Designing Functional Clothing

In assistant professor Melissa Dawson’s Senior ID Studio I course in fall 2019, RIT Industrial Design students were tasked with designing functional apparel that meets user needs. 

They identified a social and/or functional clothing need, then designed and developed a collection of garments. Sizing and fit of the apparel was stressed throughout the semester, as well as its overall function as it relates to users. The course mantra was that the class wasn’t focused on fashion, but rather functional clothing design. 

Students designed and produced high-quality, functional prototypes using actual materials while carefully archiving their process and documenting their final garments, both graphically and with the written word. They also had the opportunity to art-direct the final documentation of their functional clothing by a professional product photographer.

To learn more about RIT's Industrial Design BFA program and the work students produce, visit: rit.edu/artdesign/study/industrial-design-bfa

Design in main image by Nate Herndon

Functional Clothing:

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