Maha Barsom’s road to fashion design began at age eight, when she began constructing dolls from fabric and designing clothes for them. Throughout her schooling, she excelled in art classes, pursuing perfection in the finest details of each and every project. She began designing and making her own clothes at a young age, striving to make each design better than the last.
Barsom studied business and taught economics and accounting for several years, but her passion for design turned her focus to fashion once again. She honed her skills at RISD and studied apparel design and haute couture in Paris.
In 2006, Barsom’s business and fashion talents coalesced when she launched her signature line of luxurious shirts and blouses for women and opened a boutique on Boston’s fashionable Newbury Street. Her line reflects the vision she has cultivated and refined over the years, seeking interpretations that are at once aesthetic and pure, sensual and feminine. Her goal is to balance intelligence and elegance with simplicity and practicality in designs that survive the passage of time and showcase a woman’s beauty in any surrounding.
Barsom has been teaching apparel design at RISD since 2002, sharing her knowledge while inspiring and encouraging the next generation of fashion designers.
Courses
Fall 2023 Courses
ID 2526-01 - INTRODUCTION TO SOFT GOODS
LevelUndergraduate
UnitIndustrial Design
Subject Industrial Design
Period Fall 2023
Credits 3
FormatStudio
Mode In-Person
Start date
End date
ID 2526-01
INTRODUCTION TO SOFT GOODS
LevelUndergraduate
UnitIndustrial Design
Subject Industrial Design
PeriodFall 2023
Credits3
FormatStudio
ModeIn-Person
Start and End2023-09-06 to 2023-12-13
Times: W | 8:00 AM - 1:00 PMInstructor(s): Maha BarsomLocation(s): Industrial Design Building, Room 602Enrolled / Capacity: 15Status: Open
SECTION DESCRIPTION
This course is intended to introduce basic sewing skills and soft goods construction techniques in bag making and soft product design. Students will learn how to operate standard industrial sewing machines and create three-dimensional products from flat patterns. Fabric and notion selection for product performance will be taught as students learn to prototype and create final models of bags and soft products. Access to a portable sewing machine is suggested, as the eight industrial machines will be shared. You will be given some basic sewing supplies, but will need to purchase additional materials based on your class projects.
Elective
Wintersession 2024 Courses
APPAR 3100-101 - DRESSED BODIES: BASIC APPAREL TECHNIQUES FOR NON-MAJORS
LevelUndergraduate
UnitApparel Design
Subject Apparel Design
Period Wintersession 2024
Credits 3
FormatStudio
Mode In-Person
Start date
End date
APPAR 3100-101
DRESSED BODIES: BASIC APPAREL TECHNIQUES FOR NON-MAJORS
LevelUndergraduate
UnitApparel Design
Subject Apparel Design
PeriodWintersession 2024
Credits3
FormatStudio
ModeIn-Person
Start and End2024-01-04 to 2024-02-07
Times: MTW | 9:00 AM - 2:00 PM | 02/05/2024 - 02/07/2024; MT | 9:00 AM - 2:00 PM | 01/29/2024 - 01/30/2024; MTW | 9:00 AM - 2:00 PM | 01/22/2024 - 01/24/2024; T | 9:00 AM - 2:00 PM | 01/16/2024 - 01/16/2024; MTW | 9:00 AM - 2:00 PM | 01/08/2024 - 01/10/2024Instructor(s): Maha BarsomLocation(s): Canal Street Studios, Room 102Enrolled / Capacity: 14Status: Closed
SECTION DESCRIPTION
Dressed bodies, is a course conceived to expose students from external departments across RISD campus to a variety of making practices stemming from traditional apparel design practices. Students are expected to bring their current skill set and their apparel related curiosity with the aims of developing a personal project or enhancing apparel related skills. Clothing development, brand, soft-goods development, principles for creating 3 dimensional works around the body from 2 dimensional sketches and patterns as well as basic sewing skills will be covered throughout the body of this course. Principles learned here may be applied to a variety of fine arts processes as well as product design. Students will be encouraged to develop a better understanding of materials and construction techniques while exploring deeper relationships between 2D shape and 3D form. This dynamic, technical and creative class; supports students further understanding of sewing construction and how it directly relates to- and impacts any creative or technical project, ultimately broadening the students understanding of both material properties and essential technical components of fabric construction.
*Components of this class are seminar and self-directed.
