London College of Fashion (LCF): Project Partner of the ‘Education for Fashion Tech (E4FT)’

IAF associate member London College of Fashion (LCF) is one of the main project partners of the ‘Education for Fashion Tech (E4FT) project funded by the EU. The aim of E4FT is to bridge the fashion field with that of innovative technologies by creating a new training pathway to improve the level of key competencies and skills of students and trainers and so break down barriers between technologists and creative communities.

In short, if both fashion students and technology students understand more of each other’s work it’s easier for them to jointly create fashiontech products. The project for example is constructing a tool box, a resource for teachers including innovative teaching and learning methods. Although it is a European project, the reach of the project is quite global, with research institutes, companies and higher education centres from all over the world involved.

For the sake of this project, fashion tech is defined as “technology that enables a fashion experience for the user wearing it or interacting with it” and includes smart textiles, wearables and digital technologies. Some examples of applications of the technology are ‘improving health’, ‘enhancing senses’ and ‘personal expression’. More information can be found at https://www.e4ft.eu/.

Another way in which LCF, but also IAF members Euratex, Lectra and Première Vision support innovation in the apparel industry is through the Define project: https://define-network.eu/. This project has formed a European fashion-innovation network bringing together the fashion-technology ecosystem of incubators, accelerators and the start-ups & SMEs they support, along with financiers and other organisations including universities, to share knowledge and encourage new ideas. As such it forms an open network that can be used within Europe and that can be collaborated with by similar initiatives across the world.

Please approach IAF Board Member and Dean of the School of Design and Technology at LCF José Teunissen through the IAF (crietee@iafnet.com) if you would like to receive more information about these projects.