Language

English

Start date

July 2026

Frequency

Evening

Fruition

On campus

Duration

2 Weeks

Price

€1,900

Turn your personal commitment to our planet and the people on it into a strategic pillar of your professional development.

The Sustainable Fashion Summer Course gives you the techniques and tools you need to make a fashion brand, its products, design processes, marketing, management and the materials it uses, truly sustainable.

It’s a fundamental theme for the industry, and involves every stage of the product life cycle: design, the purchasing of materials, production, logistics, product use and end of life.

Under the guidance of professionals who’ve made their mark in the sector. you’ll debate and analyse solutions, put theory into practice in technical classes and workshops, and visit businesses adopting eco-friendly solutions.

Information to decide

In this course, promoting, managing and developing sustainability is considered key if we’re to play a proactive role in the sustainable future of the fashion industry.

A dynamic format that combines technical classes held by professional designers, with debate and analysis sessions, practical workshops and visits to companies making sustainable fashion happen.

You’ll acquire the knowledge and tools you need to develop and manage sustainable projects, create new products and services, adopt sustainable business models, and redefine processes that are no longer viable, all with a systemic perspective.

A course for graduates in Fashion Design, Business Administration, Marketing and Communication.

Entrepreneurs in the fashion sector looking for a new, more sustainable approach for their production processes, techniques and methodologies will find the course both interesting and useful.

Professionals with proven experience in the field of design or fashion brand management, sustainability, CSR, communication or marketing can take their professional development to the next level with this course.

The fashion industry must change and adopt more resilient and viable models for the medium-to-long term. This commitment to change is complex and affects every stage of the product life cycle, meaning a large number of professionals must acquire the specific technical know-how required and the necessary strategic outlook to comprehend the fashion business in a totally new way. 

The aim of this summer course is to provide a solution to this problem from a holistic and interdisciplinary perspective, one that can be applied to a number of professional fields in the fashion industry, from design or production to sales, communication or management.  

Along with the theoretical and practical sessions, leading professionals will be giving talks to pass on their first-hand experience of today’s market, and you’ll get a more complete picture of the fashion business as your fellow students come from a variety of professional backgrounds. 

During the 2-week course you’ll be having this learning experience on IED's international campus at one of the most prestigious fashion schools in Europe against the backdrop of Barcelona. This city is a magnet for international fashion brands and the best possible place to see what’s happening with the latest trends, find inspiration for courageous, contemporary projects and put them into practice for a more sustainable future.

Syllabus

WEEK 1: GENERAL BLOCK

AN INTRODUCTION TO THE CONTEXT
Workshop 1: What challenges are we facing? VISION 2030

FINAL PROJECT: A poetic quest - Brief and introduction

THE ETHICAL JOURNEY

FEELING & THINKING WORLDVIEW: How do we see and feel about the world?

ETHICS AND VALUES: What moves us? What does doing things right mean?

A GLOBAL VIEW AND GOAL: What kind of world do we want?

THE PATH TO THE GOAL: Look - What is there that’s sustainable? And ambition - Is it sustainable enough?

DOING - THE WHY DOS
Workshop 2: THE LIFE CYCLE OF CLOTHING
Why - act: The impact on ecosystems and people

BEING – THE HOW TOS
How to - build: Measurable /traceable / decision-making
How to - be: Culture / transparency / partnerships / innovation
How to integrate sustainability into business

SAYING & SHOWING: Communication and integrity

DIALOGUE 1: THE CIRCULAR ECONOMY AND SUSTAINABILITY
Circular Economy principles applied to fashion

CASE STUDY: The challenges of a circular economy
A debate: CIRCULAR ECONOMY VS SUSTAINABILITY

A BUSINESS WITH A PURPOSE: BUSINESS VISIT



WEEK 2: SPECIALIST BLOCK

SUSTAINABLE DESIGN

Sustainable design strategies for the textile-fashion industry (part 1)
Workshop 3: REDESIGN (MATERIALS AND PROCESSES)
Sustainable design strategies for the textile-fashion industry (part 2)
Workshop 4: Putting sustainable design into practice

