History and Documentation of Fashion

The course aims to offer the basic features of a history of fashion and textiles from the 18th century to the present day. The theme will be addressed by highlighting the moments when the most important changes have occurred in the ways of dressing, in fashion production, in fashion consumption and in its communication, deepening each of the cultural, social, technological and economic reasons. Regarding textiles, the course focuses on how technical-scientific discoveries and political events have influenced this production sector. The transition from court fashion to bourgeois fashion with its symbolism, the birth of haute couture, the origins of the modern way of dressing ,the diffusion of manufactured clothing and the relationships between high fashion and ordinary clothing, the prêt-à-porter of designers, today's relationship between mass market and elite brands, and how many of these historical moments has led to developments and progress in textiles.

During the course the students will acquire: an effective ability to understand the historical development of the modern fashion industry; an in-depth knowledge of the historical development of textile production;
skills in recognizing the simplest types of textiles applied to fashion and the ability to place within an historical context the main decorative motifs of the fabrics; proper use of the technical terminology of the discipline.