Fashion Industry

Look at the fashion industry as one of the creative industries, and delve into the business, historical, cultural economic and media dimensions of this fascinating industry.

Fashion has often been studied from cultural studies or costume history perspectives. The Minor Fashion Industry aims to highlight other important aspects of fashion. We look at the fashion industry as one of the creative industries, and we gain insight into the business, historical, cultural economic and media dimensions of this fascinating industry. In particular, we pay attention to the transition to a more sustainable fashion and textile industry: we look at how the fashion industry works, but also how it is reshaping its practices and what can be done to facilitate the transition. The Minor Fashion Industry features a mix of interactive seminars, exciting group work (often in collaboration with stakeholders in the fashion industry), (inter)national guest lectures and field trips (i.e. fashion exhibitions in musea, an entire day dedicated to the denim industry and its transition to a sustainable future at the Denim City in Amsterdam). You will join a community of highly motivated students who want to make a change in the current fashion industry, and you will learn to work together in small interdisciplinary and intercultural groups. You will be inspired and coached by a team of academics with hands-on experience in the fashion industry, passionate and very engaged. Many alumni still mention and remember with enthusiasm all the activities and assignments done during the minor, and how the minor helped shape their interest and professional career into the fashion industry.

After completing the minor, students should have a wide-range knowledge and critical understanding of the historical, business, cultural economic, media and sustainability dimensions of the fashion industry, as well as the characteristics of fashion products, businesses, media and intermediaries in the industry.

• Learning goals related to the module Business History of Fashion: identify fashion as a business and economic activity; understand why and how business history matters for the study of this most glamorous industry.
• Learning goals related to the module Economics of Fashion: knowledge of the cultural economic dimensions of the fashion industry and its spatial characteristics; understand, address and facilitate the transition to a more sustainable fashion and textiles industry.
• Learning goals related to the module Fashion Media: knowledge of the role of media in the development of fashion through the last two centuries; explain how different media have represented changes in the fashion market and how the market is represented; reflect on the contents of fashion media and its possible futures.

• The minor is 15 ECTS and is taught in the first 10 weeks of the academic year (starting early September).
• The education level is BA-3.
• Attendance is compulsory in all seminars of the three modules part of the minor. In case of three absences in any of the three modules parts of the minor, students cannot complete the minor.
• All seminars (three per week) are held on campus (offline) , except for fieldtrips.
• The minor is intensive with group work every week. It is not recommended to follow the minor in combination with other courses .
• The maximum number of students is 30.
• Proficiency in spoken and written English is essential. We advise a VWO-final examination grade of 7 or higher, a TOEFL-test minimum score of 100 or an IELTS-test minimum score of 7.
• The minor is open to all students from Erasmus University Rotterdam, Leiden University and** TU Delft** who wish to take a broadening minor.

Teaching method
Seminars

Teaching material
Blaszczyk, R. (Ed.) (2008) Producing Fashion: Commerce, Culture, and Consumers. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: University of Pennsylvania Press; articles via the University Library and online resources

Examination
Module 1: Business History of Fashion (course code: CH9010)

• presentation (15%), essay (15%), written exam (60%) and participation (10%)

Module 2: Economics of Fashion (course code: CC9011)

• groups assignment (30%), individual final paper (70%)

Module 3: Fashion Media (course code: CM9005)

• groups assignments (30%), individual assignment (40%) and in class activities and participation (30%)

Minor students should obtain a pass mark for each of the three modules in order to obtain the Minor; it is not possible to compensate for a score below the pass mark.

Composition of final grade
Students will receive a final grade in each of the three modules. Therefore, the final grade of the entire Minor Fashion Industry is the average of the three modules.