Lectra congress: How changing fashion jobs will impact training programs

Fashion experts and educators met in November to discuss how sector trends could impact professions and training programs from design to production.

Professions in the fashion world are shifting as companies move towards industry 4.0, adopt 3D technologies and rationalize the product life-cycle management for their collections, according to a statement by Lectra SA, the organizer of the event. Digitalization and automation will occupy a far more central position than today, said Li Min, Vice-Dean of the fashion and design faculty at Donghua university in Shanghai, at the conference in Bordeaux-Cestas, France.

More than 50 representatives from fashion schools worldwide gathered at the congress that was organized by Lectra, a fashion, automotive and furniture technology provider, as part of its education program. The Paris-based company also presented its collaborations with fashion schools and companies at the event, such as competitions that have been co-organized with Missoni, Balenciaga, and Armani in Italy or Peacebird in China.

"The fashion industry is evolving so fast that sharing insights and best practices with experts and other fashion schools has become vital to ensure we offer the best learning experience and technology tools to our students", said Dr. Trevor J. Little, Professor of Textile and Apparel, Technology and Management in the College of Textiles at NC State University, said at the congress.

Photo: Lectra