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IFA Paris MA Contemporary Fashion Design Students Collab with Fashion Tech Platform SWOP

For several years now, we have been witnessing the evolution of fashion through technology, such as the use of Web 3 technologies like NFT and metaverse. IFA Paris' ambition is to train its students in the latest innovations that are destabilizing the fashion industry. Our aim is to provide them with the knowledge they need to better understand the challenges that new technologies represent today and what they will represent tomorrow. To this end, the school provides students with a Fashion Tech lab, Foundry, featuring a 3D printer, laser cutter, Oculus VR headsets and other cutting-edge equipment. Added to this, of course, is the integration of technology into the curriculum, notably through partnerships with industry professionals.

Last December, our Master of Arts Contemporary Fashion Design students collaborated with the digital platform SWOP. SWOP is a social-impact technology company based on the premise that, since the fashion industry is responsible for 10% of global carbon emissions by 2020, we need to change consumer behavior and switch to less polluting digital fashion to combat climate change.

As part of this collaboration, students in the Postgraduate Contemporary Fashion Design program were given the chance to carry out a project involving the creation of digital garments adapted to NFT and augmented reality filters. This was followed by a reflection on the obstacles consumers may face in their shopping journey, and how this can be made more attractive. We also thought about how to reach consumers, particularly in terms of communication, with the creation of a digital fashion promotion event. This course enabled the students and the SWOP platform to gain a better understanding of consumer expectations in the face of changing consumption patterns towards digital fashion.

« SWOP places co-creation at the heart of its platform development, actively engaging users from diverse backgrounds such as fashion designers, tastemakers, and consumers of all types. By involving this wide range of participants, SWOP ensures that its platform reflects the needs and desires of its users. The collaboration with IFA Paris fashion school is the second co-creation with students SWOP has made so far. This one has been particularly valuable as it provided insights into the priorities of future fashion designers graduating between 2023 and 2025.

Through digital projects centered around AI-generated digital garments, NFTs, and AR (Augmented Reality) filters for digital try-ons, SWOP had the opportunity to observe these upcoming fashion designers in action. This firsthand experience not only validated many of SWOP's existing views on UX (user experience) but also brought about unexpected surprises. The discoveries made during these collaborations challenged preconceived notions and brought fresh perspectives to the table that SWOP are excited to be incorporating into our soft launch in August 2023.

SWOP's commitment to co-creation and user involvement ensures that the platform remains responsive to the evolving needs and preferences of the fashion industry. By incorporating the insights gained through these collaborations, SWOP is able to create an engaging and valuable platform that embraces innovation, keeping pace with the dynamic intersection of fashion and technology. We would like to thank IFA and their students for the collaboration. » - SWOP

IFA Paris is once again delighted to collaborate with companies like SWOP, which aim to push the fashion industry towards greater innovation and sustainability. These projects are essential to our students' education, enabling a real exchange between future fashion players and experienced professionals.

About SWOP

They help you create your own Digital Fashion. Unleash your creativity without any design skills - AI will do the magic for you. Express yourself freely!

Not long ago it was extremely hard to become part of the fashion industry. Not anymore! They empower your creativity with AI: if you can write your vision (or upload images to support it), you can create your own Digital Fashion design in minutes. This process used to take days and weeks if you used 3D software for your creations.

SWOP is a social impact tech company, who democratizes fashion and empowers communities to look fabulous. On top of that you save more than 3.000 liters of wastewater and reduce your carbon footprint by 97% each time you create a Digital Fashion item instead of fast fashion.