Abstract:

This article deals with the relevance of studies in the history of design as an important way for a fashion student getting repertoire. We bring to debate the importance of practical application of a theoretical content such as history in a course that develops manual skills and explores creativity. We present in this work two activities carried out in Fundamentals of Design, the discipline in which the history content was taught. Also, one of the disciplines for beginners in the SENAI CETIQT undergraduate Fashion Design course.

Despite the fact of being one of the few theoretical subjects of the first period, the discipline of Fundamentals of Design was not attracting as much interest as the other practical disciplines of the same period. In addition, the form of assessment was 100% through theoretical evidence. Therefore, between the years of 2015 and 2017, the forms of evaluation were rethought in order to make the discipline more attractive to students.

In order to minimize the discomfort of students with the evaluation form and also to involve them in the content of the discipline, we apply as part of the evaluation two types of customization activity at different times. Both activities aimed to use the visual references of the topics covered in the classes: Victorian Era, Art Nouveau, Art Deco, Bauhaus, Modern Design and Postmodern Design. The two activities were carried out in distinct classes in different semesters, with the purpose of experimenting the two modalities of work in group and individual.

In both activities the creative process was similar, consisted of three stages:
1) research;
2) generation of alternatives; and
3) prototyping.

In the first stage students were responsible for reviewing the main historical data and stylistic characteristics, such as colors, shapes, textures, typography, and materials. Students should then outline customization alternatives. And finally customize the pieces. All the process lasted around three weeks, during which the students received guidance from the teachers.

The first activity was performed in groups of three to four members and the focus was the UpCycling proposal. The goal was to take advantage of existing and uninteresting pieces of clothes and give them a new life. Each member was responsible for customizing one of the pieces based on a visual direction established by the group. As final result was expected that all the customizations look like a mini collection. The second activity, performed in a later semester, was individual. The basis of the discussion was the different possibilities that a customization can bring to the same piece. In this activity each student had as a starting point the same white cotton T-shirt. The students were free to change the modeling or just the surface design.

The aim of involving the students was not only achieved but also the technical skills of drawing, coloring, modeling and dressing in the other disciplines. The works were exhibited in the hall of the faculty and in this way we promoted not only the work of the students but also we discussed the contribution of the history of the design to the learning in Fashion Design.

Keywords:

History of design, fashion design, upcycling, education.