UNIVERSITIES
FashionTEX brings together eleven renowned universities from all over Europe to integrate digital skills into fashion education! Here you can find all information about the institutions and their contributions.
KOEFIA ACADEMY ROME
The Koefia Academy, the first Academy of Haute Couture in Italy, over the years has developed a method based on the construction of the paper pattern on the mannequin, French moulage method. Since 1951, the KOEFIA Academy has been preparing students through a three-year course strongly oriented to the practical component of the craft. The educational path is complete: from the designed project to the creation of the paper pattern; from the prototype in cotton to the realization of the dress in fabric using the sartorial criteria and techniques of Haute Couture.
The Academy also pays special attention to the complementary components that make a dress a luxury object: Embroidery, knitting, macramé, gloves, hat and accessory. Although Koefia Academy’s teaching is rooted in the tradition of Italian tailoring, special attention is paid to innovations in the industry. CAD CAM 2D and CLO3D pattern making systems, digital illustration and the study of trend and AI creative development websites have been part of the training program for many years now.
The aim of the Academy’s teaching is to train young designers with a strong design identity provided by a critical sense and high technical/practical training. For this reason, Koefia Academy has joined the European FASHION TEX project aimed at the technological development of the teaching of 13 European Academies. The desire to include technological innovation and place it alongside the highest tradition of Couture has always been part of the Academy’s Mission. The world is evolving fast and we need to ride the times by resting on the solid foundations of the past. knowledge is combined with experimentation and this is how the future is created.
UNIVERSITY OF LISBON
The Faculty of Architecture is one of the 18 Schools belonging to the University of
Lisbon. The Faculty of Architecture is committed to the education of architecture, interior architecture and rehabilitation, Urbanism, Product Design, Communication Design, Interaction Design and Fashion Design. FAULisboa aims are education, scientific research, technological development and innovation. It seeks to contribute to the competitiveness of national economy by fostering entrepreneurship and innovation in scientific knowledge. FAULisboa research in the fields of architecture, urbanism, design and ergonomics, is carried out whithin the Research Center for Architecture, Urbanism and Design – CIAUD. The CIAUD supports the research and development at the level of information and administrative resources. It links research with teaching, sponsers the relationship with other institutions, civil societies and business, and promotes the dissemination of research.
CIAUD was founded in 2006 and it is recognized and funded by the FCT (Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology) since 2007. The Centre, whose work covers a range of themes, is composed of a tightly-knit, multidisciplinary team of 339 researchers (113 full-time researchers and 226 collaborators) and the Scientific Advisory Board. The researchers are members of the teaching staff, investigators, PhD and Post-Doc students on FA/ULisboa courses and graduates from other schools. The Scientific Advisory Board is composed of researchers from outside the CIAUD and FA – Portuguese and foreign personalities of recognized academic, scientific and professional merit, to follow up and provide an annual assessment. The main mission of the CIAUD is to promote the advancement of scientific, technological and artistic knowledge in the fields of architecture, urbanism, design and ergonomics, interacting with other disciplinary areas. The executive side of the CIAUD centres on the Commission, which consists of the President and the coordinators of its four core nucleous (architecture/Urbanism/Design/Ergonomics).
ACADEMY OF ARTS, ARCHITECTURE & DESIGN PRAGUE
The fundamental principle of the Academy is the individual approach to each student. The aim is to support talent and develop creative skills, while emphasising original independent thinking about society and nurturing a collective responsibility for our environment. Roughly 500 students across 24 studios are currently enrolled at the Academy of Arts, Architecture, and Design in Prague. The Academy opens its doors to the public twice a year with an exhibition of student work entitled “Artsemestr”. Every year, the Academy organises more than 15 exhibition events, half of which take place abroad. According to the QS World University Rankings, UMPRUM is the only school from a post-communist country ranked among the most prestigious art schools in Europe. Academy of Arts, Architecture and Design in Prague has several departments. Department of Applied Arts has two studios focused on fashion design study and one studio oriented to textile.
The studio of Fashion Design prides itself on its individual approach to students and its focus on fashion in all its variety – from the creation of ready-to-wear collections through industrial design to individual conceptual creations. The studio prioritises the development of students into all-round design professionals with strong individual identities. The main focus of the atelier of the studio of Fashion and Footwear Design is on a broader than usual, therefore “open” concept of clothing design, the core of which is a clothed, functionally and visually equipped human individual or a certain group. The bodily performative and media dimension of the contemporary world means new demands for classical clothing design, which overlap, for example, with needs of advertising, but also kinds of media-followed “scenic garments”. The studio of textile in contemporary times navigates the boundaries of various influences. Tradition, craftsmanship, and the language of art intertwine with the broader contexts of today’s world, encompassing globalisation, ethics, sustainability, digitalisation, surplus production, and theory.
