Fashion Studies Is NYU’s Newest Interdisciplinary Minor

Rachel Lifter is a professor in the Department of Art and Art Professions and the program director of the MA in Costume Studies. What’s more, she’s the academic adviser for the Fashion Studies minor and one of its two creators.

The idea for the minor arose from a liberal arts course she launched in 2020, How to (analyze) Fashion. The class attracted students majoring in subjects, from literature to economics, and united them around a shared interest in fashion. “Meeting these different students and seeing them connect through fashion was such fun,” shares Lifter. “Fashion relates to so many other topics like globalization, trade, labor, craft, visual culture, material culture, film, and images. Examining it allows you to explore not only many types of primary sources, but also consider questions about yourself and the world.”

Lifter’s students expressed enthusiasm for fashion studies and kept mentioning other NYU courses related to the field. Inspired by these connections, Lifter and Professor Nancy Deihl, chair of the Department of Art and Art Professions, set out to formalize a Fashion Studies minor. (Diehl teaches the popular undergraduate Fashion in Context course.) To make the minor a reality, Diehl and Lifter collaborated with faculty across NYU programs and locations.

“The NYU community is doing essential scholarship in so many aspects of fashion,” says Diehl. “Fashion is emphatically a global industry, and the study of it doesn’t fall neatly into one department.”

To minor in Fashion Studies, students only need to take four classes. First, How to (analyze) Fashion and Fashion in Context form the foundation. Those two courses provide the vocabulary and theoretical tools required to study fashion through historical, social, and cultural lenses.

Then, for their remaining two courses, students can pick from over 30 electives that vary widely in focus. They include courses on diverse topics like retail management, fashion photography, and the politics of dress during the Cold War. “You can look at fashion from all these different angles,” explains Diehl. “For some people, it’s about business. It’s a huge economic influence in the world. Some people are looking at it in terms of history. Others look at gender roles and cultural expectations. The minor is interdisciplinary to reflect the world of fashion.”

Many courses examine how fashion intersects with other fields of study, including media, politics, art, technology, identity, and popular culture. What’s more, classes take place in New York City and at six of NYU’s study away sites, so you can dive into an international exploration of the fashion industry.

“With its many schools and specialties, NYU offers an amazing opportunity to explore the interdisciplinarity of fashion. There are all of these threads—pun intended—that link across the University,” says Lifter. “We wanted students to have the opportunity to take classes across NYU and around the globe to see how they are connected.”

For those planning to pursue a career or graduate studies in fashion, Diehl and Lifter are ready to help you choose courses that support your specific goals. However, no matter your major or long-term plans, all NYU undergraduates are welcome in the Fashion Studies minor. As long as you’re curious about the field, you’ll fit right in!

As students begin classes, Lifter and Diehl look forward to using their feedback to help the minor evolve and expand. “It excites me to think about the possibilities that exist. For example, we might incorporate more global sites and cross-school classes,” says Lifter. “First, we really want to hear from students about their needs and interests. My hope is that we grow this together to make NYU a center for fashion thinking in New York City and the world.”