Collaboration Teaches Students How to Fuse Tech and Fashion

fashion student wearing augmented reality goggles

Students at the London College of Fashion are exploring emerging technologies and their impact on the fashion industry.

Microsoft and a UK-based institution have teamed up to launch a "future of fashion" incubator, a short-term intensive program where students work together on multi-disciplinary projects. The London College of Fashion, a constituent college of the University of Arts London, co-created curriculum with Microsoft for the semester-long program, which brings together students from the Fashion Business School, the School of Design & Technology and the School of Media & Communication.

Participants have attended workshops and explored various Microsoft technologies and their impact on the fashion industry — including mixed reality and 3D, the Internet of Things and artificial intelligence — before choosing a study focus.

Once the concepts were established, each team consulted with an "incubator ambassador," a professional in the business who guided team members in turning their ideas into prototypes. Those are being unveiled during an exhibition taking place this week online and in person.

Among the projects:

  • Hololux, a pop-up store for online retailers that lack a physical presence. All the products in the store are 3D and "shoppable," with a checkout facility built into the experience;
  • DiDi, which places RFID chips into garments so they can be traced through their lifecycles. The data gathered is intended to help designers improve on wear and tear and ergonomic design for their fashions;
  • Heroes, a superhero-inspired running app that uses wearable IoT to link real players in a virtual game of competitive workouts; and
  • Janet, a personalized stylist app that uses artificial intelligence to suggest outfits based on what the wearer has recently bought and what's trending on social media. The app can also be used during physical shopping experiences to guide buyers on what will work with their existing wardrobe.

"Collaborating with Microsoft to empower our students with emerging technologies across courses through this project is incredibly exciting," said Matthew Drinkwater, head of the Fashion Innovation Agency within the college, in a press release. "Fusing business ideas with mixed reality, artificial intelligence and machine learning, ultimately, will allow a pathway to creating the digital designer business of the future."

About the Author

Dian Schaffhauser is a former senior contributing editor for 1105 Media's education publications THE Journal, Campus Technology and Spaces4Learning.

Featured

  •  black graduation cap with a glowing blue AI brain circuit symbol on top

    Report: AI Is a Must for Modern Learners

    A new report from VitalSource identifies a growing demand among learners for AI tools, declaring that "AI isn't just a nice-to-have; it's a must."

  • AI-powered individual working calmly on one side and a burnt-out person slumped over a laptop on the other

    Researchers: AI's Productivity Gains Come at a Cost

    A recent academic study found that as organizations adopt AI tools, they're not just streamlining workflows — they're piling on new demands. Researchers suggested that "AI technostress" is driving burnout and disrupting personal lives, even as organizations hail productivity gains.

  • illustration of a football stadium with helmet on the left and laptop with ed tech icons on the right

    The 2025 NFL Draft and Ed Tech Selection: A Strategic Parallel

    In the fast-evolving landscape of collegiate football, the NFL, and higher education, one might not immediately draw connections between the 2025 NFL Draft and the selection of proper educational technology for a college campus. However, upon closer examination, both processes share striking similarities: a rigorous assessment of needs, long-term strategic impact, talent or tool evaluation, financial considerations, and adaptability to a dynamic future.

  • young woman using a smartphone, with digital AI and chat icons overlaid in a blurred academic setting

    Duolingo Embraces AI in Push for Scalable Learning

    Learning platform Duolingo has officially declared itself "AI-first," aiming to make learning replicable, scalable, and always available.