ACADEMIC PARTNERSHIP WITH IMD BUSINESS SCHOOL, LAUSANNE

Lausanne IMD Business School and ECAL have signed a partnership agreement and are currently working together on a series of joint initiatives. The two leading academic institutions based in the Canton of Vaud recently jointly delivered a three-day program on Foundations of Business at IMD for students undertaking ECAL’s MAS in Design for Luxury and Craftsmanship. The program focused on the major facets of branding and the creation of products and companies.

Partnership (2018)

Several other joint initiatives with IMD and ECAL are planned for the current and upcoming semesters. The current line-up of joint programs includes:

Foundations of Business

This three-day program is led by IMD Professors and is destined for students in ECAL’s MAS in Design for Luxury and Craftsmanship. Through practical exercises it focuses on familiarizing students with the creation of products and companies as well as the many facets of branding.

Coaching

IMD Professors provide personalized coaching advising ECAL students on business projects the students undertake as part of their diploma and with a view to kick-start their careers.

Etudiants du MAS in Design for Luxury & Craftsmanship à l'IMD, Lausanne

Etudiants du MAS in Design for Luxury & Craftsmanship à l'IMD, Lausanne. Photo: ECAL/Calypso Mahieu

Foundation of Business Photo: ECAL/Calypso Mahieu

1/3

Etudiants du MAS in Design for Luxury & Craftsmanship à l'IMD, Lausanne

Etudiants du MAS in Design for Luxury & Craftsmanship à l'IMD, Lausanne

Etudiants du MAS in Design for Luxury & Craftsmanship à l'IMD, Lausanne

Etudiants du MAS in Design for Luxury & Craftsmanship à l'IMD, Lausanne

1/4

Projets similaires

See more projects

Watches and Wonders Geneva 2025 ECAL x Ceramaret

MAS DESIGN FOR LUXURY & CRAFTSMANSHIP

Watches and Wonders Geneva 2025 ECAL x Ceramaret

At the invitation of Watches and Wonders Geneva, ECAL will present a brand-new project in partnership with Ceramaret, a leading Swiss company in the manufacture and high-precision machining of technical ceramics. To mark the occasion, a selection of five jewellery and bracelet designs will be on display at the LAB, a venue dedicated to innovation and design. Thanks to this first collaboration with the Neuchâtel-based manufacturer, students in MAS Design for Luxury and Craftsmanship got to discover a state-of-the-art machine park. Renowned for developing and producing components for the luxury watchmaking industry, Ceramaret’s teams contributed their expertise to this ambitious research. Combining innovation with creativity, the project brings together the know-how of specialised engineers in materials science and the boundless inventiveness of an up-and-coming generation of designers. Following the presentation of the students’ 15 concepts, five designs were selected and prototyped in technical ceramics, using additive technologies – a 3D printing process that provides the possibility to create intricate, previously unimaginable shapes. This collection, including bracelets inspired by fine watchmaking and innovative jewellery designs, draws its inspiration as much from the beauty of organic forms as from the complexity of systems derived from engineering.

Esther Alcade – Arrel

MAS DESIGN FOR LUXURY & CRAFTSMANSHIP

Esther Alcade – Arrel

by Esther Alcade

Every year, 300 million shoes are discarded, with manufacturing producing 313 million tons of CO2 due to petroleum-derived materials. The Arrel project aims to extend the life of sports shoes by repurposing soles after 1000 km of use. Based in Mallorca, known for its basket weaving and shoemaking traditions, Arrel preserves artisanal knowledge and uses natural materials like palm fibers and esparto grass, also Arrel's new soles use biomaterials to reduce environmental impact. The project preserves Mallorca's cultural heritage by creating more durable shoes and reducing the ecological footprint.

Min Jun Choi – Inlight

MAS DESIGN FOR LUXURY & CRAFTSMANSHIP

Min Jun Choi – Inlight

by Min Jun Choi

Often seen as waste, intestines are an underseen material that holds the potential of a delicate light diffuser. Pig intestines are initially gelatinous and flexible but once layered and dried, they achieve a leather-like hardness and texture. The material can be freely shaped depending on where it's dried. Utilizing these properties, I wrapped pig intestines around a structure and let them dry. After removing the mold, I connected the hardened pig intestines to create modular lighting designs. This modular design offers the advantage of extending in length by increasing the number of modules, adapting to the size of the space in which it is used.

Helena Choi – Flat to surface

MAS DESIGN FOR LUXURY & CRAFTSMANSHIP

Helena Choi – Flat to surface

by Helena Choi

The Flat to Surface collection features a lamp, stool, and tray crafted from a single pattern using origami techniques. These items are designed to form their own structures through folding, requiring only simple stitches or knots to maintain their shapes. Depending on the product, various types of leather are used, chosen for their transparency and flexibility.

Sacha Dufour – Conversation artificielle

MAS DESIGN FOR LUXURY & CRAFTSMANSHIP

Sacha Dufour – Conversation artificielle

by Sacha Dufour

Artificial Conversation is a fluid language - an exploration of liquid forms as they interact with the body. This work merges human and technology to propose a new process for creating jewelry. Using photography combined with artificial intelligence, I compose images destined to become jewelry. Experimenting with different techniques, crossing, and superimposing them until an idea is reached. I search for the form that embodies the liquid, sculpting artificial images in the same way I compose photographs. It's a game between a body, a liquid and an intelligence that needs to be guided.

Related courses

See all courses

MAS DESIGN FOR LUXURY & CRAFTSMANSHIP