Le Fashion Lab offers three Fashion Design and Garment Construction Programs. Our 1-yr Daytime Program; 2-yr Evening or Weekend Program*; and our 13-week PREP Program.
First Semester
An introduction to numerous sewing techniques specific to various fabric types – including learning to use an industrial sewing machine and serger, learning bias binding, turned stitch, flat felled, French seam, bias binding, blind stitch, flat catch stitch, and numerous other techniques that are commonly used in sewing. This class is recommended for all students at the beginner level. Student will have sample book for reference even after class has ended. The ideal starting place for future garment construction classes .
4 sessions
Prerequisites: None
A continuation of techniques learned in Introduction to Sewing I, this class continues to teach students more about fine sewing techniques including – sewing darts, facings for neckline, the intricate welt pocket, sewing various types of zippers including regular, invisible and fly-front zippers, sewing buttons, snaps, hooks, etc. Student will have sample book for reference, even after class has ended.
4 sessions
Prerequisites: Intro to Sewing I
A continuation of sewing principles learned in Introduction to Sewing. Here previous techniques learned will be applied to creating numerous garments in miniature size (shirts, skirts, dresses, collars, sleeves, etc) as students work towards a thorough understanding of making various garments.
4 sessions
Prerequisites: Intro to Sewing I & II
This class introduces students to the process of fashion and creating your own cohesive collections. It is a great overview of the fashion process, including concepting/ideation, using your concept to create a color palette, and choosing the best fabrics for your collection. It is a great class to help prevent blocks to creativity and keep those design ideas flowing. Much of class time is spent sketching, as students creating numerous designs for their collection. Students create a mood board, illustration and flats board for a cohesive collection. This is a great starting point for building a portfolio. Skills learned in this class are relevant even after class is finished, as this process of designing collections is used over-and-over by the top industry Fashion Designers.
This class introduces students to various types of fabrics. This is a very hands-on class, where time is spent with various fabric swatches, learning about the fabrics and their best end uses.
4 sessions
You don’t have to rely on pre-bought store patterns anymore! In this class, you will come to a thorough understanding of patternmaking and how to read patterns by learning to create a variety of flat patterns “from scratch” including the basic bodice (used for various shirts and blouses), basic torso (used for dresses), and the basic skirt (used for various skirt designs). Students also learn all about dart manipulations, and how to change the location of darts depending on your design needs. This class is ideal for students who can sew well, and are ready to move on to creating garments to fit specific clients.
8 sessions
A continuation of patternmaking techniques learned in Beginning Patternmaking I, this class is focused on creating various bodices for shirts and blouses.
This class continues to build solid patternmaking techniques/skills by focusing on creating multiple skirt variations.
Second Semester
Rounding out solid patternmaking skills, this class focuses on creating pant variations.
This class introduces students to the business of fashion from the perspective of an entrepreneur. Here you will be introduced to the process of starting your fashion design business, and some of the issues and hurdles you will encounter as a fashion entrepreneur starting a fashion collection or brand. This class is intended to help students build a solid, sincere business focused on filling a need/solving a problem, while also exposing new fashion designers to costing and production while building out a personal business plan.
This is where it gets even more exciting! We invite a model to class and students learn to take her measurements and create a contoured, strapless dress to fit. This class teaches how to take measurements, how to make patterns using these measurements, and how to alter/adjust patterns to ensure your garment fits perfectly.
A continuation of skills learned in Intermediate Patternmaking II, a model is again invited to class — this time to make a pair of pants to fit. Emphasis here is learning to measure, make patterns using specific body measurements, and how to alter/adjust patterns to ensure your garment fits perfectly.
This class gets your creative juices flowing by introducing students to methods/techniques for manipulating fabric to turn an idea from drab to fab. It encourages students to explore and experiment with pre-existing fabric manipulation techniques in addition to creating innovative methods of their own.
Let’s learn to sketch beautiful models in beautiful clothes! Building on lessons learned in Beginning Fashion Illustration I, students learn to add personally designed garments to the female figure. This class focuses on adding garment details to the female form, including learning to shade/render various types of fabrics – chiffon, fur, leather, plaid, stripes, sequins, denim, etc. – using markers, colored pencils and/or water color paints.
8 sessions
Don’t worry – this has nothing to do with making drapes! This is another method of making patterns – using dress forms/mannequins. Using this method, this class focuses on creating a basic dress, to teach students the ins-and-outs of proper draping to use for future garment construction.
8 sessions
You just learned to use draping to make a perfectly fitting dress – this class teaches you how to make the perfect fitting pants – also using draping!
4 sessions
Students sketch their own one-piece look – then, building on skills learned in Beginning Draping I and II, drape this design into reality.
Third Semester
Building on lessons learned in Beginning Patternmaking through Intermediate Patternmaking II, students solidy their tailoring and patternmaking skills by creating three blazers from start to finish.
By Advanced Fashion Illustration, students have a good understanding of fashion illustration. Combining skills learned in Intro to Fashion & Sketching, Beginning and Intermediate Fashion Illustration and Intro to Fashion Business & Entrepreneurship, this class focuses on creating another fashion business plan with a student designed collection. Final designs are rendered/illustrated in this class.
In this class, students are introduced to the technical side of fashion, learning all the Adobe Illustrator tools needed to create technical flats and specs — vital tools for communicating with manufacturers and vendors and for professionally presenting your designs to buyers, employers, etc. Through a step-by-step, hands-on approach, students learn to master the Adobe Illustrator tools. Class includes creating flats for designs selected in Advanced Fashion Illustration.
Students learn to input and manipulate various images in Adobe Photoshop. Class includes creation of Mood/Concept Board and photographic/image manipulation in Adobe Photoshop. Students also learn to use Photoshop tools to improve the appearance of fashion models. Combining skills learned in Adobe Illustrator, students create a professional portfolio of their capsule collection.
This is the grand finale of the fashion design & garment construction program. Combining projects completed in Intro to Fashion Business & Entrepreneurship, Advanced Fashion Illustration, Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop, students use their sewing, draping and patternmaking skills to bring their three-to-five piece capsule collection “to life.” At the student’s discretion, this final collection culminates in a photoshoot with professional photographer and model.
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