What background knowledge is necessary?

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: Silhouettes and Icons

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Fashion as Design: Silhouettes and Icons

This course is part of Fashion As Design Specialization

Instructors: Rachael Schwabe

1,841 already enrolled

Included with

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4 modules

Gain insight into a topic and learn the fundamentals.

Beginner level

Recommended experience

7 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

7 hours to complete

Flexible schedule

Learn at your own pace

What you'll learn

Gain design literacy by analyzing how silhouettes in fashion serve as a springboard for contemporary innovation and self-expression.
Engage with the insights of world-class makers and historians to understand the intersection of fashion, design, photography, and history.
Participate in prompts that challenge you to deconstruct and reimagine the functional and symbolic value of your own wardrobe.

Skills you'll gain

Details to know

Shareable certificate

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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

Every garment we choose is a deliberate act of design. This course offers a deep dive into the iconic silhouettes that have defined the last century, shifting your perspective from seeing clothes simply as products to understanding them as social and cultural blueprints.

Through exclusive access to The Museum of Modern Art’s network of designers, historians, and photographers, you will analyze how specific shapes and designs have been used to project power, navigate gender, and redefine the self. Whether you are a student of design, a professional in a creative industry, or a lifelong learner curious about fashion, you will develop a sophisticated vocabulary for the evolution of style.

Module details

In this course, examples of silhouettes and iconic garments from the 20th century to today serve as a springboard to consider how we use clothing and accessories to project, aspire, and shift our sense of self.

What's included

2 videos5 readings1 assignment

2 videosTotal 3 minutes

Preview Fashion as Design1 minute
Curator Paola Antonelli on Crocs2 minutes

5 readingsTotal 50 minutes

Welcome to the course10 minutes
First Look: This Course in Three Garments10 minutes
Items: Is Fashion Modern?10 minutes
Optional Readings & Resources10 minutes
Optional Prompts for Discussion & Reflection10 minutes

1 assignmentTotal 20 minutes

What does fashion mean to you?20 minutes

When we get dressed, the shape our clothes create—a silhouette—is influenced by everything from shifting trends in fashion to what looks and feels good. In this module you will explore how clothing shapes the body and how our ideas about the body shapes the clothing we wear.

What's included

5 videos13 readings

5 videosTotal 16 minutes

Dressing Mannequins with Tae Smith7 minutes
Rei Kawakubo. Body Meets Dress, Dress Meets Body–and Become One. 19972 minutes
Curator Paola Antonelli on Spanx3 minutes
Curator Michelle Millar Fisher and Fashion Historian Francesca Granata on Premaman3 minutes
Designer Richard Malone on the Jumpsuit2 minutes

13 readingsTotal 130 minutes

Welcome to Module 210 minutes
In the Museum10 minutes
Shape10 minutes
Look Book: Shape10 minutes
Augment10 minutes
Look Book: Augment10 minutes
Free10 minutes
Look Book: Free10 minutes
Fashion Historian Lauren Downing Peters and Co-Founder of Universal Standard Alexandra Waldman on Non-Sample Size Clothing10 minutes
Review of Module 210 minutes
Optional Readings & Resources10 minutes
Optional Prompts for Reflection & Discussion10 minutes
Optional Mid-Course Survey10 minutes

What makes a garment iconic? Sometimes it’s the power of the wearer’s personality, or a person’s role—from an athlete to the military—that elevates an ordinary item to fashion’s mainstream. In this module you’ll consider how the clothing we wear reflects who you are and what you want to become.

What's included

4 videos11 readings

4 videosTotal 16 minutes

On Site in Los Angeles: Recreating Bruce Lee's Tracksuit8 minutes
Curator Stephanie Kramer on Sports Jerseys2 minutes
Pushpamala N. The Navarasa Suite, from the series Bombay Photo Studio. 20032 minutes
Designer Ruth E. Carter on Afrofuturism4 minutes