During the week, commencing 3rd August 2026, Fashion-Enter Ltd’s (FEL) Haringey factory welcomed two very different groups of students, each bringing curiosity, energy and a desire to understand how fashion works beyond the classroom. Led by FEL Director Caroline Ash, the visits gave students the opportunity to step inside a working fashion manufacturing environment, meet the people behind the processes and explore everything from commercial strategy and supply chains to digital design, innovation and sustainability.
The week began with a new client, Elite Journey, who brought a Chinese summer school group to Fashion-Enter Ltd. The students, aged between 13 and 16, were described by Caroline as “absolutely charming” and arrived with a clear enthusiasm to discover how a fashion factory operates. With language differences to consider, Caroline adapted the seminar to make it more visual, accessible and straightforward. “Because of the language differences, I tailored the seminar to be more visual and straightforward, and it went really well.”
The approach clearly paid off. Despite the language barrier, the students were fascinated by what they saw on the factory floor and asked plenty of questions throughout the visit. For Caroline, their enthusiasm was one of the highlights of the week. “They were an absolute pleasure to teach — such an engaged and curious group.” The visit demonstrated the importance of taking learning outside the traditional classroom. Being able to see machinery, processes and people at work gave the students a tangible connection to the fashion industry and helped bring the subject to life.
Later in the week, FEL was delighted to welcome the University of Wisconsin-Madison for their first visit. This time, the group consisted of students with a strong business focus, and the discussions quickly moved beyond the fundamentals of fashion manufacturing. Caroline described the group as highly engaged, with students asking far-reaching questions covering commercial strategy, supply chains, innovation and sustainability in textiles.
Their visit offered an opportunity to explore how the different elements of the fashion industry connect from the commercial decisions made at the start of a product journey through to the technologies and manufacturing processes that bring ideas to life. A particular highlight was seeing the Maeknit centre in action, giving students the chance to experience advanced textile technology first-hand. The group also received a demonstration of Style3D, showcasing how digital design and virtual sampling are increasingly transforming product development.
Caroline said the students were “genuinely fascinated” by the technology and, importantly, could see how it connected with what they are studying. It was a valuable example of why direct exposure to industry can be so powerful. Rather than simply learning about digital transformation, sustainability or supply-chain management theoretically, the students could see these concepts operating within a real fashion business.
For the younger Elite Journey students, the experience provided an engaging and accessible introduction to fashion manufacturing. For the University of Wisconsin-Madison business students, it opened up deeper conversations around the future of the industry and the technologies reshaping it. Commenting on the University of Wisconsin-Madison visit Caroline said: “It was a brilliant first visit and we’d love to welcome them back.”
Feedback from University of Wisconsin-Madison group included:
“I learnt how much impact good sustainability efforts could have on the world and the clothing industry. So informational and I love that you answered all of our questions.”
“10 out of 10. I learnt so much about fashion, manufacturing, production and more. Speaker was so engaging and great!”
“I learnt about the process of sustainable fashion and how AI is used as a tool to advance the process. Thank you! Great job!”
“I learnt how AI is effecting the fashion industry! Loved it!!”