Fashion Design & Culture

Wandering through rows of vibrant blooms at Murs à Fleurs wildflower farm, bold reds, soft yellows, blues, and purples stand out against a cool green backdrop. Nature’s palette is on full display, revealing the influence the natural world has had on fashion designers throughout history. Among the fresh floral scents and laughter of friends, you gather poppies, buttercups, and other blooms that will soon transform into custom dyes for your handmade t-shirt. 

Guided by a local expert, you dive into the ancient dyeing process, extracting pigments from flowers using traditional methods. The workshop ties your knowledge of color theory to centuries-old techniques that are gentler on the planet than chemical dyes. You also uncover the history of Murs à Fleurs, a 1600s orchard now revitalized as a thriving small business. 

This workshop is a cornerstone of the Fashion Design program, exploring natural dyeing’s history and impact. As you design your t-shirt, you imagine a future where sustainable practices define fashion—a future shaped by creators like you.

The music starts, and the classroom transforms into a Parisian runway. Lights flash, and your friends cheer as you step onto the catwalk, modeling your own creation—a modern twist on the classic French beret. This fashion show is the culmination of three weeks immersed in Paris’s iconic fashion scene, where you’ve explored haute couture, tackled over-consumerism, and discovered the art of sustainable design. 

Throughout the program, you’ve worked with your fellow Global Navigators to source materials from Montmartre thrift shops and the sprawling Marché St. Pierre fabric market, breathing new life into recycled fabrics. A professional seamstress guided you as you turned your vision into reality, sewing your beret with precision and care. 

Now, it’s your moment to shine, and you can’t stop smiling—feeling full of pride at your work and your friends. The excitement and energy in the room is electric! 

This experience has elevated your skills in fashion design and given you a tangible creation to add to your professional portfolio. Whether for fashion school admissions or pursuing your creative passions, your time in Paris has prepared you to design with purpose and boldness.