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Academics
- Follow fiber as it is transformed from yarn into apparel and home furnishing products
- Discover the unique handicrafts of Andean villages
- Design and construct an article of clothing
Academic Structure
Program Type: From Fiber to Fashion is a Global Seminar. Global Seminars are short-term study abroad programs led by University of Minnesota faculty. Instruction is in English.
Level: 3000 level coursework.
Term: Winter Break 2009/10.
Prerequisites: None.
Courseload: One 3-credit course.
Coursework
Students will experience apparel design and production within the culture and rich traditions of Ecuador through excursions, cultural visits, lectures, and readings.
Students will visit cultural and textile museums, manufacturing facilities, markets, Andean villages made famous for their handicrafts, and more. Guest speakers will share the history of the development of the handicrafts and give demonstrations. Students will have the opportunity to compare and contrast hand production to machine production and the traditional dress of elderly Ecuadorians to the more modern dress of the younger citizens.
Students will have the unique opportunity to complete the design and production of an apparel item. No prior design skills are necessary. Students will learn how to embellish fabric and then have that fabric made into an article of clothing (skirt, pants, shirt, jacket, etc.).
Prior to departure, students attend a pre-departure orientation and may receive pre-departure readings and assignments. During the program, students will have assigned readings that they will summarize and will complete a paper that compares and contrasts the readings to their actual experiences while in Ecuador. Students will also summarize their experiences of the excursions.
This course has been approved for the Arts & Humanities/Other core and International Perspectives theme.
View the Global Seminar Liberal Education Requirements chart.
Faculty Leader
Kim K. P. Johnson is a professor in the College of Design, Housing and Apparel. Professor Johnson has led a similar program to Ecuador in the past and other undergraduate programs to various countries in Europe and to Toronto and Hong Kong.
Last modified on November 19, 2009 |