AMSTERDAM FASHION ACADEMY
The Amsterdam Fashion Academy is an esteemed, international, boutique, academy located in the heart of Amsterdam. The Academy provides UK accredited undergraduate and postgraduate programmes focusing on Fashion Design and Fashion Business & Innovation. The Bachelor’s degrees with Honours are recognized by the reputable Coventry University in London. The Amsterdam Fashion Academy is the first school in the Netherlands to offer university-awarded British Bachelor’s with Honours programmes. The Amsterdam Fashion Academy offers a unique, student-centered learning environment and prides itself on small class sizes, personalized attention, plus a curriculum that integrates both theoretical and practical learning, preparing students to meet the evolving demands of the global fashion industry.
In 2024, the Amsterdam Fashion Academy joined forces with the FashionTEX project, a collaborative initiative involving ten leading European universities. This project aims to foster innovation in fashion education by integrating digital technologies into the curriculum, thereby equipping students with the skills needed to thrive in a digital-first fashion world. The contribution to the FashionTEX project is led by Cristiano Carciani, Director of the Amsterdam Fashion Academy, and Adele Parker, the Programme Leader of the Bachelor’s with Honours Fashion Design programme. The participation of the Amsterdam Fashion Academy in the FashionTEX project underscores its commitment to stay at the forefront of fashion education and providing its students with the latest tools, innovation and methodologies. During the project partners share their vision, outline their contributions and can discuss the roadmap for the two-year duration of the project.
ESTONIAN ACADEMY OF ARTS TALLINN
Established in 1914, the Estonian Academy of Arts is the only public university in Estonia offering higher education in fine arts, design, architecture, media, visual studies, art history, and conservation. Though more than a century old, EKA is a creative centre for addressing contemporary issues alongside traditional techniques and outputs. In 2024, EKA was ranked among the world’s 150 most respected higher education institutions in the field of art and design based on the QS evaluation system (Quacquarelli Symonds), having previously placed within the top 200. The Estonian Academy of Arts is one of the key implementers of the Estonian Design Center and the Estonian Architecture Center, actively participating in the development of national strategies for design, urban planning, education, and the arts. Students and lecturers at the Academy contribute actively to societal development and the improvement of the living environment. In recent years, an impressive 70% of EKA alumni have experienced studies abroad, and EKA is increasingly sought after for exchange studies.
The Academy welcomes motivated individuals who are visually and socially sensitive and eager to challenge their creative potential. The goal for graduates is to function successfully in diverse social spaces and work as independent designers and critical thinkers. EKA offers unique, individualized study programs with a wide selection of specializations and personal mentorship. The departments, each a strong body of competence, express historical continuity while also pioneering transitional changes in their fields. The Fashion, Textiles, and Accessories Design departments form a joint ecosystem of shared knowledge, with fashion being the university’s flagship for sustainability for over a decade.
KYIV NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGIES AND DESIGN
Kyiv National University of Technologies and Design is a multidisciplinary educational, scientific and innovative complex with a well-developed infrastructure and modern material and technical base, which provides multi-level training of qualified specialists in various specialties. The university is a leader in training specialists in light and chemical industries, fashion industry, business, artistic and technical modelling and design of industrial products, art, economics and consumer services, law, etc.
The University has a high professional and educational recognition, confirming its competitiveness in positions of national and international rankings. Currently, the highest achievement of KNUTD is inclusion in QS World University Rankings: EECA – regional ranking of universities in Eastern Europe and Central Asia. Kyiv National University of Technologies and Design took 551-600th place among 688 universities in Europe, 81st place in Eastern Europe, 13th place among 33 Ukrainian universities and 5th place among Kyiv universities. In 2023, KNUTD entered the world ranking for the educational program: “Art and Design” QS World University Rankings by Subject 2023 and was qualified in this segment from 201 to 240 positions in the world, while taking the first and only place in Ukraine! In April 2024, the Faculty of Design of Kyiv National University of Technologies and Design hosted the VI International Scientific and Practical Conference “Topical Issues of Modern Design” dedicated to the 94th anniversary of the foundation of our University, which brought together well-known scientists, designers, art historians and leading experts in various fields of design from Ukraine, Great Britain, Poland, Latvia, People’s Republic of China, Romania, Moldova and other countries.
