion Art, Sewing Techniques, Draping and Patternmaking. During the summers, I teach Computer Class for TRIO, an Educational Summer Enrichment Program. I enjoy working with young people, and am passionate about teaching.

To learn more about my classes please click on the following link


I also teach this unit to my 11th year term 1 Draping class. Because the class is more technical, after conducting the visual artist research, students are required to incorporate their research with a garment that they have designed, draped and constructed. The following picture is a finished sample of a student who also researched Pablo Picasso. She hand painted the painting "Girl Before A Mirror" onto her skirt. The end result is exceptional.

 

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