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AOD Grad School Joint Heads of Fashion and Design Prof. Jane and Patrick Gottelier
AOD said yesterday its Graduate School will be led by Professor Jane Gottelier and Professor Patrick Gottelier.
With specialised backgrounds in performance sportswear including athleisure wear, and having set up similar programs in the UK, AOD said it was pleased to have such senior talent spearhead these pioneering Masters Degrees.
Alumni of Central Saint Martins – University of Arts, London, the duo has a multitude of experience in the design and fashion industries, especially in the academic field. “We are witnessing the authentic revolution and transformation in the fashion industry as we speak, and a great demand for contour fashion. The industry is hungry for specialists and solutions within the lingerie and performance wear space, and we believe that this is the perfect time to become the change-makers the industry needs,” said Jane and Patrick.
AOD is thrilled to have these industry veterans and international educators to add to its academic team. The graduate school is poised to further strengthen AOD’s position as the total education provider and trusted partner of the Sri Lanka apparel industry.
Contour fashion is a huge, established and specialised field within fashion design. It is defined by garments worn close to, or shaping the contours of the human form, including corsetry, lingerie, swimwear, performance sportswear, nightwear and athleisure. The Contour Fashion Innovation MA from DMU is one of the very few in the world in this area and has its strong focus to upskill fashion or textile graduates who want to specialise in contour design or up skill to support industry.
The program which explores creativity, technologies and innovation, alongside the technical considerations of this complex specialism, prepares its graduate students with the specialist skills in this competitive and fast-developing industry that’s a global niche for Sri Lanka. DMU’s unparalleled understanding of the sector informs the curriculum and includes loungewear, sportswear and athleisure wear – these specialisms are in high demand following the global shift to remote working which has led to a growth in comfort-inspired, fashion-driven work attire. Marketing and visual communication is examined from the viewpoint of a creative individual, giving students the skills to develop leading-edge work for the companies they work in.
Contour fashion specialisation and its relevance to Sri Lanka
The apparel sector in Sri Lanka is one of the most dynamic and significant contributors to the country’s economic growth accounting for nearly half of its exports. It has brought much global recognition to the island with its ethical and sustainable production of apparel for iconic brands around the world especially in specialist fields such as lingerie, swimwear, performance wear and athleisure which is a significant portion of the industry. It is one that is changing rapidly with shifts in consumer behaviour and trends, accelerated by the global pandemic and in high demand following the global shift to remote working.
The apparel sector has thus far successfully utilised the opportunities in the international markets, fuelled by the skilled talent in the country to evolve beyond traditional exports to providing sophisticated design and creative solutions through its innovation centres. With the trust of the iconic brands to produce technical products in the lingerie, performance wear, athleisure, swimwear etc., Sri Lanka’s apparel sector is on its journey towards becoming a specialist manufacturing hub for contour fashion.
The demand for contour fashion designers and specialist becomes much more evident given the dynamic nature of this sector and the unique skills required to excel further, elevate the standards of the apparel industry to greater heights in the global field, and secure it’s positioning as a specialist fashion manufacturing hub.
De Montfort University’s Contour Fashion Department and industry recognition
With the advancements in technology, breakthrough innovations coupled with the changing consumer requirements it has become essential to re-skill and up-skill the apparel sector employees to be fully equipped and geared to lead its journey towards establishing itself as the specialist manufacturing hub for contour fashion.
De Montfort University (DMU) is no stranger to the local industry which has actively sought to hire DMU graduates over the years because of its high-quality standards. Contour Fashion was established at DMU in 1947, initially with its undergraduate qualification and has unparalleled links with the UK and global intimate apparel industry and has been specifically designed to meet the changing requirements of this global fashion business.
The curriculum is always informed by industry itself, which ensures that those who follow it are fully aligned with the latest sector developments, making them relevant, up-to-date and highly sought after by the industry. As such DMU is well trusted by the industry and has become an award-winning university rated as No. 1 for graduate employability.
AOD’s delivery of the renowned MA in Contour Fashion for the Industry
AOD prides itself on the close relationship it has with the apparel industry and shares the same approach as DMU in ensuring its students are fully aligned with the sector developments. The holistic exposure they receive from the industry as well as the more local cultural heritage and traditional design has been what made the AOD designer, one of a kind.
With the graduate school too, AOD will follow the same approach ensuring a 360 exposure to its students covering historical, social and cultural considerations that fuel intellectual curiosity, imagination and divergent thinking. It will provide many opportunities for its master’s students to work with national and international companies on live projects, developing skills on creativity, technology and entrepreneurship alongside the technical considerations of this complex specialism. Those who go through this program will learn to take a critical and innovative approach to contemporary global challenges in this sector with a lens of sustainability which will be embedded throughout the curriculum.
The program will be headed and delivered by highly experienced professionals who have worked with well-known brands within the industry at an international level, supported by guest lectures, seminars and workshops from the wider fashion and intimates industry locally too.
An opportunity by AOD for industry to re-skill and up-skill its talent pool
AOD and DMU share many common values and principles in its approach to design education, the industry linkage and producing talent that is highly employable being at its core. As such DMU was the perfect strategic fit to roll out AOD’s graduate school and bring its highly recognised specialisation in Contour Fashion to Sri Lanka and making it accessible to a wider pool of employees already engaged in the sector and looking to up skill.
AOD urges the industry to leverage this timely opportunity to strengthen its talent pool and accelerate its journey towards establishing itself as the specialist manufacturing destination for contour fashion that has the right skill which will be the competitive edge over other manufacturing destinations in the region too. A special % rebate will be offered to industry and for their employees in AOD’s inaugural batch of Contour Fashion MA.
For more information on the MA program and the special industry offer reach out to [email protected]/+94 77 584 7772 or walk in between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday to Friday – Colombo Innovation Tower, No. 477, R.A. De Mel Mawatha, Colombo 4.
