In the summer semester of 2026, the course took place for the first time, welcoming a diverse group of Bachelor's and Master's students from Germany, Ukraine, and other countries. It began with a block course on "Designing Future Role Models / Management in Textile and Fashion."
Topics covered included:
- Role Models in The Past & YOU!
- Design rights and cultural appropriation … and their relevance for Fashion / Design Management
- Cross Design Engineering in VR and AR – with a special focus on designing textiles with VR glasses
This is an interdisciplinary course at Hochschule Niederrhein – University of Applied Sciences, offered jointly by Faculty 07 and Faculty 08. The instructors responsible for the summer semester 2026 were:
- Prof. Dr. Marina-Elena Wachs
- Prof. Dr. Sue Rossano-Rivero
- Dr. Lennart Hofeditz
The course began with students and guests from Ukraine and Australia. The following weeks focused on working with VR glasses and developing sustainable textile and fashion solutions using Meta Quest headsets. This was made possible through funding from the "Wilhelm-Lorch-Preis 2026" – we are grateful for this technical support during the digitalization phase in the Lower Rhine region and across Europe. The students' results will be presented and updated on this platform soon.
In addition, a forthcoming publication will present the various sustainable solutions and future-relevant competencies developed during the course – including "future skills" – in the book "Textile Codes #4," focusing on "Crafts & AI / VR in Future Fashion and Textile Design," to be released in the winter semester 2026/2027.
You can already find the ISBN 978-3-9815469-5-8 and the back cover text here. Join us on the journey toward a sustainable use of AI and digital tools in textile and clothing technology, as well as in fashion and design management.
Thank you.
On behalf of Faculty 07 – Textile and Clothing Technology
Prof. Dr. Dipl.-Des. Marina-Elena Wachs
