Founded in September 2005, the Shanghai Institute of Visual Art (SIVA) of Fudan University is a fine arts and design school in China.
With a 3000-strong student population, SIVA’s campus is located in the center of Song Jiang University town in Shanghai, the fashion capital of Asia.
There are currently six schools under SIVA, which includes the School of Fashion Design. Lectra’s design and product development solutions, Kaledo and Modaris, have been an integral part of the school’s curriculum since its founding.
“Prior to choosing Lectra as our technology partner, we looked at all of the CAD solutions out there and discovered that Lectra is an internationally renowned company with a huge share in the Chinese market. We felt that incorporating their solutions into our curriculum would make our students more competitive in the job marketplace”
Vice dean of SIVA’s School of Fashion Design
The solutions also enable the students to explore their creative potential while adapting to the ever-quickening pace of growth in the Chinese fashion industry.
“Our students need design and production skills. Lectra solutions help them express their creativity quickly and efficiently,” says Zhang Jie, a lecturer at SIVA.
The school dean, Li Keling, deems the Lectra-SIVA alliance a fruitful one. “Throughout our collaboration with the company, Lectra has undoubtedly proved to be an exceptional partner. The company has been playing a supportive role in the growth of fashion education in China for years, and has provided all-round assistance in the form of technology, equipment and training,” she says.
Lectra’s role in the students’ education is much more pivotal than that of a mere technology provider. In April 2016, the company, together with one of its customers, Les Enphants, a Shanghai-based childrenswear group, held a design competition for SIVA students.
Lectra and Les Enphants awarded students who came up with the best and the most creative childrenswear designs using Lectra’s design solution, Kaledo. Les Enphants subsequently featured the winning designs in their 2016 autumn/winter show, with the aim of promoting SIVA and giving exposure to its young and new talents. “I was thrilled when I heard the news. This competition gave me the opportunity to transform my designs into reality, which is, to me, a great honor. I am very grateful and excited,” says Liu Jixian, a winner of the competition.