FASHION DESIGN COURSES:

Soulful, inspired fashion design and illustration education for creatives and professionals.

Fashion Illustration Tribe is a school and community, designed for learning with heart, vibrance, focused on joy and deep love for fashion design and its processes.

A place to unfurl your wings as you take on new skills, vocabulary, and techniques founded by Laura Volpintesta (27 years Parsons fashion faculty and author of THE LANGUAGE OF FASHION DESIGN: 26 Principles Every Fashion Designer Should Know).

Learn on YOUR terms- on YOUR schedule, at YOUR pace. Start where you are at. There are no prerequisites. Courses and projects meet you where you are at.

THE GOAL IS TO BE CREATING, EXPRESSING AND GROWING, releasing your unique voice and style.

MY Online fashion design Education course suite includes individual courses based on decades of teaching fashion design in NYC:

MODEL DRAWING METHOD PROGRAM

for all body types, not body distortion. Learn lively, dynamic, flowing, accurate figure drawing with vitality, depth, flexibility and personal style.

PROFESSIONAL PATTERNMAKING AND DRAPING TECHNIQUES FOR FASHION DESIGN

Get familiar with the technical lessons that will make your drawings and ideas more developed , build your vocabulary of words, styles, concepts, finishes, and design processes.

FREEHAND FASHION ILLUSTRATION USING ART APPS

Use your digital device and learn creative apps for fashion illustration! Creative freehand art tools that are totally portable and intuitive on iPad or other digital tablet. Express and share your work beautifully.

FASHION ILLUSTRATION TECHNIQUE TO PRESENT YOUR COLLECTIONS WITH GOUACHE AND PENCIL

Mood Boards, line sheets, design research and sketchbooks, flats, fabric boards, Croquis books, print development, fabric types....Step by step, immerse yourself in one process at a time, so you can bring them all together with joy.

EXPLORE DIGITAL, GOUACHe, AND MARKER TECHNIQUES for special fabrics: sheer, shine, IRIDESCENT, metallic, sequin, velvet, satin, taffetta, organza and more.

GET STARTED TODAY! uncover, deepen and learn to present your individual style THROUGH ILLUSTRATION AND DESIGN sketching techniques

The BEST OF FASHION DESIGN AND ILLUSTRATION EDUCATION DELIVERED ONLINE

SUPPORT

Discussion boxes are built into courses.for sharing, asking, support are essential to your progress! You are not alone!
ADD-ON COACHING PACKAGES for deeper 1:1 work with Laura

FLEXIBILITY

No commuting. NO B.S. Login on your schedule, and benefit from my 27 years of fashion design teaching -- I've created a unique approach that focuses on learning through inspiration, encouragement and personal motivation to imagine, express and create.

Exercises, Projects and Practices

will walk you through each new technique and build intentionally to take you from beginner to experienced and fluent.
Watch and rewatch videos, until you incoporate the concept.

Confidence through Experiential Learning

Discover your questions. Ask . Try each new technique.., as you FILL YOUR SKETCHBOOK and PORTFOLIO in the process.
These skills are creative AND professional. Credentials are one thing, real SKILL is another

My beginners are amazed how quickly they can dive in deep to skills and information they always wanted

"Teaching isn’t just skill….Laura, your personality makes me feel like I can do anything. I’ve never done this before, and I’ve amazed myself"

Tatiana R

Australia

"The videos are so helpful!…And, I was just thinking how lucky I am to be gleaning all of these insights with kids asleep in bed from the comfort of my home”

Melissa D

Canada

"Laura, your course really inspired me to do all I’m doing now. Up to date it was my most valuable class. ... you as you inspire me so much! I still reference all my drawings from your class!!

Selina S

Nigeria

Student Praise:

Don’t take my word for it– my students speak for me

“Laura is the most open-minded, precise, and caring teacher I’ve ever had. Her guidance was never vague or generic — every piece of feedback she gave was clear, insightful, and exactly what I needed to grow. In just half a month, I went from not being able to draw a proper figure to sketching confidently, illustrating clothing, adding color, and even exploring fabrics at the market. If I hadn’t taken Laura’s summer program, I don’t think I would have found the courage or direction to pursue fashion design today.”

“I have nothing but good things to say about your portfolio class.

You helped me in many ways but one of the most valuable holes you filled for me was on how to organize my thoughts when sketching....

Your drawing and the Portfolio are some of the most valuable things I got from Parsons as a whole. So thanks a bunch.

You revved up my engine and Im still travelling on that momentum”

Lauren Utter-Jones

fashion Illustrator, Designer, Print Designer

“I was fortunate to have such a wonderful professor for my Fashion Industry Design class.

Laura is a talented designer/ illustrator, amazing tutor, and deep personality.

Her open-mindedness, support, warm and kind attitude creates absolutely magical atmosphere in class.

Laura is so alive, sincere, joyful and creative, it touches everyone.

There is no chance a student can stay away from such great energy!”-. NYC

Ev Bessar

Fashion Knitwear Designer

"To find a teacher in the arts who offers up everything they know and more, and whose sole purpose is to see you ‘fly’- … is extremely rare.

Laura is one of those teachers.

She set us up for success in so many ways. Generosity, creativity, and encouragement– plus a solid foundation in basic art– were all part of her teaching.

I created some of my best work in her Fashion Drawing 1 class and still rely on many of the techniques. I consider myself extremely lucky to have been her student.” -

J. Heloise

Fashion Illustrator