Class Act, Cruelty-Free

I'll be teaching a seminar on **July 27th, 2011 at GUILDED STATE, right here in NYC, and anyone can sign up. "Cruelty-Free Fashion" is the topic, and the seminar will go from 7-9pm. You can sign up for the course by clicking here.

This class will analyze the iconography of various forms of power communicated through dress that are utilized in the fashion industry, exploring how those symbols and icons create a dynamic that not only rationalizes and excuses violence towards animals, but encourages their consumption and the display of their skins as the primary method of showcasing one’s individual sexuality, power and worth.

We will focus on existing and emerging alternatives to animal products, existing brands that act as role-models, and we will break into critical problem solving groups for a future of fashion leadership exercise, ultimately allowing the groups to present their concepts to each other.

By the end of the class, students will have a well-rounded understanding of animal-based textile production, marketing, and a science-based, critical approach to ethical fashion.