The course aims to develop the students' understanding of fashion as a complex semiotic system that contributes to the construction of social identities and roles played within the society and orders of discourse. The course will examine the various debates concerning the production and consumption of fashion and fashion in its various forms – art, media, marketing, popular culture, and cultural identity. Students will be equipped with both critical and practical skills and explore fashion communication and business covering the complete cycle of the fashion industry from the concept and production stages to marketing campaigns, product sales and event planning, and its most recent intersection with the environmental and social issues. Focusing on the lifecycle of the fashion brand, the course will introduce the student to the whole range of professional communication genres that facilitate the positioning and promotion of fashion brands both globally and locally. The use of visual and verbal (oral and written) communication will be examined and practiced across a range of professional fashion contexts including fashion journalism, photography, marketing, advertising, public relations, promotions, management, retailing and direct sales in the business of communicating fashion brands and lines.