SOCIAL AND ENVIRONMENTALLY SUSTAINABLE PRODUCTION PROCESSES
Challenges for the denim industry: Solutions to the challenges of washing and finishing
Challenges with colour: Solutions to the challenges of dying and printing
Social Sustainability: Human Rights due diligence

DIALOGUE 2: INNOVATION AND SUSTAINABILITY
Workshop 5: Creativity + Sustainability
Unique designs for a better world
Eco-innovation and competition

FINAL PROJECT: A poetic quest
Project Presentation

News

09 June 2026

Creativity in motion: the IED.60 Public Programme gets underway

June marks a special moment for IED: the Public Program IED.60 is in full swing, with a rich calendar of events spanning fashion, design, illustration and visual arts, bringing talks, exhibitions and open events to Milan, Rome, Florence and New York for the IED community and the wider public.

08 June 2026

IED among the Top Design Schools 2026 according to Calibre Careers: european Network, industry connections and educational excellence

The international careers observatory analyses the Institute’s educational model, combining global recognition with the historic pillars of hands-on, laboratory-based teaching.

08 June 2026

IED Barcelona collaborates with Bluewave Alliance on Gravity Wave’s #PlasticFreeOceans Project

Students from the Diploma in Fashion Marketing and Communication Management develop strategic B2B and B2C campaign proposals to attract companies, build community engagement and raise awareness of this non-profit initiative promoted by ISDIN.

05 June 2026

From IED Thesis to the Camera Moda Fashion Trust

Francesco Matera wins over Camera Nazionale della Moda Italiana with MATERIA, an evolution of his IED thesis.

28 May 2026

This is what Fashioners of the World 2026 will look like

On 15 June at 7 pm, IED Barcelona will present a selection of the best final collections by Fashion students from the Class of 2026 at the Palau Reial de Pedralbes. The event forms part of the IED.60 Public Program.

28 May 2026

IED Barcelona Undergraduate Graduation Ceremony 2026

It will take place on Thursday, 18 June at 4:45 pm at Paral·lel 62 theatre.

28 May 2026

IED Madrid and UNIQLO Promote a Circular Fashion Project Through Upcycling

Fashion Design students transformed garments with manufacturing defects into new creative proposals, exploring sustainability, craftsmanship and innovation as design tools.

Umbria26 llega a IED Madrid con la exposición GENIUS LOCI, l’Umbria veste il mondo

26 May 2026

Umbria26 arrives in IED Madrid with the exhibition GENIUS LOCI, l’Umbria veste il mondo

Brunello Cucinelli, Ellesse and Pino Lancetti star in an unprecedented exhibition celebrating Umbrian creative genius and the legacy of Made in Italy

21 May 2026

IED AHEAD - Design your tomorrow, today.

Enrol by 31 July 2026 and get an exclusive 20% discount on tuition fees for Undergraduate and Foundation Courses starting in September, October and November 2027.

Don't miss it

Exhibitions and Festival

02 June 2026 - 18 June 2026

Madrid

Umbria26 arrives at IED Madrid with the exhibition GENIUS LOCI, l’Umbria veste il mondo and the round table and Leonardo Created Ellesse

Brunello Cucinelli, Ellesse and Pino Lancetti star in an unprecedented exhibition celebrating Umbrian creative genius and the legacy of Made in Italy

Exhibitions and Festival

15 June 2026 - 15 June 2026

Barcelona

Fashioners of the World 2026

The IED Barcelona Fashion School’s final fashion show will present the best creations from the Class of 2026 at the Palau Reial de Pedralbes. An event that forms part of the IED.60 Public Program.

Exhibitions and Festival

13 July 2026 - 13 July 2026

Madrid

IED Madrid Graduation Day 2026

The IED Madrid community comes together to celebrate the end of the 2025–2026 academic year and the achievements of its graduating students.