Fashion Systems (Coursera)

Fashion Systems (Coursera)

The fashion business has grown from the storied Parisian houses of the early 20th century into a global phenomenon. It is highly complex, multi-faceted, and undergoing reinvention. In this course, you will learn about long-standing factors that impact the existing fashion system such as consumption, inclusion, and labor. You’ll explore the “slow fashion” movement, look at holistic and human-centric product development strategies, and build a brand story with core values at its heart.

Class Deals by MOOC List - Click here and see Coursera's Active Discounts, Deals, and Promo Codes.

Finally, you’ll consider sustainability and environmental responsibility throughout the fashion design and production processes.
In this course, you'll be learning from the following Parsons faculty and industry experts:

  • Laura Lanteri, Parsons Faculty, Creative Director/Founder, LLNY
  • Lucy Jones, Parsons Faculty, CEO, FFORA
  • Amanda Hallay, Fashion Historian, Author & Consultant
  • Sydney Price, Parsons Faculty, Founder/CEO, The Knew Purpose

What You Will Learn

  • How to integrate systems thinking to advance fashion business models
  • Ability to articulate the predominant design techniques within the fashion system
  • How to develop a holistic product lifecycle
  • Ways to engage in community outreach, media relations, and brand partnerships to better serve underrepresented customer groups

Course 1 of 3 in the Transforming the Fashion Business Specialization.

Syllabus

WEEK 1
Systems Thinking
In this module, you will learn about the long-standing factors that impact the existing fashion system, including consumption, inclusion, and labor. We’ll look at the "slow fashion" movement and its impacts on resource flows, workers, communities, and ecosystems.

WEEK 2
The Human-Centric Approach
In this module, you will learn how to take a more conscious approach to fashion products and services. This approach places the human at the center of all design decisions by focusing on social engagement and designing for underserved communities.

WEEK 3
A Holistic Fashion System
In this module, you'll learn about the creation of a more holistic fashion system, one that considers core values, and why they matter in relating brand story through actions, behaviors, and the decision-making process.

WEEK 4
Environmental Responsibility
In this module, we’ll discuss environmental responsibility in the design process and how it affects raw materials sourcing, manufacturing, a product’s "end of life," as well as sustainable practices for the recycling and reuse of garments and textiles.

Go to Class
MOOC List is learner-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Related Courses

Management of Urban Infrastructures – part 1 (Coursera) Coursera
École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne

Management of Urban Infrastructures – part 1 (Coursera)

Sustainability, Resilience and Efficiency are fundamental considerations for city managers in managing urban infrastructures. Today, more than 3.9 billion people, making up more than 54% of the global population, live in cities. Urbanization is expected to continue in the coming years, raising the urban population to 6.0 billion by 2045. This dramatic increase in urban populations will inevitably increase the demand for energy, mobility (transportation), water, and other urban services in every city around the world. Without functional governance and management structures that ensure efficient, resilient and sustainable performance in cities, the current urbanization growth might become a catastrophic risk threatening the quality of life of the humanity.

Aug 17th 2026
5-12 Weeks
Wood Science: Beyond Building (Coursera) Coursera
West Virginia University

Wood Science: Beyond Building (Coursera)

The central question of this course: “why study wood?” If “why study wood” is the question, one answer would be that it is the only raw material available to us that is truly renewable in human life span terms. Wood is as important to society today as it ever was, despite the development of many man-made substitute materials, changing resource availability, and the changing needs of society.

Aug 10th 2026
4 Weeks
Climate Change Mitigation in Developing Countries (Coursera) Coursera
University of Cape Town

Climate Change Mitigation in Developing Countries (Coursera)

This course challenges you to consider how one might lift societies out of poverty while also mitigating greenhouse gas emissions. We explore the inherent complexity of developing country governments wanting to grow their economies in a climate friendly way. You will be introduced to an approach with which to address this challenge. The approach consists of a facilitated process whereby academic researchers and high-level influential actors within society co-produce knowledge. You will track this process in four Latin American countries - Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Peru, and South Africa. You will hear from various professionals about their contexts and the different challenges and opportunities the process includes.

Aug 24th 2026
5-12 Weeks
Wind resources for renewable energies (Coursera) Coursera
École Polytechnique

Wind resources for renewable energies (Coursera)

The main goal of this course is to get the necessary knowledge on atmospheric and fluid dynamics in order to quantify the wind resource of a local or regional area. We’ll learn about basic meteorology, the specific dynamics of turbulent boundary layers and some standard techniques to estimate wind resources regardless of the type of turbine used or the level of efficiency achieved.

Aug 10th 2026
4 Weeks
Global Health Security, Solidarity and Sustainability through the International Health Regulations (Coursera) Coursera
University of Geneva

Global Health Security, Solidarity and Sustainability through the International Health Regulations (Coursera)

Welcome to the MOOC "Global Health Security, Solidarity and Sustainability through the International Health Regulations". We are very excited to have you on board and hope you will enjoy the course! In the coming 6 weeks, you will learn about the International Health Regulations (IHR), history of its creation and evolution, its major principles and implementation procedures, as well as challenges and future opportunities.

Aug 17th 2026
5-12 Weeks
Sustainability through Soccer: Systems-Thinking in Action (Coursera) Coursera
University of Virginia

Sustainability through Soccer: Systems-Thinking in Action (Coursera)

This course takes learners on a journey through a progression of systems-thinking and sustainability concepts. Using the beautiful game of soccer as an analogy, we'll work together to illuminate real-world interdependencies (such as between climate change and human rights), building the chain of concepts in a fun, accessible way. Soccer nerds and newbies alike will be entertained and, ultimately, rewarded with the epiphanies that come from seeing in systems more clearly.

Aug 17th 2026
4 Weeks
Electric Vehicle Operation and Diagnosis (Coursera) Coursera
Starweaver

Electric Vehicle Operation and Diagnosis (Coursera)

"Electric Vehicle Operation and Diagnosis" is a course tailored to meet the increasing demand for professionals skilled in troubleshooting electric vehicles (EVs). Participants will gain a solid understanding of EV fundamentals, system operations, and diagnostic techniques. The course emphasizes environmental benefits and sustainable practices in transportation.

Aug 17th 2026
4 Weeks
Sustainable Food Production Through Livestock Health Management (Coursera) Coursera
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Sustainable Food Production Through Livestock Health Management (Coursera)

Learn about the impact of infectious disease on sustainable animal-based food production by understanding the science of growth, immunity, and infection and by learning the problem-solving skills needed to advance animal health and food production through optimal management practices. In this course we will explore the effect of infectious disease on sustainable animal-based food production. The content and learning outcomes of this new course will be designed to be relevant across different food production sectors (i.e., beef, dairy, poultry, and pigs).

Aug 10th 2026
5-12 Weeks