Abstract:

Fashion and textile engineering education currently faces the challenge of incorporating innovative methodologies that prepare students for a constantly evolving sector, both technologically and in terms of sustainability. In this context, the European project Fashion.ED has developed new pedagogical strategies that combine immersive experiences and participatory dynamics to enrich learning in fashion and textile design studies.

This article presents the actions carried out within the framework of Fashion.ED, highlighting two key initiatives: the creation of virtual reality (VR) experiments, designed to facilitate the understanding of textile processes, sustainability concepts, and eco-design; and the organization of an Eco-Design Challenge, held during an in-person training in the Netherlands, which employed group dynamics to foster creativity, critical thinking, sustainable entrepreneurship, and collaboration among students from different European countries.

These activities provide a more practical and innovative learning experience, enhance student engagement, and expose learners to contexts and tools that would otherwise be difficult to experience within traditional teaching, thus contributing to strengthening their technical, digital, and sustainability-related competencies.

Keywords:

Virtual laboratory, Textile engineering education, Sustainable fashion, Innovative teaching methodologies.