Toray x Fashion Business School Consultancy
- Written byHannah Middleton
- Published date 01 August 2024
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Toray Industries have been pushing the boundaries of material manufacture and innovation for over 90 years. The past 20 years have seen them expand further and further into western markets. They approached Fashion Business School with a question: Why does underwear undersell in European markets in comparison to South-East Asian markets?
Exploring the disparity between Southeast Asian and European consumer patterns
The project brief surrounded the broad topic of how undergarments are worn and purchased amongst potential European customers. Under the guidance course leader, Dr Young-Jin Hur and our academic team, 15 MSc Applied Psychology in Fashion students set to find the solution with thorough quantitative and qualitative research reports which analysed the European underwear markets, demonstrated popular opinion and summarised findings based on a variety of hypothesis. Each student had a different approach which of course led to different results.
An opportunity for industry collaboration on real-life problem
Our students presented their reports at the Toray HQ to team members: Yasuaki Nozawa, Takuya Suzuki, Fumitake Mori of Toray’s Global Operations department. It was an excellent opportunity for students to apply their theoretical learning onto a real-life problem and experience a live industry setting. From the student reports, Toray got a greater understanding of the European consumer’s preferences for under garments, allowing them to better target this market. Toray purchased the IP of 6 students to take into further development.
Taku Suzuki from Toray had this to say about the experience:
“I've met great people from London College of Fashion. We didn't think about it much, we took a chance and just loved it.”