ART ACADEMY OF LATVIA
Fashion Department of the Art Academy of Latvia trains contemporary-minded and professionally competitive fashion artists capable of working in various segments of the fashion industry. In addition to academic courses, the study program provides the opportunity to acquire knowledge in a fashion specialty.
Students are encouraged to create both high-quality, ready-made and production-ready design products, and costumes – independent art objects or performances. During the study process, students learn the important research methods directly within the fashion design. The aim of the fshion design program is to develop individual abilities and analytical skills in the field of fashion design, which contribute to the emergence of progressive design through collaboration with the industry and society at large.
Graduates work as fashion designers, theater and film costume designers, fashion illustrators, stylists, and teachers; moreover, they develop their own fashion brands.
UNIVERSITY OF ZAGREB
The University of Zagreb Faculty of Textile Technology is a recognized educational and scientific institution and a leading national and regional higher education and research institution in the field of textile engineering and technology and fashion design in Croatia. The majority of teachers at the Faculty work in the technical field, the field of textile technology, whose work complements and intertwines with the work of teachers in the arts, natural sciences, social and humanistic fields, and other fields within the technical field with the aim of synergy, strengthening mutual connection and interdisciplinarity, not only in teaching, but also scientific research, artistic and professional work.
VILNIUS ACADEMY OF ARTS
Vilnius Academy of Arts is the largest and oldest art university in the Baltic states. It consists of four faculties located in four cities around Lithuania, comprising over 1700 students. The VDA offers studies in six study fields: architecture, design, art, media art, restoration of art objects, art history and theory. Currently, over 44 bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral study programs are accredited. The Fashion Design programme is one of the most popular among the applicants and aims to prepare a high profile costume designer, capable of creatively using accumulated professional knowledge and practical skills, that are based on the latest scientific and technical achievements.
WESTSÄCHSISCHE HOCHSCHULE ZWICKAU
The Faculty of Applied Arts Schneeberg at the University of Applied Sciences Westsächsische Hochschule Zwickau offers bachelor’s and master’s degrees in fashion design, wood design, textile art/textile design, and musical instrument making. AKS’s Design program, a modern institution with a rich tradition, prioritizes innovation and excellence. The fashion design curriculum seamlessly blends contemporary design principles with traditional craftsmanship, providing students with diverse avenues for exploration and hands-on experience through collaborations with industry partners. Emphasizing a holistic understanding of fashion design, the program empowers students to confidently navigate the entire design process while honing their individual artistic talents.
FashionTEX plays a pivotal role in our ability to integrate 3D design into our curriculum, a development of utmost importance. This initiative acknowledges the burgeoning demand for interdisciplinary competencies within the industry and equips our students with the skills needed to effectively address contemporary design complexities. Through the integration of 3D design, students develop proficiencies in digital modeling, visualization, and prototyping, arming them with invaluable resources to thrive in a rapidly evolving landscape.
LODZ UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY
Lodz University of Technology is one of the leading technical universities in Poland, with over 70 years of tradition and experience in educating engineers. The university offers education across nine faculties, including full-time, part-time, doctoral, and postgraduate studies, serving approximately 12,000 students. The academic programs are delivered through both general academic and practical profiles. Over the years, Lodz University of Technology has educated more than 100,000 highly qualified graduates, thanks to the work of several generations of well-prepared academic, scientific, and technical staff, supported by an efficient administrative team. The university is open not only to students but also to children, youth, and seniors. Lodz University of Technology undertakes numerous projects in collaboration with international partners and works with major companies in Poland and abroad. It conducts scientific research at a European level, creating new technologies and patents in cooperation with leading scientific centers worldwide.
The Faculty of Material Technologies and Textile Design at Lodz University of Technology is dedicated to educating specialists in materials engineering, particularly for the textile, clothing, and fashion industries. The curriculum equips students with the knowledge and skills necessary for innovative and interdisciplinary development of new solutions through the harmonious integration of technical, technological, and artistic aspects. Spectacular achievements are often the result of long-term, experimental prototyping work carried out by researchers and students directly in workshops and laboratories, as well as in virtual 3D spaces using CAD/CAM systems. These processes align with modern trends in sustainable development, especially in the context of creating digital fashion.
