Spring Into the Art of Fashion

While Spring seems to be a bit hesitant this year about warming things up, we are ecstatic that it is officially here. Over the last year we've been presenting ideas about how to create art units that connect to different visual art careers such as animation and puppetry.  ​Today we want to share some tips and resources related to fashion design that you can use to build or add to a fashion unit in your art curriculum. 

Fashion is such an important part of our everyday lives. Adding a fashion unit to your curriculum can be as simple or developed as you'd like. Young artists really seem to enjoy exploring the art of fashion because they connect to this subject personally. 

Picture Books

We love using picture books with younger learners in our creative space. Ann Lowe was a visionary fashion designer and seamstress who owned her own designer dress salon during the mid-20th century. Her dresses were worn by wealthy clients including first lady of the United States, Jackie Kennedy. The beautifully illustrated children's picture book below written by Deborah Blumenthal and illustrated by Laura Freeman is a great resource to introduce young artists to her beautiful work and story of perseverance.

Black Fashion Designers

Learning about current fashion designers can help young artists make connections  to the real world; they can also discover a potential career path related to visual art. There are a dynamic group of Black fashion designers working today that can be referenced in your lessons. Here are two contemporary designers who create beautiful clothing that can also be easily connected to the Elements of Art. 

​Native Detroiter, Tracey Reese is a prolific fashion designer who has been in the industry for over 20 years. Her creations are colorful and vibrant. She recently developed a line of clothing made from more sustainable materials.

Christopher John Rogers was born in Baton Rouge, LA. He recently designed the dress worn by Vice President Kamala Harris at the presidential inauguration in 2021. This award-winning artist continues to create eye-catching designs that inspire people from diverse cultural backgrounds,

Fashion Designer, Tracey Reese

Fashion Designer, Christopher John Rogers

Fashion in Fine Art

Fashionable clothing has been and continues to be an important subject for painters and photographers to include in their portrait renderings. We selected several works of art that display figures wearing stylish clothing. Feel free to develop your own collection of works. Initiate a conversation with young learners about the fashions the subjects in each piece are wearing.  Here are a list of questions you can ask to begin a conversation:
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1. What place or event do you do you think the figures in the paintings are going to or coming from? Explain.
2. Would you wear or do you own an outfit similar to what the individuals in the works of art are wearing?
3. If you were a fashion designer, which outfit would be similar to the kind of fashions you would design?

William H. Johnson, Street Life, Harlem, 1940, Oil on Canvas

James Van Der Zee, Wedding Photo of A Black Couple

Amy Sherald, A Clear Unspoken Granted Magic, 2017, Oil on Canvas

More Fashion Art Resources To Explore

A few more art lesson/activities you can add to your fashion design unit include:

1. Design a new cool school t-shirt or uniform.
2. Create a drawing of what people will wear 100 years from now.
3. Share with the class, a classmate or friend your favorite outfit to wear and then paint  or draw a picture of yourself wearing it. 
4. Create a digital fashion magazine featuring photographs that you take of your family members and friends dressed in colorful clothing.​

Make sure to take a look at the resources below as well as our blog post about developing a fashion club for artists in grades 6-12. Who are some of your favorite fashion designers? Comment below.

Abstract Fashion Design Art Lesson

$5.99

This multimedia art lesson is a great way for young artists in grades 4-12 to explore fashion illustration and learn about the prolific artist, Amy Sherald. Explore our website to discover more fashion themed art lessons and resources.

This Resource Includes:

• Lesson Prep/Tips
• Abstract Fashion Design Art Lesson (with step-by-step photos

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Fashion Design Art Lesson Bundle

$13.99

This is a great set of lessons to explore art related to fashion design and textiles. Inspired by prominent artists including Kehinde Wiley and Ellis Wilson, feel free to tailor the lessons to fit your curriculum. Explore our website to find more great art resources inspired by amazing Black visual artists

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Wedding Dress Design Art Lesson

$5.99

Inspired by the children's picture book, The Wedding written by Angela Johnson, this art lesson was designed for young artists in grades 3-12. Explore our website to discover more great art resources and tips.

This Resource Includes:

• Lesson Prep/Tips
• Wedding Dress Design Art Lesson (with step-by-step photos)

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