Fashioning Identity: Art + Artifacts + Fashion Theory
Deborah Christiansen
Eskenazi School of Art, Architecture + Design
In this course students will explore the communication of identity as it relates to culture, throughout history and today, through the lens of fashion and dress. Readings and discussion will cover topics extending from original theories on why people wear clothes, to how socio-cultural events and context affect fashion adoption and change, stressing that clothing and adornment are basic human needs that permeate every aspect of life.
We collaborate with other courses studying topics such as art, history, sustainability, and gender to look at how art and fashion, as well as consumer behavior, are inextricably linked to economics, politics, the environment, and global production and consumption. Students will be encouraged to discuss perceptions that lead to the development of visual identity and will integrate art and artifact study with their thinking around fashion theories and trend prediction.
This course helps students acclimate to college life and better understand university resources. The discipline of dress and appearance, primarily drawing from sociology, anthropology, and history, will be the basis for relating various areas of study to each other, learning how to connect our studies to the broader world, and learning to use the academic tools necessary for a successful college career. Participants will begin to develop critical writing skills and gain an early understanding of how to read and respond to research and writing at the college level. Students will emerge as more open-minded, independent, critical thinkers with the tools to be successful in the first year of college.
This course is eligible for honors credit through Hutton Honors College.
Catalog Information: COLL-S 104 FRESHMAN SEMINAR IN S&H