London College of Fashion partners up with Microsoft for short-term course
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The London College of Fashion (LCF) has partnered up with Microsoft to create a short-term program in which students have access to innovations like mixed reality, internet of things and artificial intelligence, said the two companies in a joint statement. Dubbed “Future of Fashion Incubator”, the program takes one semester. Top students from LCF’s Fashion Business School, School of Design & Technology, and School of Media & Communication have applied.
The goal is that students work together to come up with creative solutions to current industry and consumer needs. The themes chosen for the projects include retail experiences, supply chain management and the design process. A series of experts will help the students develop their ideas into prototypes, including UK designer Charli Cohen and consultant Sofia Barattieri, founder of the Barattieri Collective.
Innovate the creative process
“The fashion industry has driven some remarkable innovations in the last couple of years, but due to consumer, industry and environmental changes it is imperative to continue asking the difficult questions. We need to evolve the way we use resources so we can be more sustainable in the future, and innovate the creative process itself to be more cost-effective, time-efficient and collaborative”, said Maruschka Loubser, senior global marketing manager at Microsoft, in a statement.
This is not the first time the LCF collaborates with big companies to incorporate technology into the student’s assignments and make them reflect about the future of the industry. In February, LCF partnered up with Kering to create an open-access digital course in sustainable luxury fashion, named “Fashion & Sustainability: Understanding Luxury Fashion in a changing world”. Last year, it opened a digital learning lab, where students can use virtual reality headsets, depth cameras and 3D printing.
“A multi-disciplinary skill set will be crucial in shaping future fashion business”, said Matthew Drinkwater, head of fashion innovation at LCF, in the statement.
Photo: London College of Fashion website