The Modern Ethnic Design Center (MEDC) was founded in early February of 2017 by associate partners of the private and public sector, under the respective supervision of Sequa GmbH and financial support of DeveloPPP.de, which is the funding program of the German Federal Ministry of Sustainable development. The program was commenced by Bazaar Berlin in cooperation with suPPPort ltd., Raffles International College and Fashion Design Institute (FDI) as key project partners. The educational institutes are providing the project with location support and the expertise required to develop educational structures. The FDI is also providing a graduated designer to act as lecturer and head of the institute.

Through the establishment of the MEDC, a platform was created to support students to establish their brands within the European fashion industry, by combining ethnic Cambodian design elements and European design philosophies.

From November 2018 on, Mrs. Hilary Hoffmann will join the MEDC as new Head of the Center in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. As a graduate from Fashion Design Institut, her expertise is encompassed by her mastery of avantgardistic design, especially in the art of drapage and her ability to fuse elements of ready-to-wear clothing with abstract designs and patterns. Mrs. Hoffmann is looking forward to apprising the community of local designers, photographers, tailors, fabric producers and other creatives on the various aspects of sustainability and ethical fairness.

‘I want future students of the MEDC to be more aware of the negative social and environmental impacts and thus, consequences, that we are increasingly faced with in today’s fashion industry – this will encourage them to make a change in their community and improve living standards in Cambodia.’- Mrs. Hilary Hoffmann