Study fashion and culture with fashion industry experts from Chanel and YSL

Over almost 150 years, the fashion industry has transformed many aspects of Western culture.

On this course, you’ll explore the interaction of fashion, society and business with IFM professor, Benjamin Simmenauer.

The course features exclusive input from fashion industry leaders, including designers such as Simon Porte Jacquemus, Christelle Kocher, Paul Smith, and CEOs at Chanel, YSL and Hermès.

You’ll deepen your understanding of the industry and take a dual approach to the study of fashion as you investigate it as both a cultural phenomenon and a creative industry.

Unable to play video. Please enable JavaScript or consider upgrading your browser.

Download video: standard or HD

What topics will you cover?

Fashion and modernity: contemporary relevance, ‘Zeitgeist’, and the desirability of the new.
Fashion and society: the concept of trends, social distinction and selection, culture and subcultures.
Fashion as a language: decoding silhouettes, the genre of fashion literature and fashion press.
Fashion and consumption: fashion and gender, the emergence of ‘lifestyle’, fetishism.

When would you like to start?

Start straight away and join a global classroom of learners. If the course hasn’t started yet you’ll see the future date listed below.

Available now

Learning on this course

On every step of the course you can meet other learners, share your ideas and join in with active discussions in the comments.

What will you achieve?

By the end of the course, you‘ll be able to...

Develop transdisciplinary knowledge and expertise aimed at understanding the logics of the contemporary fashion field
Identify the creative models of the different fashion houses and their conception of time
Explore the trends diffusion models
Interpret a fashion silhouette
Explain the construction of consumer behaviour

Who is the course for?

Whether you’re a marketing student intrigued by consumer culture or you’re an experienced fashion professional looking to enhance your knowledge, this course is designed for anyone looking to deepen and specialise their knowledge of the fashion industry.

This course will also be relevant to fashion entrepreneurs who need a holistic view of the industry’s key success factors.

This course is supported by DEFI.

Who will you learn with?

Benjamin Simmenauer

I am a permanent professor at Institut Français de la Mode, where I teach fashion theory and fashion brands strategy. My background is in analytic philosophy and social sciences.

Who developed the course?

Institut Français de la Mode (IFM)

IFM (Institut Français de la Mode) is a higher education institution specialising in the textile, fashion, luxury and design industries, based in Paris, France.

Learning on FutureLearn

Your learning, your rules

Courses are split into weeks, activities, and steps to help you keep track of your learning
Learn through a mix of bite-sized videos, long- and short-form articles, audio, and practical activities
Stay motivated by using the Progress page to keep track of your step completion and assessment scores

Join a global classroom

Experience the power of social learning, and get inspired by an international network of learners
Share ideas with your peers and course educators on every step of the course
Join the conversation by reading, @ing, liking, bookmarking, and replying to comments from others

Map your progress

As you work through the course, use notifications and the Progress page to guide your learning
Whenever you’re ready, mark each step as complete, you’re in control
Complete 90% of course steps and all of the assessments to earn your certificate

Want to know more about learning on FutureLearn? Using FutureLearn