Apparel Design Lab
a beaverton high design club x cada casa collab
Apparel Design Lab is a six-week, hands-on creative program where students explore the fundamentals of apparel design alongside industry professionals working in fashion, design, and production. The program introduces students to both conceptual and technical aspects of clothing creation—bridging art, craftsmanship, and real-world creative careers.
Students begin by exploring multiple apparel mediums, including graphic design for garments, screen printing, decorative applications, pattern basics, and cut-and-sew construction. Students select one of two focused pathways: Screen Printing / Decorative Design or Design, Cut & Sew. Each pathway emphasizes professional tools, production workflows, and creative decision-making.
The program culminates in the completion of a finished apparel piece, followed by instruction in professional product photography, branding, and presentation. Students will have their work documented and will be invited to showcase their designs at Cada Casa’s Spring Fashion Show, connecting their creative work to a public, professional-level platform.
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CURRICLUM
Apparel Design Lab is about learning how ideas become real. Students will move from inspiration → concept → production → documentation. Like all Cada Casa programs, this space values experimentation, creative risk-taking, and growth through process. The goal is not perfection—it is progress, ownership, and completion. Students will work alongside mentors, using real tools, real workflows, and real creative standards. Students will choose one pathway:
Screen Printing / Decorative Design Pathway
Design, Cut & Sew Pathway
Click on the weeks below to see what we will be doing:
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Focus: Trust the Process. Explore ideas before making.
Students will research visual references, cultural inspiration, and personal identity to build a moodboard. Mentors will introduce how designers translate inspiration into real garments. Students will define what they want to create and why.
Activities
• Introduction to Apparel Design Lab and pathways
• Examples from mentors and industry references
• Moodboard creation (digital or physical)
• Project proposal sketch and concept discussionDeliverables
• Completed moodboard
• Project proposal (written or verbal)
• Rough sketch of garment or apparel concept
• Selected pathway -
Focus: Turning ideas into technical plans
Students will begin translating their concepts into usable templates and production plans. They will learn foundational skills specific to their pathway.
Screen Printing Pathway
• Vector templates and graphic placement
• Garment selection and print placement planning
• Introduction to heat press and screen printing toolsCut & Sew Pathway
• Pattern basics and template creation
• Machine introduction and sewing fundamentals
• Fabric selection and garment structureDeliverables
• Template or pattern draft
• Material and garment selection
• First technical test (print test or stitch test) -
Focus: From concept to physical reality
Students will begin producing their final garment. Mentors will support technical skills and help students problem-solve.
Activities
• Garment construction or printing begins
• One-on-one mentor support
• Iteration and adjustmentDeliverables
• Production started
• At least 25–50% of garment completed
• Process documentation photo -
Focus: Iteration and completion
Students will continue production and begin refining their garment.
Activities
• Continued garment production
• Troubleshooting and refinement
• Branding discussion (label, name, or identity of piece)Deliverables
• Garment 75–100% complete
• Final adjustments planned
• Garment name or concept title -
Focus: Presenting your work professionally
Students will complete their garments and learn how to document their work professionally.
Activities
• Professional product photography
• Creative direction for photos
• Reflection on process and growth
• Preparation for Spring Fashion Show showcaseDeliverables
• Completed apparel piece
• Professional photos of garment
• Final reflection (written or verbal)
• Portfolio-ready documentation
MENTORSHIP
Apparel Design Lab is a creative mentorship program designed to pair students with working creative for guidance and support. As this class has two pathways (decoration & cut/sew), we would love support from both graphic designers and apparel designers with sewing experience. Mentors can choose to work in two capacities:
Project Mentor: You are paired with a student 1:1 and help them start their projects. Together, mentors and students will move through the creative process — from early inspiration to experimentation and prototyping. We ask that Project Mentors commit to three Saturdays in April (4/18, 4/25, 5/2), from 11am-1pm in Beaverton, OR. This time will focus on getting emerging designers started on a tangible project where they can work during Open Lab hours. From there mentors can also be available via email or online for progress check-ins.
Open Lab Mentor: There will be various times both during school and outside of school where we will need designers (particularly those with sewing experience) to be available to help with the production phase of their projects. You can sign up for as many or as few of these sessions based on your availability. Open Lab Days:
8th Period (2:30-3:45) Dates: 4/30, 5/6, 5/14, 5/20, 5/27
Weekend Hours (11am - 1pm): 5/9, 5/16, 5/23, 5/30
If you are interested in either of these options, fill out the mentor application form below and we will add you to an email list with sign up options.
FúTBOL COUTURE
While we encourage students to explore their own inspirations, if you are looking for a guiding theme we recommend: Fútbol Couture. — where the raw poetry of the pitch collides with the pulse of high fashion. This isn’t a tribute to jerseys and cleats; it’s a revolution of movement, identity, and style. Inspired by the global language of fútbol and the street-born elegance it breeds, this show rips tradition wide open. Think studio runway meets stadium tunnel. We're stitching together swagger, culture, and avant-garde silhouettes—elevating the game's rhythm into a new fashion dialect. This is not about playing soccer. This is about dressing like you own the world that watches it. Resources: (A Brief History of Soccer on the Catwalk )
SUPPORT
Thanks to the generous support of Oregon Cultural Trust, we are expanding our AIMS Mentorship Program in 2026. Click the Interest Form button above if you are interested in organizing an AIMS Project.
For more than two decades, the Oregon Cultural Trust has played a vital role in enriching our state's cultural resources, supporting more than 1,600 nonprofits across Oregon. How? It's simple. The Cultural Trust empowers Oregonians to leverage their support for arts, heritage and humanities nonprofits with the Cultural Tax Credit. When you match your cultural donation with a gift to the Oregon Cultural Trust, you direct a portion of your state taxes to fund more than 1,600 cultural organizations. And come tax time, you will receive up to a 100% refund in the form of a state tax credit. By using the Cultural Tax Credit, Oregonians and the Cultural Trust have awarded close to $40 million, and counting, to the cultural nonprofits that define our quality of life. Join us by taking your support of Oregon's arts, heritage and humanities to the next level. Make culture count.
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