ETH Zürich bij MAC Jeans: nieuwe perspectieven op de mode-industrie

Students from ETH Zurich visit MAC Jeans in Wald/Roßbach and gain insights into design, product development, and business processes.

ETH Zurich Visits MAC Jeans

New perspectives, different ways of thinking, and a shared view of the fashion industry: As part of a collaborative project, we welcomed students from the ETH Exploration Lab to our facility in Wald/Roßbach.

Following an initial kick-off meeting, the next phase of the collaboration was on the agenda. Before the students developed their own ideas, they first needed to familiarize themselves with the workflows and interconnections within a fashion company.

How does an initial idea evolve into a finished collection? What processes are involved in bringing it to life? And what new approaches can emerge when different disciplines come together?

From Initial Idea to Finished Collection

The session began with an insight into the creative work of our design department. Katerina Grigoriadis, Head of Design at DAYDREAM, and her team showed the students how a collection takes shape step by step.

From initial concepts and color palettes to fabrics, mood boards, and the entire design process, the guests gained an impression of how the individual development steps are interconnected in a multifaceted way.

The focus then shifted from design to practical implementation. Together with our Head of Purchasing, Patrick Zach, the students visited, among other places, the sample sewing workshop, the embroidery department, the lab, and our logistics department.

Another part of the program focused on our “Never Out of Stock” system. This covered the organizational and logistical processes that ensure continuous product availability.

New Approaches Through Different Perspectives

With these insights into our business areas, the students now have a common foundation for their future project work. In the next step, they will build on the impressions they’ve gathered to develop their own ideas.

Of particular interest to us is the interdisciplinary exchange. The students bring a more technically oriented perspective and view familiar processes from a different angle. For MAC, this is precisely where the significant added value of the collaboration lies.

It remains to be seen what concrete approaches will emerge from this. The initial focus is on the opportunity to reexamine existing processes, bring together different areas of expertise, and jointly develop new perspectives.

The visit to Wald/Roßbach laid an important foundation for this and marked the next step in our collaboration with the ETH Exploration Lab.