2023.12.21

Fashion Education All About 'Practice' – PIIF Aims for a Fusion of AI & Liberal Arts

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The third installment of our special feature 'Fashion Tech & Education' introduces the initiatives of 'Professional Institute of International Fashion', the only professional university in Japan that specializes in 'fashion' and 'business'.

In 2019, the government established the 'Professional Graduate School/Professional Junior College' system, the first time in 55 years. Unlike traditional universities, these institutions focus on vocational education, designed to develop the 'practical skills' and 'knowledge & theory' necessary to become professionals in a specific career.

Since its establishment, PIIF has been committed to nurturing individuals who can bring transformative changes to the world with 'creation' and 'business' rather than being traditional fashion designers.

How does PIIF, which practices education from a different position from that of traditional universities and vocational schools, position technology in fashion education?

We spoke with Professor Yoichi Nagasawa, Dean of the Faculty of International Fashion at PIIF, and Associate Professor Satoshi Sakai, also the representative of NEWROPE Co., Ltd., about their educational policy, specific curriculum, and the talents they would like to cultivate in the future.

Shift in Education Policy Post-Pandemic

PIIF has been actively providing students with basic lectures on the use of technology and opportunities to learn about the use of tools since its inception.

However, the Covid-19 pandemic prompted a rapid reconsideration of their education, according to Professor Nagasawa.

"Until then, when thinking about fashion and technology, it was limited to lectures on EC [Electronic Commerce], creating images using Photoshop or Illustrator, and making presentation materials.

"However, taking into account the changes in Japanese society, not just the fashion industry, due to the pandemic, we decided to focus on incorporating technology, including AI, and aim to cultivate talents who can master it.

"There are only about 10% of universities nationwide that are proficient in using AI. In this context, in addition to specializing in professional occupations, we value education by practical instructors. Therefore, we invited Associate Professor Sakai, who is working on the development and sale of Fashion AI, to conduct classes from this year."

As the representative of NEWROPE, Associate Professor Sakai has been developing businesses that specialize in Fashion AI, gaining attention with services such as an 'AI Trend Book predicting fashion trends three months, six months, and a year ahead', a 'recommendation engine specialized in fashion', and 'image analysis technology for fashion items'.