About the lecturer:With a master's degree in Global Fashion Management (FIT, IFM, HKPU) and a bachelor's degree in Theatre Arts (BYU), Joshua Williams has over 8 years experience as a creative director, stylist and producer. He is an adjunct professor at the Fashion Institute of Technology.
Starting his career as a writer and director, he became adept at developing his vision on a grand scale in productions staged from New York to Europe. It was with ease that he transferred those skills to marketing/PR and advertising, always with a director's eye and strong business acumen. Bridging entertainment and fashion, Joshua found his passion for cross-media and cross-cultural collaboration, bringing together diverse artists from varied backgrounds to produce events, editorials and ad campaigns, providing outstanding results and plenty of buzz. His hand can be seen in projects such as corporate branding, web design, photoshoots, e-commerce, ad campaigns, fashion shows and events.
Joshua excels at bringing creative teams together to produce one-of-a-kind results for his clients. Clients and projects include: Anne Valerie Hash, Gaspard Yurkievich, ShopToko, Bra&Co., Afingo, Geoffrey Mac, Wendi Reed, Andrew Marc, Vh1 Save the Music, West East Magazine, Dossier Journal, EcoFashionTalk.com and more. He is the editor of See.7 magazine, www.see7mag.com and teaches as an adjunct at New York's Fashion Institute of Technology and The New School (Parson's School of Design). Visit www.fashionconsort.com for additional information.
About the class:
Fashion Management is an exciting opportunity to learn about the fashion industry in one of the most important fashion capitals of the world, New York City. Learn about the history of fashion and New York's role in shaping current trends. Discover the business of fashion, from design to retail, how it works and who the key players are. Understand the importance of trends, branding and technology and how they shape the fashion industry. Understand the connection fashion has to the greater world, from trade to politics, and the effects of globalization. Find out what opportunities exist for you to be a part of the ever-changing world of fashion.
Class approach:
Fashion Management is conducted as a series of lectures, focusing on a broad range of topics. Through the use of images, video and web, we will explore the ins-and-outs of the fashion business. All lectures are supported by two texts, - The Dynamics of Fashion (3rd Edition) by Elaine Stone - The Fashion Designer Survival Guide by Mary Gehlhar (revised edition). These books will provide additional insight and opportunity to explore topics further. In addition, students will participate in a final group presentation, providing them the opportunity to assimilate the information they learn in class with a real-world fashion company or current issue. Finally, students will have a final exam which will test their knowledge and skills at the end of the class.
Learning methods:
Classes are meant to be a forum for discussion and learning. Students are expected to participate during class lectures with questions and comments. They are also expected to participate in the New York Fashion world, applying the skills learned in class to the real world. (Yes, that includes shopping!) When possible, we will take advantage of New York City's full offerings, from shopping excursions to business visits.
Student expectations:
Fashion Management provides a lot of information in a short amount of time. It's important for students to keep up on all reading assignments, attend class and participate actively in class and in your groups. It's also important to have a lot of fun. After all, it's fashion!