After my two vocational trainings in skilled trades in the field of apparel, I decided to get to know another specialisation of the apparel industry. For this reason, I am studying Clothing Management at the Hochschule Niederrhein. The wide-ranging basic studies cover all the fundamentals of Textile and Clothing Technology from the fiber to the finished product, so no previous knowledge is necessary to master the studies. For illustration, the mechanical equipment of the university is of great advantage. Basic knowledge of the textile chain is important, as the subjects of the management emphasis are focused on apparel and a manager should know the background of his industry. The specialisation courses give a deep insight about the versatility of the management field and create a broad horizon, so that one has a wide range of possibilities after the studies. The university also offers a great number of compulsory optional courses, which enable students to deepen their knowledge of specific areas in management or to get to know new areas that go beyond their specialisation. Through the 5th semester - projects, where you work in student teams, you not only grow professionally, but also personally beyond yourself. You gain many new skills and abilities and are often faced with new challenges. The internship semester, which I will complete in the coming semester, offers the opportunity to apply the knowledge you have gained directly in the company and to prepare effectively for the professional world. In conclusion, I can say that The Hochschule Niederrhein both imparts a great deal of professional know-how and promotes the personal development of each individual. I can therefore take a lot of positive things from my time at university for my future life.

As a person interested in politics and fashion, I wanted to take a closer look at the processes in the textile and clothing industry in my studies, which is why I chose the "Clothing Management" specialisation.
The advanced course of studies, which teaches the entire value chain - from raw cotton to the finished product - gives you a broad insight into the industry.
In the specialisation, in addition to the process to the textile surface or basic knowledge in construction and ready-made clothing, one learns above all the necessary steps to be observed in the supply chain.
The topic of sustainability is therefore not only often addressed in the studies, we as students also have the opportunity to participate in student initiatives, such as Fairquer.
In addition, the faculty also offers various practical opportunities to get involved with textiles and clothing, for example in the knitting shop, in the ready-made clothing laboratory or in the photo studio, to name just a few premises.
Thus, through the studies you get a broad expertise that allows you to work and participate in any area related to textiles and clothing.

After my apprenticeship as a tax clerk and a few years of work experience, I decided to change my career. It was important to me to complete studies at a public university. The Hochschule Niederrhein, with its versatile and interesting study options, has a very good reputation, especially in the textile and clothing industry, and was therefore the best choice for me. I am in my fourth semester studying Textile and Clothing Technology with a specialisation in Clothing Management. The Degree programme is very versatile and complex. Even during my basic studies, I was able to gain many interesting insights into areas of Textile and Clothing Technology, because you don't just learn topics relevant to your specialisation. You get a deep and diverse insight into Textile and Clothing Technology - from the fiber to the finished garment over the complete textile chain. In the process, the professors share both their knowledge and their experience with us. In addition, the university is very well equipped with machines and equipment, so you can really gain practical experience. What I like most about the Degree programme is that you don't have the feeling that you have to do just this one thing after your studies or that you don't know what to do with your studies. You are so broadly positioned that you definitely have many opportunities to position yourself professionally and develop further after your studies. Furthermore, I like the fact that after your basic studies you can customize your further course of studies with compulsory optional modules - which are also very versatile. This gives you a lot of interesting insights into exactly the subjects you are interested in or in which you would like to specialize in the future. Feel free to have a look at the curriculum and the module handbooks and/or come to the open day. You can also attend the lectures as a guest student. I was also at the open day at that time and was able to gain some great insights during a tour of the entire faculty.

After my apprenticeship as a commercial assistant, I was keen to pursue continuing training in the faculty of Textile and Clothing Management.
Through my Degree programme at the Hochschule Niederrhein, I quickly learned that textiles are much more than just fabrics and clothes. Textiles are used almost everywhere.
At the beginning of the studies there are many basic courses, later you can specialise and choose different specialisations.
Most of the programme content is rather technical, but foundation courses in Business Administration and Economics are also taught.
I was particularly impressed by the high practical relevance and the interdisciplinary project assignments, which prepared me perfectly for my professional life.
Through various advanced courses and a mandatory internship, I was able to further expand, deepen and apply my knowledge.
Due to this versatility, I can only recommend this Degree programme to everyone, because the textile industry is large and offers a variety of entry opportunities!

Passion to the profession
My whole life has been about clothes and fashion and so I have made my passion my profession. Growing up in Mönchengladbach, it was clear to me relatively early on that I would like to turn my passion for "CLOTHING" into a career later on. But I didn't really know how to get started in the fashion world. So during my school career I first did an internship at the trouser specialist ALBERTO and gained my first experiences there. After graduating from high school, I was undecided about which studies to start and the classic "business administration" came to mind. But I was not completely convinced by this idea. So I applied for a job at the vertical retail company Zara right after I graduated from high school to earn my first money. I quickly realized that, in addition to the product itself, I really liked dealing with people. It always pleased me when customers felt well dressed and satisfied. During my work, I got to know a colleague who was studying Clothing Management at The Hochschule Niederrhein. I wasn't familiar with this Degree programme at first, but it quickly aroused my interest. And so, a short time later, after the open day, I began my studies in the field of "textile and apparel management" in basic studies.
Absolutestroke of luck!
Looking back, I really have to emphasize that the studies in textile and apparel management were an absolute stroke of luck, if not destiny for me. The Hochschule Niederrhein and especially the faculty 07 are of great importance for my hometown Mönchen-gladbach. It helped me to turn my passion into a profession and prepared me for my professional life in a wide variety of areas. In particular, the combination of engineering fundamentals, business management lectures, and marketing components was an interesting and educational mix. The wide range of different compulsory courses was huge and so I also came into contact with the first e-commerce topics with Prof. Dr. Heinemann. At that time, they were still in their infancy, but today they are the ultimate.
Through close cooperation with a wide variety of textile and clothing companies, I came into contact with the shirt specialist VAN LAACK during my internship semester and gained further valuable experience there. Afterwards, I remained loyal to the company as a working student, which enabled me to lay another foundation stone for my later career.
In addition to the studies themselves, it was great to see so many people from all over the world starting studies in Mönchen-gladbach in order to later work in a wide variety of textile and apparel fields. I was able to get to know many students during my studies and still keep in close contact with some of them. In particular, I made it my business to show the students the beautiful sides of Mönchengladbach, which may have seemed somewhat hidden at first.
After my successful Bachelor's thesis with Prof. Dr.Heinemann, I moved to the fashion start-up COLOURS & SONS and helped build it up from the ground up. Today, 10 years later, I can proudly look back on a great and informative studies, which gave me a lot and helped me to make the company COLOURS & SONS what it is today.
Thank you HSNR!