Course Identity
Level 2 is the advanced continuation of the Grade 12 Fashion and Textiles course at GW Graham Secondary in Chilliwack, BC. It assumes students have completed Level 1 (Foundation) and can sew safely and independently, read a pattern, construct a simple bottom and top, and document a design process.
Where Level 1 builds confident makers, Level 2 builds designers and technicians: students draft and drape their own patterns, use couture and tailoring techniques, test and source materials critically, work to professional standards (tech packs, fittings, critique panels), and produce a cohesive capstone mini-collection with a portfolio ready for post-secondary or industry.
The teacher stance stays positive and high-expectation: "You already know how to make. Now we make it precise, original, ethical, and professional."
Prerequisite
Level 1 (Foundation), or teacher assessment of equivalent skill. Students should be able to thread and operate a machine independently, sew an accurate seam and hem, insert elastic or a simple closure, and keep a process journal.
How Level 2 Differs From Level 1
| Dimension | Level 1 (Foundation) | Level 2 (Advanced) |
|---|---|---|
| Patterns | Use commercial patterns | Draft blocks, manipulate, and drape originals |
| Construction | Seams, hems, simple closures | Tailoring, linings, welt pockets, bound buttonholes, invisible zips |
| Materials | Identify and choose fabric | Test, evaluate performance, and source ethically |
| Equipment | Sewing machine, iron | Serger/overlock, cover-stitch, blind hemmer, couture pressing |
| Design | Single guided projects | Self-directed briefs, tech packs, a cohesive collection |
| Ethics | Awareness of impact and appropriation | Circular-design strategy, collaboration protocols, positionality |
| Assessment | Skill rubrics | Professional standards, fittings, and a juried critique |
BC Curriculum Connections
Level 2 draws from the same BC ADST Fashion Industry 12 and Textiles 12 standards as Level 1, but at the upper end of each competency — moving students from "applies skills with guidance" to "designs, refines, and produces independently to a professional standard."
- Curricular Competencies: self-directed research and briefs, drafting and prototyping originals, iterative testing and fitting, consultation and critique, professional documentation.
- Content: advanced construction and pattern engineering; textile performance, testing, and sourcing; circular and ethical design systems; First Peoples knowledge, protocol, and ethical collaboration; design innovation and technology.
Core Competencies (Communication, Thinking, Personal & Social) and the First Peoples Principles of Learning continue to be assessed, with Level 2 emphasising self-direction, ethical reasoning, and collaboration. See ../10_Assessment_Tools.md.
Official BC sources:
- https://curriculum.gov.bc.ca/curriculum/adst/12/fashion-industry
- https://curriculum.gov.bc.ca/curriculum/adst/12/textiles
- https://www.fnesc.ca/first-peoples-principles-of-learning/
Semester Structure
Assumption: about 18-20 weeks, 5 classes per week. Designed as a second semester, a Fashion 12B, or a Directed/Independent Studies block. Adjust pacing for your timetable.
| Unit | Weeks | Focus | Major Product |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1-2 | Pro studio practice, advanced equipment, briefs, tech packs | Design brief + tech-pack starter + advanced-finish sampler |
| 2 | 3-4 | Textile science, testing, performance, ethical sourcing | Textile test report + sourcing dossier |
| 3 | 5-7 | Couture and tailoring construction techniques | Tailoring techniques sample book |
| 4 | 8-9 | Pattern drafting, flat manipulation, draping | Drafted/draped block + trued pattern + tested muslin |
| 5 | 10-12 | Tailored bottoms: trousers or structured skirt | Tailored trousers or lined skirt |
| 6 | 13-15 | Structured tops, collars, sleeves, light outerwear | Button-up shirt or light lined jacket |
| 7 | 16-17 | Advanced surface design: print, dye, repeat pattern | Original repeat/motif applied to a product |
| 8 | 17-18 | Fashion systems, circular design, ethics, innovation | Brand/collection concept + ethics statement |
| 9 | 18-20 | Capstone mini-collection and professional portfolio | 2-3 look collection + portfolio + showcase |
Units 7 and 8 overlap by design so students develop surface work alongside their systems thinking before the capstone.
Assessment Plan
Project-based, at a professional standard. Level 2 raises the bar within the same proficiency scale (Emerging, Developing, Proficient, Extending): "Proficient" in Level 2 means industry-ready accuracy and independence.
| Category | Weight |
|---|---|
| Major projects and technical construction | 55% |
| Process portfolio, tech packs, and design development | 25% |
| Studio habits: safety, leadership, collaboration, project management | 10% |
| Technical checks, tests, and fittings | 10% |
Cost Control
Level 2 stays affordable. Tailored garments use thrifted suiting, donated sheeting for muslins, and remnants; specialty notions (invisible zippers, interfacing, lining) are low-cost and shared from a class kit. Deadstock and upcycled garments are encouraged as advanced sourcing, not budget compromises.
Indigenous Respect In Level 2
Chilliwack is in Stó:lō territory. As students gain skill and design independence, the responsibility to avoid appropriation grows. Level 2 deepens this from awareness (Level 1) to practice: ethical collaboration protocols, questions of ownership and credit, working with rather than borrowing from communities, and compensating knowledge keepers where guests are involved. Students never reproduce protected, sacred, ceremonial, or Nation-specific designs, and they learn to articulate their own positionality and sources.
Shared Resources
Level 2 uses the same toolkit as Level 1: ../10_Assessment_Tools.md, ../11_Printable_Templates.md, ../12_Enrichment_Challenges_Studio_Culture.md, and ../13_Supports_Differentiation_UDL.md, applied at a higher standard. A tech-pack template and fitting log are introduced in Unit 1.
References and Further Learning
Watch
- Behind the Scenes at The Costume Institute Conservation Lab — A professional look at couture construction and conservation standards (Google Arts & Culture / The Metropolitan Museum of Art).
Read
- The fashion show — The industry history of how collections are shown to buyers and press (Victoria and Albert Museum).
- Circular Fashion: a circular economy for the fashion industry — A systems view of how the industry can keep clothes in use (Ellen MacArthur Foundation).
Explore
- Fashion — Explore the Collections — Five centuries of designers and techniques to study at a professional level (Victoria and Albert Museum).
- Two Centuries of Costume in America (Alice Morse Earle, 1903) — Public-domain reading on the history of dress (Internet Archive).
_Links were verified at publication; if one moves, search the title._