While we stay indoors and try to maintain an optimistic attitude as we hope for the best in these coming weeks, many of us have a lot of free time at hand. While some of us are using that by trying out new hobbies, others are trying to make time for things they earlier pushed to the backseat. Many others, particularly GenX and GenY, find themselves going back to their old textbooks, old papers as they clear out their wardrobe, whereas millennials are going all out in trying to find interesting courses they can pursue online.
The digital world is still accessible to us from within our homes, which makes this the best time to pursue courses online. From STEM courses to courses in well-being and happiness to courses in the arts, media, social sciences and fashion, sustainability, you will find it all online.
If you are a lover of fashion, art, design and wish to learn more about these spheres, now is the time to do so. If you’re someone who dreams of working in fashion or lifestyle or someone who wishes to start a label, these online courses will create the perfect foundation for you.
Ciceroni presents 10 interesting online courses that you can pursue during the days of lockdown:
1. Management of Fashion and Luxury Companies by Universita Bocconi
If you want to work with fashion and luxury labels, this is the course for you. Adopting a case-study approach, the course presents strategic brand management in luxury and fashion companies in order to increase the brand value by nurturing the brand heritage and at the same time staying fresh, relevant, and contemporary in the global marketplace. The course is offered at Coursera and you can opt for a certificate programme or a free of cost plan where you can access all lectures.
https://www.coursera.org/learn/mafash
2. Fashion as Design by Museum of Modern Art (MoMa)
Fashion as Design is a course that focuses on a selection of more than 70 garments and accessories from around the world, ranging from kente cloth to jeans to 3D-printed dresses. Through these garments, you will get to look closely at what we wear, why we wear it, how it’s made, and what it means. You’ll hear directly from a range of designers, makers, historians, and others working with clothing every day—and, in some cases, reinventing it for the future. Those with an interest in fashion and innovation must look up this course.
https://www.coursera.org/learn/fashion-design
3. Sustainable Fashion by Copenhagen Business School
This course is aimed at making one aware about the processes involved in ensuring sustainability of a fashion enterprise. By the end of the course, you will understand the overall challenges and potential solutions for businesses to become more sustainable. You will be able to think about business model theory in new ways and apply strategies to manage business model innovation towards sustainable practices.
https://www.coursera.org/learn/sustainable-fashion
4. Circular Economy- Sustainable Materials Management- offered by multiple universities
This course looks at where important materials come from in everyday use products and how these materials can be used more efficiently, longer, and in closed loops. In addition to providing many cases of managing materials for sustainability, the course also teaches skills and tools for analyzing circular business models and promotes development of your own ideas to become more involved in the transition to a Circular Economy. This one is ideal for budding entrepreneurs who want to understand the economics of sustainability.
https://www.coursera.org/learn/circular-economy
5. Design: Creation of Artifacts in Society by University of Pennsylvania
The course spans across all domains of design, including architecture, graphics, services, apparel, engineered goods, and products. The emphasis of the course is the basic design process: define, explore, select, and refine. You as the student, bring to the course your particular interests and expertise related to, for instance, engineering, furniture, fashion, architecture, or products. All project work is evaluated by your peers — and indeed, you will also be a peer reviewer.
https://www.coursera.org/learn/design
6. Look your very best – Learn about Color, Style & Fashion
If you’re someone who enjoys experimenting with fashion and are looking to enrich your personal style, this course is for you. In this course, you will get to analyze your personal colour season, discover what the right colours vs the wrong colours can do for you, declutter and perfectly organize your wardrobe and how to become smart at shopping. This course will help you to choose garments that flatter your body type and how to bring your figure in perspective with the right colours, lines, cuts, fabrics & accessories.
https://www.udemy.com/course/look-your-very-best-all-about-color-style-fashion/
7. Become a fashion buyer – learn the essentials
Fashion buying is a highly lucrative career prospect, one that is growing day by day. This course will help you decide if becoming a fashion buyer is for you, and it will help you understand the key tasks of a fashion buyer and the skills required to become a successful fashion buyer. You will understand the fundamental analytical functions in a buying department. You will gain a good overview of the financials involved in planning a fashion range, and gain an understanding of the considerations to factor in when building a fashion range.
https://www.udemy.com/course/become-a-fashion-buyer/
8. Sketching for Fashion Design — Beginner Course
Regardless of age, this course is for all design and sketching enthusiasts who wish to pursue sketching for fashion design. You will learn how to create a “fashion journal” which will help you develop your own unique style as a fashion designer. Knowing what you like (and don’t like) empowers your designing abilities and will support you in developing your unique “voice”. You will learn how to draw different silhouettes and you will get to master them over the entire course.
https://www.udemy.com/course/sketching-for-fashion-design-beginner-course/
9. Building a Fashion Brand by Diane von Furstenberg
In her 20s, Diane Von Furstenberg convinced a textile factory owner in Italy to let her produce her first designs. With those samples, she flew to New York City to build one of the world’s most iconic and enduring fashion brands. In this online fashion design class, Diane teaches you how to build a brand. You will learn how to create a visual identity, build loyalty, stay true to your vision, and launch your product. You will obtain pragmatic lessons about the fashion business from the expert herself. It is a paid course but definitely worth the money!
https://www.masterclass.com/classes/diane-von-furstenberg-teaches-building-a-fashion-brand#
10. Fashion Design by Marc Jacobs
This one, you cannot say no to! In his first online fashion design class, the 11-time CFDA Award winner teaches his hands-on process for creating clothes that push boundaries and set trends. Learn Marc Jacob’s construction techniques, how he creates unique shapes and silhouettes, and how you can develop your own ideas from the first sketch to the final piece. If you are looking to invest your time and money in a course that will pay off in the long run, this is where you must place your bets.
https://www.masterclass.com/classes/marc-jacobs-teaches-fashion-design
Learning never stops and if you have been itching to go back to pursuing your passions, now is the time.
Which course are you opting for, during the lockdown? Tell us in the comments below
