Arts University Bournemouth takes AI and VR fashion tech to Olympia London this week

Arts University Bournemouth arrives at Fashion SVP 2026 in London with AI pattern tools, VR design workflows, and a new commercial agency model that puts student talent directly inside brand briefs.

AUB staff demonstrate the Holobox hologram display at the AUB Innovation Hub at Fashion SVP 2026, Olympia London. The Hologram Box, supplied in collaboration with Vertex Global VM, displays ThruDark's 3D digital garment designs alongside physical versions on mannequins. Photo credit: Harry Davenport

Arts University Bournemouth is making a case this week that UK higher education can function as a live commercial partner for the fashion industry, not just a talent feeder.

The university's Innovation Hub at Fashion SVP 2026, running April 28 and 29 at Olympia London, brings together a group of AUB graduates now working with brands including Nike, Adidas, Burberry, and ThruDark, alongside researchers developing AI pattern engineering tools, Digital Product Passport systems, and VR-led design workflows already in commercial use.

The timing is deliberate. Fashion SVP is also the soft launch venue for the AUB Agency, a new model that gives industry direct access to student talent through live project briefs, sponsored work, and consultancy, ahead of a full public debut in Summer 2026.

Penelope Norman, Programme Leader at AUB's School of Fashion and Creative Industries Management, says: "Fashion SVP is such an important meeting point for industry, education and innovation. It's a great platform for us to share how Arts University Bournemouth and the AUB Innovation Studio are developing new ways of working and supporting emerging talent."

From Burberry to body scanning: the alumni cohort

The hub's lineup reads less like a university showcase and more like a startup demo day. Kyra Gibson, who held roles at Burberry before moving to lead 3D implementation at performance brand ThruDark, is presenting work from a Knowledge Transfer Partnership with Innovate UK and ThruDark covering high-performance apparel R&D, body scanning, and custom-fit avatar systems. Holly New, identified by the BBC as the world's first VR fashion designer and founder of STUDIOOFNEW, is demonstrating immersive prototyping workflows spanning VR, CAD, and physical garment development.

Jason Jiang, co-founder of TechThread.ai, is showing AI tools that convert physical garment patterns into automated digital workflows, targeting the gap between traditional construction methods and modern production systems. Ekaterina Savosina, whose client list includes Nike, Adidas, New Balance, HOKA, LUSH, and Sunseeker Yachts, is presenting VR and AI design training aimed at practitioners looking to accelerate ideation and cross-team collaboration.

Also present are Ross Alexander of Green Threads DPP Ltd, covering Digital Product Passports and supply chain traceability under international legislation, and Jo Ingham and Jo Ward of Our Fashion Fix, whose Margin Impact Calculator embeds commercial pricing and margin data directly into product development and sourcing decisions.

A hologram box and a knowledge transfer deal

The physical centrepiece of the hub is a Hologram Box supplied by Vertex Global VM, displaying ThruDark's 3D digital garment designs alongside physical versions on mannequins, letting visitors test the gap between virtual prototype and finished product in real time. The display is backed by the live KTP between AUB, Innovate UK, and ThruDark, one of the few active Knowledge Transfer Partnerships in the UK linking a university directly to a high-performance apparel brand through applied AI and 3D research.

The AUB Business Incubator will also be present across both days, with early-stage AUB founders pitching to industry attendees throughout the event. The AUB Agency soft launch at Fashion SVP is the first public test of whether a UK arts university can position itself as a commercial AI and digital design partner rather than simply a graduate supplier, with the Summer 2026 full launch the next marker to watch.