Fashion Students Tour Canada Goose
The best form of education is experience. As such, the Longo Faculty of Business attaches great importance to field trips in order for students to experience the industry before diving in. On March 5th, Fashion Management students visited the Canada Goose manufacturing unit. Canada Goose has grown into one of the world's leading makers of luxury apparel with international recognition. Founded in a small warehouse in Toronto almost sixty years ago, the company has come a long way and was the perfect place for a field trip, breathing life into concepts taught in the Supply Chain Management course. Under the guidance of Professor Trevor Smith and Program Coordinator, Rossie Kadyiska, the students toured one of Canada’s largest manufacturing units. With six operation lines, two filling units and 40 line workers, the unit produces 600 jackets per day. The factory was neatly divided into multiple sections where production takes place in order and with great efficiency.
The warm welcome at the entrance was followed by a detailed and informative tour conducted by the Canada Goose Continuous Improvement Specialist, Aziz Alashqar. Aziz led everyone over to each unit, explaining their functions while students discussed their views and questions regarding the supply chain.
The Fashion Management students are trained to acquire a thorough knowledge of product development and supply chain management in the industry. Courses incorporate the concepts of design, research, development, and sourcing and how it relates to the production process as well as frameworks of sustainability. The aim of the field trip was to pose a good example of how these concepts link in the practical world. Aziz explained the sourcing and production practices at Canada Goose and took the students through every step of the process, from sampling to finishing, including quality assurance. The students learned how each piece is assembled in bundles of 50, the process of the down being quilted into the lining, how the shells are constructed and the assembly of closures and other functional elements as well as the finishing process.
Students also had the chance to interact with Canada Goose employees, many of whom have been with the company for over 30 years due to the positive work environment - a good example of social sustainability.
"The Fashion Management program encourages students to look at products from the eyes of the brands instead of the consumer. In order to achieve this, it’s important to understand what goes on behind creating products and services in the fashion industry. As we maneuver through the second half of the semester, we want our students to be practically acquainted with the various facets of the course and excel in the internships they would be taking up in the semester, " said Rossie Kadyiska, Fashion Management Program Coordinator.
The field trip was a great learning experience, seeing various elements of the supply chain come together in a systematic manner and function in tandem with one another.
