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FutureLearn

Manufacture and Design Ethics in the Fashion Industry

Bloomsbury Academic via FutureLearn

Overview

Explore the ethical decisions fashion designers face

There are many ethical decisions that fashion designers have to make in product development, sourcing, and manufacturing.

On this four-week course from Bloomsbury Academic and authors V. Ann Paulins and Julie L. Hillery, you’ll delve into the various methods implemented in fashion design processes, and explore the role of ethics for each one.

With this knowledge, you’ll understand the different inspirations and development processes that influence fashion design. You’ll also explore how to address the ethical dilemmas designers may face.

Discover the processes and pitfalls in fashion design and product development

Delving into the fashion design process and product development, you’ll uncover some of the common pitfalls in these processes and how to avoid them.

You’ll also examine the roles that designers play in branding and brand representation.

Unpack sustainable design

You’ll explore the ways in which environmental and economic sustainability are related to fashion design.

With this knowledge, you’ll learn to define principles that comprise circular, sustainable design.

Explore ethical dilemmas in a global fashion industry

Delving further into the ethics within the design and manufacturing process in fashion, you’ll explore a variety of issues including human rights, workplace safety, sweatshops, and animal welfare.

This knowledge will help you explore the cultural, governmental, and NGO influences on global labour practices and standards. With this understanding, you’ll learn to communicate ways to engage in ethical fashion design.

You’ll finish the course with a strong foundational knowledge of the relationship between ethics and design and manufacturing in the global fashion industry.

This course is designed for anyone interested in the fashion industry and the design and manufacturing processes.

It will also be of interest if you want to learn more about ethics in the global fashion industry.

Syllabus

  • Processes and pitfalls in fashion design and product development: Part 1
    • Course welcome
    • Perspectives on ethics in apparel and product development
    • Ethical applications in the design process
    • Evolving theories and practices
    • Fashion brands
    • Week wrap up
  • Processes and pitfalls in fashion design and product development: Part 2
    • Weekly welcome
    • Intellectual property
    • The fashion design process: Knockoffs vs counterfeits
    • Environmentalism and sustainability
    • Real-world cases
    • Week wrap up
  • Manufacturing and sourcing fashion products in a global industry: Part 1
    • Weekly welcome
    • Ethical manufacturing and sourcing
    • Issues in manufacturing fashion: Part 1
    • Issues in manufacturing fashion: Part 2
    • Week wrap up
  • Manufacturing and sourcing fashion products in a global industry: Part 2
    • Weekly welcome
    • Environmentalism
    • Ethical manufacturing and sourcing
    • Real-world cases
    • Course wrap up

Taught by

Astrid deRidder

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