Although the fashion industry is often modeled as an economic and symbolic transaction between designers and consumers, it is difficult to use this model to portray fashion as a creative industry. Studies of complex adaptive systems provide a rich alternative model for interpreting the structural relationships and evolutionary dynamic that regulate creativity in the industry. By learning key principles—from systems-theory and case-study methods—students discover innovative ways to realize their designs and collaborate with designers, manufacturers, producers, distributors, retailers, the media, and consumers. Design in Fashion Systems is a graduate level course for students interested in understanding how fashion is shaped by forces beyond design.