Ca y est...first week of classes complete...

...I am lucky enough this summer to be in Paris again and teaching a course in Fashion & Design to students from all over the world. I have two sections of 20+ students each and they are great - all high school age - interested, respectful and so far, they are all showing up for class(!) So, the week went something like this...DAY 1: Intro, Syllabus - Purpose: to introduce the student to the world of Paris Fashion including a brief history, the definitions & workings of Haute Couture vs. Pret-a-Porter, current designers in Paris (independent & artisinal, Trendspotting & Fashion Forecasting, Dress & Identity, and Careers in the Industry. Three excursions will be taken to different museum exhibits as well as boutiques and designer ateliers. Classroom time will include both in and outside of the building using the streets of Paris as our major resource. The kids filled out an introductory survey, i.e. who they are, where they are from, what music they listen to, what is their personal style, etc. We discussed observation and commentary with opinion as opposed to judgement and launched our first assignment of: Qu'est ce qu'on a vu dans la rue? (What did you see in the street). They were to return the next day with 3 things they observed in the street, on the metro, etc: trends, styles, details...