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Mirjam Brassel has been new to this historic institution since August. Hardly anyone would suspect that this petite, charming and lively person is the director of the Modeco technical school for fashion and design in Zurich’s Seefeld, a school with a total of 520 learners and students.
Your professional training is just as diverse as fashion. From 1992 to 1996 Mirjam Brassel completed her sports studies at ETH Zurich. She also excelled as a sprinter and heptathlete. From 1998 to 2000 she studied law at the University of Zurich and from 2001 to 2004 at the University of St. Gallen.
Her professional experience includes: trademark attorney in a patent attorney’s office, general legal advice as an independent lawyer, then as a board member for a foundation that supports learners.
Physical education
Physical education and general subjects
As a sports teacher, she was asked whether she wanted to work as a teacher for “general education” lessons. So from one day to the next, Brassel started passing on general knowledge. “The nice thing about this task was that you can guide the students through life and show them the social aspects. “You bring them closer to art and culture by taking them to opera and theater performances or exhibitions,” she says enthusiastically. “The best combination was teaching them sports at the same time. “You meet on a completely different level,” she continues.
Ultimately, Brassel worked as a senior technical school person at the construction vocational school for 6½ years (2018 to 2024). «I was able to gain a lot of professional experience in this position. And then Corona came – a time that made me grow a lot,” she says. “During this unspeakable time, there was a lot of uncertainty among all teachers. And when I received too little support in my exposed position, I realized that I could no longer stay at this school,” she explains.
A good feeling
«Fortunately, I found out about the vacant position of director of Modeco and applied for it. I immediately felt that this was something for me,” says Brassel. And now she has overall responsibility for the school. She is responsible for organization, operations, finances and all personnel matters.
This newspaper wanted to know why she ultimately chose the fashion industry. «The textile industry in the city of Zurich was and is an integral part of our culture, and so I have the opportunity to further promote this for young people. I want to change consumer behavior in general. It cannot be the case that a piece of clothing is perceived as a consumer item. “We have to rethink this attitude, distance ourselves from ‘fast fashion’ and turn towards ‘slow fashion,’” said Brassel. In her opinion, however, the bottom has already been reached and a sustainable awareness is slowly emerging again. But unfortunately the consumer’s awareness is not enough – the producer has to be convinced of this. But she firmly believes in an overall movement in society that will change for the better.
Develop goals
«I have a lot of plans for and with our fashion school. However, I will only reveal the goals when they have been fully developed,” said Mirjam Brassel with a sparkle in her eyes. In the meantime, teaching and learning continue at Modeco. There are three different learning locations under one roof: the vocational school, which is attended once a week. The rest of the week is reserved for in-company training in the studios. There are also the five ÜK (inter-company courses), which are the responsibility of the IBBG Association of Vocational Training for Clothing Designers and take place during the school holidays over the three years of training.
Diverse training facility
The Swiss technical school for fashion and design, which has existed for 135 years, offers three-year training as a clothing designer with an EFZ (federal certificate of proficiency). It gives learners the skills to transform creative ideas into wearable fashion. No designers are trained. However, if the customer requests a special design, this will of course be created in-house. As an introduction, there is a fashion and design vocational training year, which is intended for anyone who wants to deal with the areas of fashion, design and drawing.
According to Mirjam Brassel, the supreme discipline of Modeco is further training as a theater tailor for already trained clothing designers. This training lasts one year and teaches you how to make costumes for theater, opera, film and television.
An important part of the theater tailor’s tasks is the costumes for the Sechseläuten. “The guilds’ historical robes often have to be changed, repaired or left out,” she said with a smile. “Or they have had their day and need to be replaced,” concludes Brassel.
This newspaper was allowed to take a look into one of the studios, Atelier 113, which is led by Anna Trossbach and Andrea Meier. This atelier tailors for men and women. Anna Trossbach is currently busy making a suit for a young regular customer. “He is 2 meters tall and very muscular, so he has no everyday mass. “We dress him tailor-made,” says Anna Trossbach. By the way, she predicted the trend color for 2024. “It’s ‘peach fuzz’,” she mentions, not without pride.
Environment changes
The environment in the textile industry is now changing rapidly, thanks in part to social media. This also affects Modeco as a training facility. “But quality and in-depth knowledge of technology and craftsmanship in clothing processing show gaps that Modeco can continue to fill in the future and will certainly continue to inspire young people in the world of clothing design,” concludes the school’s director.
Modeco, Kreuzstrasse 68, 8008 Zurich,
043 268 80 80, www.modeco.ch,
Email: contact@modeco.ch
As a professional website editor for world-today-news.com, I am excited to present an interview with two guests, Ms. Mirjam Brassel and Ms. Anna Trossbach, about their experiences at Modeco technical school for fashion and design in Zurich’s Seefeld. We will explore various aspects of the institution, including its history, training programs, sustainability initiatives, industry changes, and future goals.
Interview with Mirjam Brassel, Director of Modeco Technical School for Fashion and Design
Editor: Congratulations on your appointment as the Director of Modeco Technical School for Fashion and Design. Can you tell us about your background and what led you to this field?
Mirjam Brassel: Thank you very much! I studied sports at ETH Zurich and then law at the University of Zurich and University of St. Gallen. After that, I worked as a trademark attorney and a lawyer before transitioning to education. I served as a senior technical school person at the construction vocational school for six and a half years before coming to Modeco. The textile industry in Zurich has always been an integral part of our culture, and I saw this as an opportunity to promote it further for young people. I believe in changing consumer behavior towards ‘slow fashion’ and eventually creating a sustainable movement in society.
Editor: The school has a long history spanning 135 years. Can you share some of its proudest achievements and challenges?
Mirjam Brassel: Modeco has been quite successful in adapting to industry changes over time. We’ve been able to maintain our high standards and produce skilled professionals who excel in their field. However, the pandemic was quite challenging for us. Many things were uncertain, and we had to quickly master new technologies to continue teaching effectively. But we overcame these challenges and are now focused on improving our digital platforms to make learning even more accessible and engaging.
Editor: Sustainability is gaining traction in the fashion industry. How has Modeco responded to this trend, and what future plans do you have for promoting sustainable practices?
Mirjam Brassel: Sustainability is definitely one of our top priorities. We are working on developing new courses and work
