Woman draping eco-friendly fabric on a dress form

Fashion’s earth-friendly future

Sustainability: The Future of Fashion

Can fashion be both beautiful and sustainable? In this course, you will discover the innovative ways the fashion industry is responding to our ecological crisis. Learn about the life cycles of products, eco-friendly approaches to design, the upsides and downsides of “green” branding, and more. Develop your own vision of a sustainable future for fashion. Whether your interest is in design, marketing, or another field, if you are passionate about the creative opportunities possible at the intersection of fashion and sustainability, this course is for you.

Program Dates

Multiple 2- and 4-week sessions

Eligibility

For students ages 13 and up

Fees

$1795

Learn how sustainability principles are inspiring a new vision for fashion

Understand how we got to our environmental tipping point

What is sustainability? Examine current activism, brand involvement, and key legislation such as the Paris Agreement. Draft your own definition of sustainability.

Discover alternatives to our disposable culture

Learn how we can revise our thinking to protect the environment through the intelligent use of materials and product design, avoiding needless waste.

Learn Techniques for Communicating Your Ideas

Organizations are embracing sustainable practices. Find out about the challenges and career opportunities this presents. Choose a product and research the sustainable practices behind it.

Explore the ecological and emotional impact of fast fashion

Learn how fashion is moving away from planned obsolescence and toward “durables.” Take part in a repair exercise, mending a garment yourself and posting your work online.

Delve into fashion media, greenwashing, and the way sustainability is covered in fashion magazines

Explore the effect of media on sustainability. Learn about “greenwashing,” the practice of misleading people about a product’s environmental impact. Discover how street and online activism converge.

Prepare for a future in the world of sustainable fashion

This course offers a foundation for a career in fields such as fashion branding, advertising, public relations, corporate social responsibility, and sustainable sourcing management.

How You Will Benefit

  • Learn about the history of fashion and its impact on our environment
  • Explore moral and ethical issues related to sustainability
  • Learn about the environmental effect of product life cycles
  • Gain critical tools for evaluating sustainability claims in advertising
  • Develop your own vision of sustainable fashion
  • Receive input on your ideas from mentors
  • Learn asynchronously through video lectures, enabling you to tune in whenever your schedule allows and giving you ultimate flexibility
  • Earn a Certificate of Completion from Parsons Paris
Pieces of jean fabric to help demonstrate environmental sustainability

Apply now for the next available course

All course options, whether 2 or 4 weeks, contain the identical educational content, learning materials, number of assignments and access to mentoring. The difference in length of course is due to time of year (not amount of instruction). We know the school year keeps you busy, so we've made the course longer during that time so you can get assignments done.

Final Project

Scissors, floral fabric, and a shipping box laying next to each other

The course culminates with a final project that allows you to:

  • Demonstrate what you’ve learned in this course
  • Develop your vision of a sustainable fashion future and present it in an illustrated essay, manifesto, business model, image, or another way

Course designed by Parsons Paris faculty

Miriam Josi | Fashion Sustainability Course Instructor | Parsons Paris

Miriam Josi

Miriam Josi is an independent designer based in Paris. Born in Switzerland, she has lived all over the world and studied at the School of Fine Arts in San Juan, Puerto Rico; ENSCI-les Ateliers, Paris; and Parsons School of Design. Low tech minimalism informs Josi’s aesthetic approach as well as the manufacturing processes she uses. Her work has been exhibited at Paris Design Week, in the London Design Festival, and at other leading fashion design events.

Dr. Morna Laing | Fashion Sustainability Course Instructor | Parsons Paris

Dr. Morna Laing

Dr. Morna Laing is Assistant Professor in Fashion Studies at The New School, Parsons Paris. She is the author of ‘Picturing the Woman-child’ and co-editor of ‘Revisiting the Gaze: The Fashioned Body and the Politics of Looking’ (Bloomsbury Academic). She was awarded her Ph.D. in Cultural Studies from University of the Arts London in 2016 and is Fellow of the Higher Education Academy in the UK.

Mentoring

Receive guidance from a Parsons mentor who can support you throughout your journey to deepen your learning experience. You can expect:

  • Encouragement and direction on all assignments
  • Inspiration and motivation to help you succeed
  • Brainstorming and ideation help as you prepare for your final project
Female student having a virtual meeting with her Fashion Sustainability course mentor

Meet the Mentors

Helena | Fashion Sustainability Course Mentor

Helena

BFA, Fashion Design, Parsons School of Design. Five years of experience in Fashion Industry.

Keena | Fashion Sustainability Course Mentor

Keena

MA, Fashion Studies, Parsons School of Design. Currently teaching at Parsons and working on curriculum development.

Emma | Fashion Sustainability Course Mentor

Emma

BFA, Fashion Design and Communication, Parsons School of Design. Currently working as a Graphic Designer in New York.

Flexible Learning

Student taking the Fashion Sustainability course at her own pace from her laptop
  • 100% online, works with your schedule
  • 30 hours overall course time
  • Interact with fellow fashion students online

How to Apply

It’s easy. No transcripts or letters of recommendation are required. Just provide some basic information and tell us why you wish to take this program.

Note: Please submit all application materials in English.

Begin the guided process. It should only take a few minutes of your time to answer the questions.

Want to know more?

Sign up for more information and we’ll be in touch!

Frequently asked questions

When will you find out if you’ve been accepted? How will you be graded? What are assignments like? How much time will you get to complete a project?Answers to your questions are here.

Admissions

Our application is simple. You can expect a prompt decision.

Scholarships

We offer need-based scholarships for participating students who exhibit high potential and an inability to pay the full tuition. 

  • If you haven’t applied to the program, apply here. After submitting your application, click “Apply for a need-based scholarship” on the confirmation page to request a scholarship.  
  • If you’ve already applied to the program, sign in to your profile to check your scholarship status. If we don’t have a scholarship request on file, click “Apply for a need-based scholarship” to request a scholarship.

Earn your Certificate from Parsons Paris

Apply today to Sustainability: The Future of Fashion