What background knowledge is necessary?

<text variant="body1">No prior knowledge of fashion, design, or art history is needed to complete this course.

Will I earn university credit for completing the course?

Coursera currently provides certificates of completion, but MoMA does not offer additional accreditation at this time.

When will I have access to the lectures and assignments?

To access the course materials, assignments and to earn a Certificate, you will need to purchase the Certificate experience when you enroll in a course. You can try a Free Trial instead, or apply for Financial Aid. The course may offer 'Full Course, No Certificate' instead. This option lets you see all course materials, submit required assessments, and get a final grade. This also means that you will not be able to purchase a Certificate experience.

What will I get if I subscribe to this Specialization?

When you enroll in the course, you get access to all of the courses in the Specialization, and you earn a certificate when you complete the work. Your electronic Certificate will be added to your Accomplishments page - from there, you can print your Certificate or add it to your LinkedIn profile.

Is financial aid available?

Yes. In select learning programs, you can apply for financial aid or a scholarship if you can’t afford the enrollment fee. If fin aid or scholarship is available for your learning program selection, you’ll find a link to apply on the description page.

Fashion as Design: Expression and Community

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Fashion as Design: Expression and Community

This course is part of Fashion As Design Specialization

Instructors: Rachael Schwabe

Included with

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4 modules

Gain insight into a topic and learn the fundamentals.

Beginner level

Recommended experience

6 hours to complete

Flexible schedule

Learn at your own pace

4 modules

Gain insight into a topic and learn the fundamentals.

Beginner level

Recommended experience

6 hours to complete

Flexible schedule

Learn at your own pace

What you'll learn

Translate your observations into a deeper awareness of this personal form of design and the communities it creates.
Analyze how garments and accessories transmit specific messages about identity and belonging.
Participate in prompts that encourage you to consider how you use clothing as a tool for individuality and community building.

Details to know

Shareable certificate

Add to your LinkedIn profile

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Build your subject-matter expertise

This course is part of the Fashion As Design Specialization

When you enroll in this course, you'll also be enrolled in this Specialization.

Learn new concepts from industry experts
Gain a foundational understanding of a subject or tool
Develop job-relevant skills with hands-on projects
Earn a shareable career certificate

There are 4 modules in this course

Clothing is not only a personal choice, it is a visual language that connects us to others and defines our place in the world. This course explores how fashion functions as a powerful tool for self-expression and a catalyst for community building.

The Museum of Modern Art invites you to hear directly from designers, activists, and photographers who use clothing to tell stories and challenge social norms. You will explore the history of borrowing and remaking styles, to understand clothing as a living cultural archive. You’ll gain the fluency to decode the social signals of style and understand the profound impact of the clothes that make us stand out and belong.

Module details

What we wear informs our everyday experience of self and society. Explore how the clothes in your closet connect you to others and make you stand out through items that express identity, create and demonstrate community ties, and borrow and remake existing styles.

What's included

2 videos4 readings1 assignment

2 videosTotal 4 minutes

Preview Fashion as Design1 minute
Cara Romero. Wakeah. 20183 minutes

4 readingsTotal 40 minutes

Welcome to the course10 minutes
First Look: This Course in Three Garments 10 minutes
Optional Readings & Resources10 minutes
Optional Prompts for Discussion & Reflection10 minutes

1 assignmentTotal 30 minutes

How do you express yourself through your clothes?30 minutes

In this module explore garments that have been used as a tool for expression—from religious wear to clothes that play with gender and performance. You’ll consider the role of fashion in distinguishing yourself as an individual.

What's included

6 videos12 readings

6 videosTotal 22 minutes

Fashion Historian Raissa Bretaña on Frida Kahlo's Self-Portrait with Cropped Hair4 minutes
Stephanie Syjuco. Cargo Cults: Head Bundle. 2013-163 minutes
Historian Leila Ahmed on the Hijab2 minutes
Model Hari Nef's Abecedarium Presentation on Unisex Fashion9 minutes
Monét X Change on Drag2 minutes
Karl Ohiri. Untitled from the Archive of Becoming. 2015-ongoing2 minutes

12 readingsTotal 120 minutes

Welcome to Module 210 minutes
In the Museum10 minutes
Identity10 minutes
Look Book: Identity10 minutes
Gender10 minutes
Look Book: Gender10 minutes
Performance10 minutes
Look Book: Performance10 minutes
Review of Module 210 minutes
Optional Readings & Resources10 minutes
Optional Prompts for Discussion & Reflection10 minutes
Optional Mid-Course Survey10 minutes

This module examines how clothing creates community, and the ways that subcultural trends have been adopted by mainstream culture—and vice versa.

What's included

5 videos9 readings

5 videosTotal 23 minutes

Street Photography with Jamel Shabazz6 minutes
Guy Baldwin, International Mr. Leather 1989, on Leather Pants2 minutes
Gabriel Fontana’s R&D Salon Presentation on Subverting the Sports Uniform8 minutes
Hal Fischer. Street Fashion: Uniform from Gay Semiotics. 19772 minutes
Sky Cubacub on Rebirth Garments and Radical Visibility4 minutes