Fashion is a distinctly transnational expression of modernity. Its system encompasses a vast array of networks, institutions, ideas, and processes that transcend political borders and connect various communities worldwide. This course will explore the complex, interconnected world of transnational fashion, examining how it is shaped by cross-cultural exchanges, migration, technology, and global economic systems. Fashion is often appropriated to advance national agendas, utilizing ethnic stereotypes to create cultural significance. However, fashion objects rarely remain confined to a single cultural context. Instead, fashion continuously draws upon and reinterprets histories, symbols, and experiences, enabling individuals to navigate and express their identities. Using an interdisciplinary approach, this course will investigate the historical and contemporary dynamics of fashion’s transnationalism, from its roots in colonial power exchanges to today’s global supply chains, the mobility of fashion professionals, and the rise of transnational fashion brands. Students will explore how dress and textiles serve as cultural signifiers, transmitters of tradition, and economic drivers. Through case studies, critical readings, and visual analyses, topics such as the appropriation and adaptation of dress, the nature and meaning of the "exotic," the impact of colonialism on fashion aesthetics, the role of fashion in identity politics, and the ethical and environmental concerns of global fashion systems will be discussed. Students will also examine the emergence of new fashion hubs, such as Dakar and Dubai, and how these cities leverage fashion to enhance their cultural economies, influencing the production, consumption, and symbolic meanings of fashion in an ever-evolving global context. By the end of the course, students will gain a nuanced understanding of fashion as a global phenomenon. They will develop the skills to critique and analyze fashion beyond the Western canon, recognizing the contributions of diverse cultures to contemporary fashion landscapes.