History of Contemporary Fashion: 1947 – Present
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- Coco Chanel, gelatin silver print, Richard Avedon | National Museum of American History; Christian Dior (right) with Alexander Liberman | Archives of American Art; Pierre Cardin by Eddie Adams for Time Magazine | National Portrait Gallery; Clothes by Miyake, photos by Irving Penn | Cooper Hewitt
This college level, 15-session study will offer a comprehensive overview of the history of contemporary fashion, concentrating on the period from 1947 until now. From Dior’s New Look, through the decline of haute couture and the rise of pret-a-porter, the life and death of the avant-garde, to today’s conglomerate fashion, this course will examine how fashion has changed over the past 75 years, connecting a patchwork of designers, brands, and trends into a coherent narrative that will give the students a solid understanding of the contemporary fashion landscape.
The full syllabus is available upon request by writing to info@sz-mag.com or by DMing @stylezeitgeist on Instagram.
The course proceeds decade by decade, tying together disparate fashion movements and putting them into a wider cultural and theoretical context. From the haute couture of Christian Dior and Yves Saint Laurent, to the punk fashions of Malcolm McLaren and Vivenne Westwood, to the French camp revolutionaries Jean Paul Gaultier and Thierry Mugler, to the avant-garde of Comme des Garçons and Yohji Yamamoto, to the Antwerp Six and Martin Margiela, to the minimalists Helmut Lang and Jil Sander, to the British enfant terribles Alexander McQueen and John Galliano, to Rick Owens; these are just some of the names whose work we will closely examine. We will also examine the rise of menswear and streetwear, and the corporatization of fashion in the early 21st Century.
- The course curriculum is modeled on a full semester worth of studying at a higher educational institution.
- Each session will be a mix of lecture and seminar, meaning that the students will be encouraged to actively participate in discussions.
- There will be assigned reading, but no written homework or a final project, unless you are willing to do one as part of the advanced study program.
- For the Fall 2024 semester, the course is taught twice a week, on Saturdays from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. Eastern Standard Time.
- Schedule: Sep 7th – Dec 14th
- Tuition: early bird $999 (register before August 24, 2024) / regular tuition $1299 / advanced study $1499 (includes personal consultations with the instructor)
Please note that the course is limited to 25 students.