Applications Open! Enroll for Summer 2027 at 2026 Tuition Pricing Until Sept 30
Sketch, sew, and construct finished pieces in this 3-week fashion design program for middle school students at UCLA.
Course Description
How does a designer move from inspiration to something another person can wear? Students begin by creating a mood board, learning the elements of design, and sketching outfits on croquis. The process helps them connect line, shape, color, texture, and space to a clear visual idea.
The course then moves into construction. Students identify sewing-machine parts, practice straight stitches, backstitches, curves, and pivots, and learn safety procedures. Fabric investigations introduce natural and synthetic materials, grain, drape, texture, pinning, and cutting. Each technique is put to work in a finished project rather than practiced in isolation.
Students first sew and decorate a custom bowtie. They then learn zipper types and use a zipper foot to build a personalized pouch. The final vest project introduces reading a pattern, cutting panels, assembling seams, fitting, hemming, and edge finishing.
This three-week middle school program takes place at UCLA in Los Angeles, California. The program is developed by UCLA and offered in partnership with Summer Discovery. It is available to residential and commuter students. Beyond class, students connect active academic exploration with campus life, growing independence, new friendships, and a clearer sense of what they may want to explore next.
Instructor Bio
What Will You Do?
• Create a mood board and sketch outfit ideas on croquis
• Identify design elements and compare fabric properties
• Operate a sewing machine safely using foundational stitches
• Measure, cut, sew, and decorate a custom bowtie
• Install a zipper and construct a personalized fabric pouch
• Read a pattern and assemble, fit, hem, and finish a vest
Learning Outcomes
By the end of the course, students will be able to:
• Translate a visual concept into fashion sketches and material choices
• Use sewing tools and a machine safely to complete basic construction tasks
• Follow patterns and construction steps to create finished fabric pieces
Students will leave with a mood board, sketches, a bowtie, a zipper pouch, and a vest, plus useful exposure to both fashion design and garment construction.
Why Fashion Design Skills Matter
Fashion design combines visual thinking with precise construction. A mood board helps define a direction, while sketching on a croquis forces the designer to consider proportion, shape, color, and texture. Fabric choices then affect how a piece drapes, moves, and holds its form.
Sewing turns those ideas into a sequence of practical decisions. Students must measure accurately, follow a pattern, handle tools safely, and correct mistakes as a piece comes together. Completing several projects builds patience, spatial reasoning, and the confidence to move from a concept to a usable object.
Who Should Attend?
This course is for middle school students who have completed 6th, 7th, or 8th grade and want to explore how clothing is imagined, sketched, and constructed. It is a good fit for students who enjoy drawing, working with color and texture, making things by hand, or learning how garments come together.
No previous sewing experience is required. Students should be ready to follow safety directions, practice techniques before using them in projects, work carefully with tools and fabric, and revise a piece when construction does not go as planned. A completed program application is required.
Why UCLA?
UCLA gives middle-school students an energetic place to learn, have fun, and experience campus life in Los Angeles. The setting brings together science, technology, creativity, entertainment, and culture, helping new subjects feel connected to a wider world of ideas.
The program combines hands-on academics with friendships, campus activities, clear routines, and support as students become comfortable in a large university environment. Students can try new challenges, share interests with peers, and build confidence through participation without needing to decide where those interests will lead. For families, UCLA offers a structured middle-school experience that balances substantive learning with fun, community, and age-appropriate independence. Students leave with new memories and a clearer sense of what they may want to explore next.
Summer Discovery Certificate of Completion
After successfully finishing this course, you will be awarded a certification of completion for your accomplishment.
*This is a preview, not what you will receive