Anglia Ruskin University (ARU) has announced a new collaboration with fashion technology platform Mercury Dasha to explore the role of artificial intelligence in fashion design and business education.
This industry-academia collaboration will bring together students from ARU’s BA (Hons) Fashion Design program and BA (Hons) Fashion Communication and Branding program, as well as undergraduate and MBA students from the Faculty of Business Administration and Faculty of Law. The initiative aims to explore how AI tools can support creative workflows in fashion, and how emerging business leaders can integrate and commercialize AI-driven technologies.
As part of the collaboration, Mercury Dasha is offering two pilot projects. The first is a rapid prototyping workshop, where students from the Faculty of Fashion collaborate in interdisciplinary teams to quickly develop and launch a three-piece mini-collection using digital and AI tools. In the second, MBA students will conduct a mock consulting exercise focused on evaluating the deployment of an AI-based fashion technology platform into a real-world business environment, including potential challenges related to adoption and implementation.
University representatives said the project aims to provide students with industry-relevant hands-on experience as well as foster interdisciplinary learning. Mercury Dasha said the collaboration will also provide insight into how future designers and business leaders will engage with AI technology.
This initiative reflects broader efforts in higher education to integrate emerging technologies into creative and commercial curricula and prepare students for evolving roles across the fashion and business sectors.
