The intensive course is designed to prepare you for successful admissions to leading fashion universities and to give you a strong foundation in fashion design and the structure of the fashion industry.

The program focuses on developing your creative potential and analytical thinking, building a unique portfolio, and introducing current trends and movements in fashion.

The Fashion Design Intensive is a unique educational program that immerses students in the fashion world and prepares them for entry into top fashion schools in the CIS region and abroad.

You will gain:

• An introduction to the fashion ecosystem and its key elements,
• A complete guide to building a portfolio — both physical and digital — that opens doors to top fashion schools and employers,
• Hands-on experience with moodboards, collection analysis, collages, illustrations, and trend analysis through deconstruction,
• Comprehensive application support — including Polimoda-specific guidance on CVs, motivation letters, and expert recommendations for top fashion schools.

By the end of the course, you'll be confident navigating the fashion world and ready to take the next step toward a creative career.

You’ll walk away with:

• A clear understanding of the structure of the fashion industry.
• Strong preparation for entrance exams to top fashion schools.
• Guidance on writing a professional CV and motivation letter.
• Presentation and public speaking practice.
• Support with typical exam questions and strategies for confident answers.

In this first session, you’ll get a clear introduction to how the fashion industry works — including key roles, company structure, and the concept of brand DNA.

Lesson Plan:

• Introduction to the fashion industry: how fashion companies are structured.
• Overview of professional roles and career paths.
• Understanding and defining brand DNA.

Lesson Outcomes:

1. A clear understanding of how fashion companies operate — and who does what within them.
2. A solid grasp of what brand DNA means and why it matters in today’s fashion landscape.

We’ll explore the responsibilities of a creative director and their impact on brand aesthetics — including how upcycling is used strategically in contemporary fashion. You’ll look at how repurposed materials and details shape collections, and examine designers working in this space.

Lesson Plan:

• Overview of the creative director’s role and core responsibilities.
• How a creative director defines and drives a brand’s visual direction.
• Introduction to upcycling in fashion: working with reclaimed fabrics and materials.
• Case studies of designers applying upcycling principles.

Lesson Outcomes:

1. A clear understanding of how a creative director influences brand direction and style.
2. Knowledge of tools and methods used to build a strong brand image.
3. An understanding of upcycling as a creative and strategic practice in today’s fashion industry.

This session introduces the role of the fashion designer and the core responsibilities that come with it. You’ll explore the creative process through moodboarding, fabric draping, sketching, collaging, and lineup development.

Lesson Plan:

• The designer’s role and key responsibilities.
• How to build a moodboard: structure and visual logic.
• Fundamentals of fabric draping on a mannequin.
• Working with sketches, collages, lineups, and sketchbooks.
• Case studies of influential designers.

Lesson Outcomes:

1. A clear understanding of the designer’s role and creative skillset.
2. Practical knowledge of how to construct a moodboard.
3. Ability to develop a project concept through a sketchbook.

In this lesson, we’ll break down seasonal garment categories and explore how draping informs both 3D and 2D design. You’ll also examine classic wardrobe elements — and how upcycling brings fresh perspective to timeless forms.

Lesson Plan:

• Garment categories: how collections shift by season.
• A closer look at garment details — from classic to contemporary.
• Using draping to translate form in both 3D and 2D.
• Case studies in upcycling within fashion collections.

Lesson Outcomes:

1. Understanding of seasonal product categories and emerging trends.
2. Ability to analyze key garment components and their design significance.
3. Development of unconventional approaches to fashion illustration.

In this session, you’ll learn how to incorporate vintage references into your moodboard and master key collage techniques to visually communicate fashion concepts.

Lesson Plan:

• Exploring vintage references through moodboarding.
• Step-by-step process for building a moodboard and working with collage.

Lesson Outcomes:

1. Understanding of seasonal product categories and emerging trends.
2. Ability to analyze key garment components and their design significance.
3. Development of unconventional approaches to fashion illustration.

In this session, you’ll practice presenting your moodboard to an audience and study how collage can evolve into full fashion looks. You’ll learn how to build a design idea from visual inspiration to final concept.

Lesson Plan:

• Moodboard presentation and verbal storytelling.
• Case studies of collages developed into full looks.
• Checklist for analyzing garment categories and styling elements.

Lesson Outcomes:

1. Public speaking and project presentation experience.
2. Practical understanding of how to turn visual research into a creative concept.

You’ll explore how collaborations strengthen campaigns — from production and runway shows to editorial shoots. We’ll analyze standout examples and learn to assess collaborations from a professional perspective.
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Lesson Plan:

• The value of creative partnerships in collection development.
• How collaborations influence shows and fashion photography.
• Case studies of successful campaigns and brand synergies.

Lesson Outcomes:

1. Improved visual literacy through campaign analysis.
2. Ability to critically evaluate collaborations and their impact on brand identity.

In this session, you’ll learn the fundamentals of writing a compelling motivation letter and CV. Leniza Polynskikh will guide you through improving your materials to meet the standards and expectations of top fashion schools.

Lesson Plan:

• Foundations of crafting a motivation letter and CV.
• Examples of strong and weak applications, with analysis of common mistakes.

Lesson Outcomes:

1. Understanding of how to structure and write a strong motivation letter and CV.
2. Ability to identify and correct frequent application errors.
3. Insight from reviewing successful examples to improve your own materials.

This lesson is fully dedicated to the development of your final project. You’ll receive personalized feedback, refine key elements of your concept, and get answers to any outstanding questions. It’s a critical stage that allows you to refine the concept and structure of your project before the final presentation.

Lesson Plan:

• One-on-one project review and feedback.
• Q&A on project execution and presentation.

Lesson Outcomes:

1. Comprehensive feedback on your final project.
2. In-depth, tailored analysis of your collection and creative approach.