Elective
APPAR 3100-102 - DRESSED BODIES: BASIC APPAREL TECHNIQUES FOR NON-MAJORS
LevelUndergraduate
UnitApparel Design
Subject Apparel Design
Period Wintersession 2024
Credits 3
FormatStudio
Mode In-Person
Start date
End date
APPAR 3100-102
DRESSED BODIES: BASIC APPAREL TECHNIQUES FOR NON-MAJORS
LevelUndergraduate
UnitApparel Design
Subject Apparel Design
PeriodWintersession 2024
Credits3
FormatStudio
ModeIn-Person
Start and End2024-01-04 to 2024-02-07
Times: WTHF | 9:00 AM - 2:00 PM | 01/31/2024 - 02/02/2024; THF | 9:00 AM - 2:00 PM | 01/25/2024 - 01/26/2024; WTHF | 9:00 AM - 2:00 PM | 01/17/2024 - 01/19/2024; THF | 9:00 AM - 2:00 PM | 01/11/2024 - 01/12/2024; THF | 9:00 AM - 2:00 PM | 01/04/2024 - 01/05/2024Instructor(s): Maha BarsomLocation(s): Canal Street Studios, Room 102Enrolled / Capacity: 14Status: Open
SECTION DESCRIPTION
Dressed bodies, is a course conceived to expose students from external departments across RISD campus to a variety of making practices stemming from traditional apparel design practices. Students are expected to bring their current skill set and their apparel related curiosity with the aims of developing a personal project or enhancing apparel related skills. Clothing development, brand, soft-goods development, principles for creating 3 dimensional works around the body from 2 dimensional sketches and patterns as well as basic sewing skills will be covered throughout the body of this course. Principles learned here may be applied to a variety of fine arts processes as well as product design. Students will be encouraged to develop a better understanding of materials and construction techniques while exploring deeper relationships between 2D shape and 3D form. This dynamic, technical and creative class; supports students further understanding of sewing construction and how it directly relates to- and impacts any creative or technical project, ultimately broadening the students understanding of both material properties and essential technical components of fabric construction.
*Components of this class are seminar and self-directed.
Elective
Spring 2024 Courses
APPAR 3121-01 - SOPHOMORE APPAREL STUDIO
LevelUndergraduate
UnitApparel Design
Subject Apparel Design
Period Spring 2024
Credits 6
FormatStudio
Mode In-Person
Start date
End date
APPAR 3121-01
SOPHOMORE APPAREL STUDIO
LevelUndergraduate
UnitApparel Design
Subject Apparel Design
PeriodSpring 2024
Credits6
FormatStudio
ModeIn-Person
Start and End2024-02-15 to 2024-05-24
Times: THF | 8:00 AM - 1:00 PMInstructor(s): Jamall Osterholm, Maha Barsom, Sarah GuerinLocation(s): Canal Street Studios, Room 102Enrolled / Capacity: 15Status: Open
SECTION DESCRIPTION
Building on basic techniques taught first semester, students proceed to more complex cuts for bodices, sleeves, skirts and pants through techniques of draping, drafting and construction. One finished garment is required.
Estimated Cost of Materials: $125.00
Majors are pre-registered for this course by the department. This course is a requirement for Sophomore Apparel Design Students.
Major Requirement | BFA Apparel Design
APPAR 3121-02 - SOPHOMORE APPAREL STUDIO
LevelUndergraduate
UnitApparel Design
Subject Apparel Design
Period Spring 2024
Credits 6
FormatStudio
Mode In-Person
Start date
End date
APPAR 3121-02
SOPHOMORE APPAREL STUDIO
LevelUndergraduate
UnitApparel Design
Subject Apparel Design
PeriodSpring 2024
Credits6
FormatStudio
ModeIn-Person
Start and End2024-02-15 to 2024-05-24
Times: THF | 1:10 PM - 6:10 PMInstructor(s): Jamall Osterholm, Maha Barsom, Sarah GuerinLocation(s): Canal Street Studios, Room 102Enrolled / Capacity: 15Status: Open
SECTION DESCRIPTION
Building on basic techniques taught first semester, students proceed to more complex cuts for bodices, sleeves, skirts and pants through techniques of draping, drafting and construction. One finished garment is required.
Estimated Cost of Materials: $125.00
Majors are pre-registered for this course by the department. This course is a requirement for Sophomore Apparel Design Students.
Major Requirement | BFA Apparel Design
ID 2526-01 - INTRODUCTION TO SOFT GOODS
LevelUndergraduate
UnitIndustrial Design
Subject Industrial Design
Period Spring 2024
Credits 3
FormatStudio
Mode In-Person
Start date
End date
ID 2526-01
INTRODUCTION TO SOFT GOODS
LevelUndergraduate
UnitIndustrial Design
Subject Industrial Design
PeriodSpring 2024
Credits3
FormatStudio
ModeIn-Person
Start and End2024-02-15 to 2024-05-24
Times: M | 1:10 PM - 6:10 PMInstructor(s): Maha BarsomLocation(s): Industrial Design Building, Room 602Enrolled / Capacity: 15Status: Open
SECTION DESCRIPTION
This course is intended to introduce basic sewing skills and soft goods construction techniques in bag making and soft product design. Students will learn how to operate standard industrial sewing machines and create three-dimensional products from flat patterns. Fabric and notion selection for product performance will be taught as students learn to prototype and create final models of bags and soft products. Access to a portable sewing machine is suggested, as the eight industrial machines will be shared. You will be given some basic sewing supplies, but will need to purchase additional materials based on your class projects.
