Fashion as Design: Silhouettes and Icons

Clothes as cultural evidence

Most people think of a garment as a product, but this course asks you to read it as a record of social history. The focus is on iconic silhouettes from the last century and on what those shapes said about power, gender and identity at the time.

Key takeaways

• Silhouette is a design language, and shape carries meaning before any detail does
• Designers used familiar forms to signal authority or to challenge convention
• Analysing a look means considering who wore it and why

The course draws on The Museum of Modern Art's network of designers, historians and photographers, which gives the material a curatorial feel. It is pitched at beginners and suits students of design, media or cultural studies as well as people who simply want to look at fashion more critically. The emphasis is on analysis rather than technical sewing.