Fashion, Dance, Art History: Online Classes Are Springing up Everywhere

NEWS | June 18, 2020

Since the beginning of lockdown, cultural institutions, schools, and even some fashion houses are applying creative solutions to reach their audiences. With more and more classes becoming freely available online, knowledge is easier to access than ever.

In the absence of in-person experiences, museums, schools, and fashion brands have all been placing their bets on the digital by offering courses online. Since the end of March, the prestigious Institut Français de la Mode (IFM) has been offering free access to its "Understanding fashion: from business to culture"course, made up of a series of four lessons featuring talks by Koché's creator and Saint Laurent CEO Francesca Bellettinni. Even Jacquemus' Simon Porte has contributed to the series. Democratizing access to knowledge, this inclusive method echoes the Ministry of Culture's #CultureChezNous ("Culture at Home") initiative during the first lockdown. It also reminds us that access to learning should be universal.

From the Grand Palais to the MoMA, the art world is also reinventing how it promotes education. The MoMA, for example, offered a series of online classes, taught by experts in photography, fashion and contemporary art , helping attendees hone their understanding of humanity's greatest creative works.

As for fashion houses, Alexander McQueen has been broadcasting weekly workshop videos and conversations between industry experts on his Sarabande Foundation's native platform, including a jewelry-making tutorial. Even the sisters of girl-group HAIM hopped on board with "Dance With Us," a set of four Zoom courses. With some extra time on our hands, there's no better moment to refresh and rethink the ways we experience art and culture.