04/06/2026
June 2, 2026 - As part of ongoing preparations for the doctoral research project “Reimagining Aso‑Ebi: Advancing Cultural Sustainability, Reducing Fashion Waste”, Olumide Olalekan, Managing Partner of Zucchini Fashion Center, with Toyin Gbomedo, Doctoral Researcher from the London College of Fashion, University of the Arts London, visited the Department of Industrial & Production Engineering, University of Ibadan.
The Head of Department, represented by Dr. A. D. Adeyeye, warmly received the team and highlighted the department’s strides in fashion and garment production. He referenced pioneering work on the Nigerian Garment Sizing System and the establishment of the i4.0 Worksystems and Ergonomics Lab—popularly known as the Garment Lab. He further noted the department’s partnership with Zucchini Fashion Center through a signed MOU, which enables the Center to manage the Lab and train students, bridging classroom theory with industry practice.
Toyin expressed appreciation for the reception and explained her research approach as Participatory Action Research (PAR), emphasizing that participants will serve as co‑designers. She looked forward to expanded collaboration between the University of Ibadan, Zucchini Fashion Center, and the London College of Fashion.
Olumide Olalekan thanked Dr. Adeyeye for the warm welcome and reaffirmed the longstanding relationship between the department and Zucchini Fashion Center in advancing fashion development through training, production, research, and community building. He emphasized the opportunities this collaboration with Toyin Gbomedo—and by extension the London College of Fashion—offers students, academia, and the wider fashion community.
The visit concluded with a tour of key facilities, including the Design Studio and Garment Lab, which will play a central role in supporting the research project. This engagement further solidified the partnership, laying the groundwork for impactful collaboration that bridges academia, industry, and community in advancing sustainable fashion practices.
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