Fashion design classes at schools

eva gronbach initiates and conducts fashion design classes at schools in the Ruhr area in 2009. Participating schools are the comprehensive school Saarn in Mühlheim an der Ruhr, 8th and 12th grade, Herbert-Grillo comprehensive school in Duisburg-Marxloh, 10th grade, Elly-Heuss-Knapp grammar school in Duisburg-Marxloh, 12th and 13th grade and the Unesco school, grammar school in Essen 12th and 13th grade.

Now, the Germany's Federal Center for Political Education has invited her to create a vision of the future in a fashion design class as part of the project NEXT GENERATION – future of the city – with students of the UNESCO school in Essen. Currently, eva gronbach develops a course program for students together with the the city of Cologne.

BEING-FASHION-CONSCIOUS “MODE-BEWUSST-SEIN” is the project title of the fashion design classes.

By “becoming” and “becoming conscious”, this course provides the opportunity for students to “become fashion conscious”.

Fashion is identity. In this fashion class the question about identity will be discussed and dealt with visually as well as materially by students. That way the question about “BEING-FASHION-CONSCIOUS” is in the air at the beginning and gets answered individually by the students creatively. “I see education in academies, universities and schools as an important prerequisite to create awareness at an early age for fashion. Here, it is important that teachers motivate, that they make students sensitive to being creative and active as designers. It is important that they support them by the means of knowledge, technique and awareness. Fashion contains a sort of power that can set free an unexpected amount of creative energy of students” says Eva Gronbach. This is being ensured by guiding students to fashion design and their own creativity.

By the uniqueness of a sketch and the uniqueness of the person oneself the identification process gets expressed by actually being able to wear the design oneself. This way, students start communicating with their counterpart by the means of fashion. Self-awareness of each single student to form an own idea, to sketch, create and make it wearable is the big secret of the success of this project. Due to the fact that students go through puberty and because self-perception goes through a massive change in this life's stage, it is important that the student is supported in his or her self-expression.

At the beginning of the week, the three words BEING-FASHION-CONSCIOUS are written on the wall. Then, a discussion with the students takes place. First, about “BEING”, then about “CONSCIOUSNESS” and finally about “FASHION-CONSCIOUSNESS”. In this philosophical talk, the importance of self-expression, belonging or not belonging to a group by a certain appearance and style of each one is being discussed.

As a next step, the students are motivated to draft their own sketches. Each student sketches multiple ideas onto large paper stacks with pencils. At the beginning of the second day the student decides for one sketch and paints this one colorfully with a brush and watercolors. A front view and a back view are being created. All drafts of the students are presented together on one wall (see picture 2.) and that way are made “public”. Now, the work is analyzed together. From the third day until the fifth day inclusively, the actual creation starts. Here, individually and with professional help of the dressmaker, the fashion designer and the teachers, it is being dyed, draped, cut out, stitched, sewed and printed. The designer week ends with a collectively created fashion show. Each student presents herself or himself with her or his own design in public.

While the students worked on their designs, Eva Gronbach has presented different developments in fashion, e.g. the question of how a trend develops (baggy jeans) or the responsibility of one who wears fashion (fair trade). By this, “seriousness” of fashion is being imparted.

Moreover, different jobs of the fashion industry were researched and presented by the students. This was aimed at supporting a realistic approach towards future career choices. Therefore, students presented the job profiles of a designer, a dress maker, a model, a photographer etc. with their required prerequisites and education by using examples.

Here are some quotes of the students:

"The best project week!!!
Mir hat die Woche sehr gefallen, weil ich etwas Abwechslung brauchte. Ich wünsche mir etwas mehr von diesen Projektwochen.
I very much liked the week because I needed some change. I would like to have more of these project weeks.
I wish we would do this more often.
… it is not the usual daily routine.
It was something different then all the other times.
I found the week great.
It was so comfortable.
It was a comfortable atmosphere (e.g. having breakfast together in the morning).
We have eaten together.
… we weren't so tired in school.
… no set working times.

I really liked that the class was together.
… there were no basic and advanced classes (basic and higher level course distinctions).
It was nice being in one group together all the time and getting support from more than just one adult.
We were able to help one another.
… working in a team.
We were in a great mood. It was just fun.
We have helped one another so that everyone would get done.
Because it was so much fun, we were (almost) all nice to each other all the time. To get done with it I have stayed in school in hour longer anyways.
It was easy to work peacefully together with everybody.
… I have worked more than usually.
… after school we felt exhausted, but it was a better feeling than after regular school days.
This was better than regular class.
… we have learned something anyhow.
We were so familiar with everyone that we could leave our personal belongings on our seats.
… we were able to just leave all our things in school and continue the next day right where we left it. We trusted each other because nobody would take anything away.

It was a lot of work but the work was fun.
We were able to show more of our creativity.
One was able to let ones creativity flow freely and do everything the way one wanted to.
One did not have to listen to a teacher talking all boring.
Some were able to show their sewing talent. Daniel was a feminine sewer.
It was great meeting new people.
We had visitors.
…, once seeing others. Not always the same teachers.
… it is a lot of fun learning together with strangers instead of (learning) every day with the same teachers.
…, that other people came over this time.
We were allowed to work with other adults.
People were interested in our work.
It was possible to talk with Eva about personal things like e.g. her baby.
… nice people were there.
I also found it great that a designer came. It is not anything e get to see a lot.

It was fun working together with Eva Gronbach and other assistants.
When we needed help, everyone was friendly and helped.
Everyone crafted and created something different.
One enjoyed creating something – which usually does not happen in class.
Funny and with lots of pleasure and passion!
We were able to make something that we would wear ourselves. It was very strange making something that one can wear.
This great week passed so fast.
… and time passed much too fast.”

The objective is finding oneself, self-assurance and self-expression independently of gender, interest, culture and social background.

The project emphasizes the importance of a fashion image of oneself in puberty independently of gender, interest, culture and social background.

The students were highly motivated and concentrated. They were waiting in front of the classroom before class started to be able to continue working and they have stayed longer in class on purpose to work together. The feeling of belonging together as a group became stronger in the class.
Moreover, work was often continued at home and there was a positive effect onto the dynamic in the family. Mothers and grandmothers have sewed together with their children at home. That way, the positive dynamic went from the classroom into the family situation. The relationship between teachers and students was defined anew. Different teachers entered the work room and kept repeating to say that they hardly recognized their students because they were working so quietly and concentrated.