Parisian fashion at its best

BANDAR SUNWAY: The chief operating officer of ESMOD International, the Paris-based fashion institution with over 180 years of history, recently engaged in an exclusive dialogue with fashion design students of ESMOD Kuala Lumpur The One Academy (TOA), bringing to them a global perspective on ESMOD’s fashion legacy and trends, and current developments.

Véronique Beaumont, who was on an official visit, focusses on the international development and image of ESMOD’s international network of schools throughout the world, of which TOA is a part.

ESMOD features the world’s first fashion school based in Paris. Recently, the CEOWORLD magazine ranked it as among 2024’s top five best fashion schools in the world, and the best in France.

Beaumont herself possesses 35 years of professional experience in the luxury and fashion industry, having worked with big names in fashion such as Karl Lagerfeld, Paco Rabanne, Sonia Rykiel, and Christian Lacroix.

Beaumont is also an educator with a passion for researching on the future of fashion and the latest trends.

In her presentation to TOA fashion students titled “Fashion & Luxury 5.0”, she spoke about fashion with reference to Industry 5.0, or the Fifth Industrial Revolution, a new phase of industrialisation, which describes how humans work together with advanced technology and AI-driven robots to improve work processes.

Beaumont’s presentation offered insights into ESMOD’s history, from its establishment in 1841 to its current advancements in the fashion world, including being the first school in Europe to launch the Meta-Wear class, focused on developing the skills of future digital fashion designers specialised in the Metaverse and non-fungible tokens (NFT).

“We want to train professionals to be prepared for the evolution of the fashion industry and create sustainable fashion,” said Beaumont.

3D digital learning is a game-changer in fashion design education, providing students with advanced tools and technologies to create, visualise, and present their designs. It offers numerous benefits in terms of creativity, efficiency and sustainability.

Students can create digital prototypes of their designs, allowing them to experiment with different fabrics, colours and patterns without the need for physical samples.

With virtual reality (VR) technology, students can present their collections through virtual fashion shows, reaching global audiences without the logistical challenges of physical shows. With augmented reality (AR) fitting rooms, customers can try on clothes virtually using their smartphones or AR devices.

ESMOD strives to bridge the gap between fashion and advanced technology, with courses dedicated to clothes making in the digital realm, through the CLO3D software, where users can create virtual, true-to-life garment visualisation with cutting-edge simulation technologies.

This comes in line with Industry 5.0’s key aspects, including personalised and on-demand production to reduce waste by producing items only when there is a confirmed order, sustainable practices by using eco-friendly materials to reduce the environmental footprint of fashion production, and promoting a circular economy within the fashion industry.

Even while embracing the use of new technologies, ESMOD retains the importance of preserving tradition and the human touch in fashion, preserving artisanal craft, timeless heritage, and handmade know-hows.

The emphasis on human-machine collaboration and sustainability is opening up new and exciting career opportunities in the fashion industry.

For more information, visit www.esmod.edu.my or call +603-7875 5510 or e-mail your enquiries to esmod@toa.edu.my / info@toa.edu.my.