Applications Open! Enroll for Summer 2027 at 2026 Tuition Pricing Until Sept 30
Design and present an original fashion collection in this 3-week program for high school students at UCLA.
Seats are limited, and this course may sell out for summer 2027. Enroll early to save your seat.
Course Description
A collection begins with a point of view. Students learn how designers turn inspiration into a visual system through mood, color, silhouette, fabric, construction, and the choices that make separate pieces feel connected.
Studio challenges introduce fashion sketching, croquis, color theory, textile properties, fabric identification, hand sewing, and sewing-machine terminology and techniques. Students build mood boards, analyze swatches, practice stitches, and move into construction projects matched to their experience level. Critiques ask them to explain why a material, shape, or detail belongs in the concept and how feedback could strengthen the work.
The capstone is an original collection concept. Students bring together a mood board, color story, sketches, brand identity, fabric choices, and construction knowledge, then present and defend their design decisions. The result captures both the creative direction and practical thinking behind the collection. Students also reflect on which studio methods felt most natural and which skills they would need to practice next with greater intention.
This three-week course takes place at UCLA. The course is available to residential and commuter students. Beyond class, students connect focused academic work with campus life, growing independence, and clearer direction about what students may want to study or pursue next. The program is developed by UCLA and offered in partnership with Summer Discovery.
What Will You Do?
• Build a fashion identity and assess personal design interests
• Create sketches using croquis, silhouette, and construction details
• Apply color theory through studio challenges and a collection color story
• Analyze textiles, fabric swatches, and material performance
• Practice hand sewing and sewing-machine techniques
• Develop and present an original fashion collection concept
Learning Outcomes
By the end of the course, students will be able to:
• Apply a fashion design process from inspiration through visual presentation
• Select color, textiles, sketches, and construction methods for a coherent concept
• Present and defend collection decisions through critique
Students will leave with a developed collection concept and studio work, stronger design and construction skills, and greater clarity about further study or careers in fashion and related creative fields.
Why Fashion Design Skills Matter
Fashion design skills connect visual imagination to material decisions. A sketch communicates proportion and detail. Color theory helps create relationships across a collection. Textile analysis shows how weight, texture, stretch, and structure affect what can be made.
Construction practice adds patience and precision because an idea must work in fabric, not only on a page. Critiques develop communication and revision as students explain choices, listen to another perspective, and decide what to change. These abilities support fashion and costume design, but they also strengthen visual thinking, craftsmanship, project development, and the habit of testing creative ideas against real constraints.
Who Should Attend?
This course is for high school students who have completed 9th, 10th, 11th, or 12th grade and enjoy clothing, drawing, color, textiles, making, or the challenge of turning an idea into something visual and physical. It fits students considering fashion design, costume, textiles, product design, or another studio-based field.
The course is designed for a range of experience levels. Students should be ready to sketch, handle fabric and tools carefully, practice sewing techniques, participate in critique, and revise creative choices. The course suits students who want to test both concept development and construction before deciding which part of design they may want to pursue further.
Recommended by More Than 4 out of 5 Students
Based on students surveyed in Summer Discovery’s 2026 UCLA high school program.
Why UCLA?
UCLA gives high-school students the opportunity to explore an academic interest while experiencing university life in Los Angeles, a city where entertainment, technology, business, science, and culture constantly intersect. The campus has its own community and rhythm while connecting students to a wider environment built around creativity and new ideas.
Students learn alongside peers, navigate a large campus, and gain independence through everyday choices and responsibilities. Time outside class expands the experience through friendships, campus life, and opportunities to notice which subjects and settings hold their attention. For families, UCLA offers a valuable combination of substantive academics, personal growth, and clearer direction about what a student may want to study, experience more deeply, or pursue next.
Summer Discovery Certificate of Completion
After successfully finishing this course, you will be awarded a certification completion for your accomplishment.
*This is a preview, not what you will receive