RE-FRAME FASHION Report. Innovation in Fashion Education

RE-FRAME FASHION is a two-year Strategic Partnerships project co-funded by the Erasmus+ Programme of the European Union. Its aim is to understand the needs of fashion industry stakeholders and provide students with the right tool set to meet these needs. The transnational project is designed and executed by three European universities - Erasmus University Rotterdam (NL), Université ParisDauphine - PSL (FR), Gda?sk University of Technology (PL) - together with fashion industry partners. This report provides an overview of the final project results. With the international collaboration, the following three high quality courses were developed and piloted in three HEIs in close collaboration with non-academic fashion partners: 1. “Sustainability in Fashion” developed and piloted by Université ParisDauphine - PSL, 2. “Entrepreneurship and Creativity in Fashion” developed and piloted by Gda?sk University of Technology, 3. “Heritage and Fashion” developed and piloted by the Erasmus University Rotterdam. Furthemore, the report delves into the methodology behind the courses and discusses the methods used to foster students’ engagement, critical thinking and the involvement of stakeholders. The course “Sustainability in Fashion” was developed together with key industry partner Le Coq Sportif. The course delved into the current debates in the fashion industry concerning sustainability, and was organized along six themes: the consumption of clothes, the production of clothes, the design of clothes, the choice of materials, the role and impact of communication, and the work environment (local and global). Field trips were a key aspect of the course, which encouraged students to interact with industry experts and keeping logbooks of these interactions. The course was well received and will be continued in three curriculum: it is renewed in the Master Marketing & Strategy but adapted to two different tracks, Communication and Luxury, and proposed in the Master Fashion & Materials of Paris Fashion School by PSL (École Nationale de Mode et Matière, EnaMoMa) as a core course on sustainability. The course “Entrepreneurship and Creativity in Fashion” was developed with key industry partner You’ll, a marketing agency. The aim was to familiarize students with the concept of entrepreneurship, introducing the fashion industry and sensitising students to sustainability issues and cultural aspects of fashion. Due to the highly interactive character of the course, it was well received and will be continued in the curriculum of the master programme International Management (IM) at Gda?sk University of Technology. “Heritage in Fashion” was developed with a key fashion partner, the European Fashion Heritage Association (EFHA). During the course students developed case studies related to the various challenges faced by the EFHA. Case-based learning was at the centre of the teaching method employed throughout the course. In the reflection upon the course, students mentioned they felt challenged and were very satisfied with the course overall. The course is continued in the next academic year as part of the curriculum of the Master in History, track GLOCAL, Global Markets Local Markets. RE-FRAME FASHION Strategic Partnerships project allowed for a deep reflection by the project team of its own practices and approaches, accounting for a variety of geographic, economic and sociocultural contexts, in a critical period where academia, industry and society are deeply changing. Lastly, it is worth mentioning that all courses developed in this project were affected by the Covid-19 pandemic. As the courses relied heavily on field trips and interaction with students and fashion industry stakeholders, some parts of the courses had to be readapted to a digital learning environment. Nevertheless, the project team used all the tools to ensure the best learning experience for the students, and with all adaptations the courses were well received by both students and fashion industry partners. In conclusion, RE-FRAME FASHION managed to contribute to the acquisition of sustainability skills, cognitive and emotional attitudes, interdisciplinary knowledge, community and social learning, aspects that are highly valued by the European Commission. The three new courses are the steppingstones towards an International Master in Fashion Industry (IMFI) that is international, transdisciplinary, and inclusive. The team is looking forward to continuing working together, enlarging the network of partners, building on the new courses and methods and inspiring other academics, professionals and students to engage in innovative education.