Fashion Communication & Styling (BFA)

A woman wears futuristic black glasses and metallic clothing while two assistants adjust her accessories.

The School of Fashion offers ten BFA degree programs, each designed to prepare you for work in the fashion industry. They are: Design, Knitwear Design, Textile Design, Costume Design, Footwear & Accessory Design, Fashion Communication & Styling, Fashion Product Development, Fashion Visual Merchandising, Fashion Merchandising, and Fashion Marketing. Students in these BFA programs may choose an emphasis in Fashion Design or 3D Design Pattern Making. Coursework combines excellence in design, artistic production, and innovative technology to provide students with the skills necessary to fully realize their creative visions.

Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) Degree
Core Classes

This program is available online and on campus

School of Fashion

FSH 100

Drawing for Fashion Core/3

Develop foundational skills in design sketching through observation and replication. You will become familiar with body proportions, basic human anatomy, and figure balance.

FSH 105

Fashion Industry Decoded: From Concept to Consumer Core/3

Discover how fashion businesses operate from concept to consumer—and beyond. You will dissect the fashion ecosystem and examine key functions and supply chain synergies across design, product development, sourcing, manufacturing, merchandising, marketing, promotion, and distribution. You will cultivate industry fluency to navigate, analyze, and influence the ever-evolving fashion landscape with confidence and creativity.

FSH 108

Foundations of Fashion Journalism Core/3

From interviewing creatives and spotting fashion and culture stories to runway reporting and social media fashion criticism, you will create content that highlights the ever-changing fashion landscape.

FSH 110

Creative Concepts for Fashion Core/3

Focus on original and creative hands-on development for collections. Color, fabrics, proportion, silhouette, customer, and wearing occasion are explored through 2D and 3D development.

FSH 120

Color Science & Fabric Fundamentals Core/3

Color and fabric are concepts that drive creativity, novelty, and innovation. You will explore how fashion professionals apply color and design principles at all levels of the industry. You will study how textile fibers and other fabric characteristics affect garment performance.

FSH 161

Fashion Business: Digital Techniques Core/3

Use professional software to communicate visual information. Learn to work fluidly between programs to create fashion line layout, concept boards, and detailed specification for reproduction.

FSH 164

Fashion Construction 1 Core/3

Get the cutting and sewing skills for work in the apparel industry. You will learn both hand finishing and machine sewing techniques in wovens and create a notebook documenting your new skills.

FSH 184

Styling Core/3

Help designers and brands tell their stories. You will develop concept drawings from cultural references and assemble compelling outfits to create fashion imagery. You will put the foundations of personal, product, and editorial styling into practice.

FSH 391

Fashion Product Styling Core/3

Become a product and e-commerce stylist. You will style garments, accessories, and beauty products without a model for still life fashion photography.

FSH 484

Styling Portfolio and Promotional Strategies Core/3

Get career-ready. You will work to align your styling portfolio with your career goals by reviewing the layout, website, resume, branding, and promotional materials.

Degree Requirements

Unit Requirements	Units
Core	24
Sophomore Portfolio	3
Senior Portfolio	3
Major	39
Electives	9
Liberal Arts	42
Total	120

BFA FASHION COMMUNICATION & STYLING DEGREE REQUIREMENTS

Minimum grade of C- in all major coursework.
Minimum 2.0 GPA and the following general education requirements:
4 Art Historical Awareness courses
1 Creative Communication course
1 Written Communication: Critical Thinking course
1 Fabric & Fiber Literacy course
1 Historical Awareness course
1 Quantitative Literacy course
1 Cultural Ideas & Influences course
1 Employment Communications and Practices course

After above general education requirements are met, take Liberal Arts electives as needed to fulfill the Liberal Arts unit requirement.

Additional Information

Liberal Arts

Program Learning Outcomes

Undergraduate students will meet the following student performance criteria:

Research and Concept Development

Analyze historical and contemporary fashion references to identify trends and inform original creative concepts
Synthesize market research and artistic references into original concepts appropriate to a defined market
Construct a cohesive visual narrative that communicates a distinct creative point of view
Adapt visual narratives into platform-appropriate content for print, digital, and social channels

Technical Skills

Work effectively with industry standard software

Presentation Skills

Clearly express ideas utilizing fashion industry vocabulary
Competently pitch ideas
Create professional and organized presentations

Styling & Art Direction

Apply advanced styling techniques to construct intentional, concept-driven looks through the informed selection and combination of garments and accessories
Lead the creative direction of fashion imagery and video projects from concept development through final execution
Manage all production elements of fashion photo shoots and video projects, including crew coordination, contracts, permits, and industry-standard documentation

Professional Readiness

Create a relevant and original portfolio and collateral materials which can be used to market themselves to the industry

Academy of Art University Learning Outcomes
Graduates of the Academy of Art University will demonstrate the ability to:

1. Produce a body of work suitable for seeking professional opportunities in their chosen field of art and design.
2. Solve creative problems within their field of art and design, including research and synthesis of technical, aesthetic, and conceptual knowledge.
3. Communicate their ideas professionally and connect with their intended audience using visual, oral, and written presentation skills relevant to their field.
4. Execute technical, aesthetic, and conceptual decisions based on an understanding of art and design principles.
5. Use professional terminology to evaluate their work and work in the field.
6. Recognize the influence of major cultural and aesthetic trends, both historical and contemporary, on art and design products.
7. Learn the professional skills and behaviors necessary to compete in the global marketplace for art and design.
8. Engage with a variety of communities beyond the classroom through internship opportunities, study abroad programs, student interest clubs, and participation in collaborative, civic, and pro bono projects.

*Semester plans are subject to change at any time. Semester breakdowns displayed are suggested and additional options are available to help customize your educational experience. Speak to an admissions or student services representative for more information. Please see our catalog for more details at: https://catalog.academyart.edu