2023.12.25

The New Era of Fashion Tech Education by Designer and Educator, Olga, at Kyoritsu Women's University

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As the final installment of our special feature 'Fashion Tech & Education', we take a look at the initiatives undertaken by Associate Professor Olga at the Department of Textile and Clothing, Faculty of Home Economics, Kyoritsu Women's University.

Prior to fashion tech becoming a known term in Japan, Associate Professor Olga conducted research on the relationship between fashion and technology at a graduate school in London. After returning to Japan, she has been active as a fashion tech designer. She launched the fashion brand Etw. Vonneguet and participated in events such as the Tokyo Collection (now Rakuten Fashion Week TOKYO), drawing attention for her innovative use of digital tools in fashion.

Meanwhile, she was appointed as Associate Professor (currently Special Associate Professor) at the Media Science Lab, Graduate School of Digital Hollywood University (hereafter, Digital Hollywood), and has been at the forefront of fashion tech education, including running the Fashion Tech Lab.

This year, she was appointed as Associate Professor at the Department of Textile and Clothing, Faculty of Home Economics, Kyoritsu Women's University, and launched the 'Fashion Forward LAB', embarking on a new approach to education, including collaboration with companies.

In this interview, Associate Professor Olga discusses her current initiatives and course contents, the application of technology in fashion education at Kyoritsu Women's University, and the kind of talent she hopes to foster in the future.

Promoting Fashion Tech with Fashion Forward LAB

Associate Professor Olga has been teaching about fashion tech, primarily at Digital Hollywood. She says that her involvement in education at Kyoritsu Women's University comes with unique thoughts, different from her previous experiences.

"At Digital Hollywood, I give lectures and run labs targeting students who are interested in fashion within a wider student body studying digital communication. In the labs too, I often back up the students in what they want to do more than directly instruct them.

"Being assigned to the Department of Textile and Clothing at Kyoritsu Women's University and becoming a 'fashion teacher' again was a challenge for me.

"For the students, I provide a basic fashion education while launching the Fashion Forward LAB and pushing forward with research."

At Fashion Forward LAB, the research themes are 'Fashion Tech', 'The Future of Fashion', and 'Fashion Forward'.

The overviews of each are as follows: "content production using AR and other technologies, proposal of solutions, educational research," "expression using new materials and technology, product creation, realization of new business models and innovation," and "planning, design, and development of products and services that create new value in the market."

It hasn't even been a year since her assignment, but what is the actual content of the classes like?