Abbie is a second year Contour Fashion student, and in January 2026 she travelled to Paris in France as a part of an academic-led trip that explored contour fashion and visited the Interfilière trade show. Abbie was a recipient of the DMU Global Access Fund (learn more about it here) which meant that she received an extra £200 on top of the DMU Global bursary. Below, she shared her thoughts about her time in Paris.
Before the trip, one of the main barriers regarding my participation in the trip was the financial cost of travelling to Paris. As a student living away from home, expenses throughout the trip along with normal daily living costs can make opportunities like this difficult to access. The DMU Global Access Fund helped me overcome this barrier by providing additional financial support which helped towards the cost of the trip.
The highlight of my experience was attending the Interfilière trade show. The show brought together international suppliers, designers, and brands from various areas of the industry, including lingerie, swimwear, activewear, and more. It was inspiring to be in an environment like this where I was able to see new fabrics, materials, innovations, technologies, and upcoming trends that are directly relevant to my studies. One challenge for me was being confident in such a large professional event, I found it difficult initially to speak with some of the stands at the event as I had never attended an event like this previously and it was intimidating due to the scale. As time went on, I became more confident approaching different brands and communicating in a professional manner.
This trip had a positive impact on my studies, it has given me a better understanding on how the contour industry operates globally and how materials and innovations influence design. By experiencing an event like this in person, it has given me an insight into how the future may look and has boosted my confidence for if I get the chance to attend an event like this again. The most interesting thing that I learnt on this trip was gaining an insight into current trends and how these are are communicated between brands and designers. This really inspired me creatively and will influence my future design projects and career in the industry.