Fall 2024

Universally, people make daily choices about what to or not to wear. This course presents a comparative examination of fashion across different cultural perspectives using Western and non-Western examples; we will take a three-pronged approach to distinguish dress across cultures, uncovering its relationship to human beings as biological, aesthetic, and social creatures. We will review readings collected from course text books, academic journals and other current articles from magazines and newspapers. In addition we will analyze the complexity of dress from a multidisciplinary perspective. Therefore we will explore topics that include anthropology, sociology, economics, fine arts, religion , natural sciences and technological changes.

The rise of the digital influencer has propelled billions of marketing and advertising dollars into the social media economy. The construction and cultivation of influencers has resulted in self-branding, micro-celebrities who are Instafamous. The fashion industry has greatly benefited from this rapidly growing, dynamic, new digital space. This course will examine the influencer industry through close readings, videos, and in-depth analysis. Students will learn about how influencers create online personas, perform digital labor, and participate in the attention economy to commodify their labor. The course will further unpack the pros and cons of influencer culture, and question whether the future of human influencers will be replaced by CGI influencers (Computer Generated Imagery).

The purpose of this course is to introduce students to working with a non-profit & for-profit organization creating a fashion event. Many non-profits & for profits today partner with fashion houses, company, brands or designers for many reasons. Some of the reasons include to increase awareness, giving back to the community, marketing a fashion product and sharing mutual interests in current challenges within different cultures. This course will have a physical event which is in-person held within the University of Arizona Campus. Students will work in committees that will address specific areas of the event. Committees will be formed, but not limited to research, accounting, promotion, staging, logistic planning and public relations. The final project for the class will an in-person event on the UA campus. The focus of the event will be determined by the type of organization the class will be working with at the time.

This course provides an overview of the business aspects of the fashion industry. Students will explore fashion brand creation, design development, sourcing, production, global supply chain management and distribution. Students will also examine the legal aspects of fashion businesses including the law and copyright protections of patents, trademarks, trade dress, service marks, copyrights and licensing.

This course integrates the chemical composition, molecular arrangement, and physical structure of natural and manufactured fibers. Yarn and fabric manufacturing processes as well as finishing techniques are included. Attention is given to how these characteristics and techniques affect function, performance, and quality of textile products.

Develop the science of predicting future fashion trends. Learn the relationship between forecasting, trend prediction, external, social changes, and historical style movements. Analyze past styled movements and establish an understanding of historical context, consumer trends, buying patterns, fads, and cults. Research color palettes, surface and fabric trends and concepts, form and silhouette changes, and product shifts. Learn to synthesis trends for new product by gaining insight into consumers' attitudes and lifestyles phases. Group and individual projects are used to access the students learning. This course is not intended for RCSC majors. No RCSC credit will be given for this course.

The fashion industry is, ever-changing and a greater understanding of all aspects of fashion promotion is necessary for student success. Communicating effectively across a range of platforms with respect to the consumer and maintaining consistency to navigate the global landscape in fashion communication along with managing emerging trends in social marketing and event planning is necessary for all fashion promotion. Use of current news, events, and personalities as a basis for writing and evaluating institutional and product publicity releases for news and feature stories. Students plan publicity campaigns and create a press kit. Students plan and develop sales promotion activities in order to achieve specific marketing and communications objectives. Both business-to-business and business-to-consumer sales promotion campaigns are developed This online course provides an analysis of the principles and practices of e-commerce in fashion retailing and their relationship to customer service integrated as fashion promotion. Topics included a survey of brick & mortar fashion customer, its technology underpinnings; understanding and communicating with the e-customer. Case studies and projects will be used to apply the concepts.

A comprehensive overview of how the fashion business works. The course will feature topics covering the past and present in fashion personalities, fads, pop culture, product development and retail. The class will go through examples of people, principles, management practices, and retailer. In addition, we will examine fashions ethical awareness of the twenty first century.

A study of consumer behavior and fashion adoption processes in contemporary society, the nature of fashion theories, the life-cycle, social and cultural processes and evolution of fashion, and the role of fashion in the global economy in general and in the fashion business industry in particular. In addition, because of the size and reach of fashion we will recognize the cause and effects of this industry on the world's environment and inhabitants.

Successfully transition into the Fashion Industry's Science and Technology (FITS) major. Explore ethical and professional behavior within the FITS programs, content and sequencing of courses, and careers in the fashion industry through discussions, in-class activities, and writing assignments.