Language

English

Start date

July 2027

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

02 October 2026

AQU Catalunya grants favourable accreditation to IED Barcelona’s Bachelor of Arts in Design

Once again, IED Barcelona has received a favourable report from the Catalan University Quality Assurance Agency (AQU Catalunya), certifying the quality of the Bachelor of Arts in Design (Título de Grado en Enseñanzas Artísticas Superiores de Diseño) delivered by the centre.

02 October 2026

IED Lands in Mexico with Federico Antelo

From 10 to 22 October, the IED Madrid Fashion Director brings talks and workshops to Mexico's top design events.

Fashion sketch with four male silhouettes

02 October 2026

IED Barcelona Alumni Albert Porta named finalist in Sangue Novo

ModaLisboa’s platform and competition for emerging young designers has selected him to present his collection “Branco” on 9 October at Pátio da Galé in Lisbon.

30 September 2026

Two IED Barcelona projects to be exhibited in "Matter Matters" at the Museu del Disseny-Dhub

During the 2026/27 academic year, “The Beetle Bottle” by Product Design alumnus Abdelaziz Moustafa will be featured in the Autumn/Winter exhibition, while “Mis queridos Ascos” by Fashion Design graduate Violeta Mata will be exhibited in the Spring/Summer edition.

29 September 2026

Six emerging IED designers reach the final stage of the Arts Thread Global Creative Graduate Showcase 2026

Alumni Mariona Panés, Sara Vainer, Miranda Sanz, Malak Yahia and Victoria Escobar (IED Barcelona), together with Zuriñe Berrueta (IED Kunsthal Bilbao), are finalists in the competition, which last year attracted more than 5,000 creatives from 117 countries. Discover their projects and vote!

26 September 2026

THE PROCESS, IED fashion show at MFW '26

14 young designers and a collective vision of fashion as a cultural practice, beyond the garment. Special Mentor Danielle Kwateng.

24 September 2026

IED Madrid alumni Moisés Nieto Receives the Maison Pyramide Showroom Award at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Madrid

The designer has been recognised with the Commercial Potential Award for his latest collection, presented at the 84th edition of the Madrid runway

22 September 2026

IED once again makes its mark at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Madrid with Juan Vidal, Moisés Nieto and Ernesto Naranjo

IED Barcelona lecturer Juan Vidal and IED Madrid alumni Moisés Nieto and Ernesto Naranjo took part in the latest edition of MBFW Madrid.

21 September 2026

Three Members of the IED Madrid Community Take Part in the EGO Runway Show at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week

The runway show, dedicated to emerging fashion designers, featured two alumni and one student from the school this year.

Don't miss it

01 October 2026 - 05 October 2026

Barcelona

IED Barcelona 2026 Postgraduate and Foundation Welcome Event

The opening of the 2026–2027 Academic Year for students on the Master’s, Postgraduate and Foundation programmes will take place on 1, 2 and 5 October.

Exhibitions and Festival

02 October 2026 - 08 October 2026

Madrid

Sepiia’s 10th Anniversary Exhibition

IED Madrid alumni and designer Federico Sáinz de Robles celebrates the 10th anniversary of his brand, Sepiia, with an exhibition.

Two reusable bottles, one green and one yellow respectively.
Exhibitions and Festival

06 October 2026 - 01 September 2027

Barcelona

“The Beetle Bottle” and “Mis queridos Ascos” at “Matter Matters. Designing with the World”

The projects created by IED Barcelona alumni Abdelaziz Moustafa (Product Design) and Violeta Mata (Fashion Design) have been selected to be part of this exhibition at the Museu del Disseny-DHub.

Exhibitions and Festival

08 October 2026 - 31 October 2026

Turin

IED Torino x Torino Design City

From October 8 to 31, 2026, IED Torino will take part with three student projects exploring ecological and environmental transition, as part of a programme of exhibitions, talks and workshops focused on design and innovation.

Workshop

15 October 2026 - 15 October 2026

Multiple

IED Creative Workshop

Come and discover IED’s Creative Workshops — a unique experience that will let you immerse yourself in the world of design in a fun and creative way!

Illustration of a person holding various drawing tools, set against a yellow background.
Exhibitions and Festival

17 October 2026 - 17 October 2026

Barcelona

Barcelona Dibuixa 2026: “The Power of Hand Drawing”

IED Barcelona is offering this workshop, where participants will discover, guided by architect and lecturer Gianfranco La Cognata – Laco 2, how design takes shape through illustration.