Background

The Advanced Fashion Design program is one of 11 programs initiated by Shanghai Institute of Visual Art and Mr George Lee Chairman of the DeTao group www.detaoma.com

We believe that the collaboration is unique in Chinese (and world) creative higher education. Mr Lee invited 10 international Masters in their fields to open Advanced Undergraduate Programs in between 2013 and 2015. Each Master has designed their own unique curriculum and nurtured their students according to their own extensive experience with the common theme of‘learning by doing’.

Jane and Patrick Gottelier have over 27 year's experience designing for and running their own Fashion House from London selling to the best boutiques and department stores internationally with one brand currently manufactured and distributed under licence in Japan.

In 2004 Jane and Patrick researched, wrote, established and ran the B.A. (Hons) Fashion & B.A. (Hons) Performance Sportswear Undergraduate Programs for Falmouth University in the UK. They later added Fashion film & Photography and Fashion Marketing, establishing Falmouth Fashion firmly as a leading UK Undergraduate Fashion program.

In 2014, the Gotteliers were delighted to accept an invitation from the DeTao Masters Academy to establish the Advanced Fashion Design Program in Shanghai.

Months of planning went into creating a unique program which drew on the Gotteliers own industrial and academic experience as well as on the experience of their extensive network of world leading Fashion institutions.

The program is unique and a ‘first’ in many respects.

· First in China to have been written specifically to take full advantage of being located in the heart of the world fashion manufacturing nation.

· First in China to written and delivered by ‘Masters’ with a unique combination of successful Industrial and educational track records.

Willie Walters has had an illustrious career in fashion which spans her early career as designer/owner of the London based fashion label Swanky Modes made famous during the 70s and 80s London Club scene boom. In 1998 she was appointed Director of Fashion and was the creative force behind the legendary fashion courses at Central St Martins, University of the Arts London. Willie was responsible for a total of seven B.A. Fashion Pathways. Womenswear, Menswear. Fashion Print. Fashion Design with Marketing, Fashion Knit, Fashion Communication and Fashion History & Theory.

C.S.M. has been voted the Number One Fashion School in the World for 2017, and has been responsible for producing World Class Fashion Alumni such as Alexander McQueen, Angel Chen, Antonio Berardi, Blaak, John Galliano. Christopher Kane, Gareth Pugh, Hussien Chalayan, Huishan Zhang, Mary Katranzou, Marios Schwab, Masha Ma, Peter Jensen, Pheobe Philo – Celine. Ricardo Tisci-Givenchy, Richard Nicoll, Shao-Yen Chen, Stella McCartny, Zac Polsen, to name a few.

In 2017 Willie Walters received an M.B.E. from the Queen in recognition of her services to Fashion Education in the U.K.

We are proud and happy to have her as visiting professor at the Studio Gottelier.