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Industry Opinion
Reverse Mentorship in Garment Engineering (Part 3)
By Dr. Pat Trautman, Global Expert & Educator in the Pre-Production Apparel Process, Highlighting TV & Film Character Costuming, Product Development, and Technical Design.
After the overwhelming response to Part 1 of this Opinion, we knew the conversation couldn’t end there. Part 2 continued the dialogue on the critical need for mentorship, hands-on experience, and cross-generational collaboration in the garment engineering field.
“This isn’t about nostalgia. It’s about survival.”
If we let experience retire without passing it on, we lose more than knowledge. We lose leverage. We lose possibility.
But if we truly commit to cross-generational collaboration, we don’t just preserve the industry. We elevate it.
In an industry that is built on precision, legacy, and lineage, mentorship is sacred.
We pass knowledge down like heirlooms: how fabric behaves under pressure, how fit is sculpted by millimeters, and how seam placement affects movement.
And yet, what if the model we’ve always used — the experienced mentor guiding the younger apprentice — is only part of the story?
What if the future of garment engineering doesn’t just hinge on the next generation learning from the past but also on the past learning how to partner with the future?
Welcome to the underutilized power of reverse mentorship.
What Is Reverse Mentorship?Traditionally, mentorship is hierarchical: senior professionals share insights and best practices with those just entering the field.
In reverse mentorship, that dynamic is flipped — the younger generation becomes the teacher.
In industries such as technology or marketing, reverse mentorship often involves younger employees sharing digital skills with their older colleagues.
However, in garment engineering, the potential extends even further. Much deeper.
Reverse mentorship isn’t just about learning a new tool; it’s about embracing a new perspective. It’s about learning a new lens.
When Legacy and Innovation Collaborate — Not CollideImagine a veteran patternmaker with 40 years of hands-on experience — someone who can look at a fit issue and instinctively know the fix with no measurements needed.
Now pair them with a rising garment engineer who’s a whiz at 3D design, AI-assisted grading, and cloud-based production planning.
Alone, we each bring incredible value. Together? We’re a force of nature. We don’t need to replace one with the other. We need to connect them. Reverse mentorship is how we stop thinking in binaries — and start thinking in partnerships. Because we’re at a crossroads.• Companies are losing experienced professionals faster than they can document their knowledge.• New hires are entering the industry digitally fluent but missing critical tactile, spatial, and intuitive skills.• AI is scaling fast — but it’s only as good as the human input it receives.As one commenter put it in response to Part 1 of this series:“You can’t replicate 20+ years of experience with a two-week onboarding and a software license.” It’s not about choosing between digital or hands-on. It’s about merging them — in real time, in real relationships.
What the Community Is SayingThe comments on our last piece struck a nerve—and sparked something remarkable. These aren’t surface-level comments. They’re field notes from an industry under pressure. Here are just a few of the voices who chimed in:• “Let’s keep moving the sewing needle forward! Knowledge is power.” — Mark Da Silva, Senior Technical Designer, Nike• “I’ve offered companies the possibility of hiring a junior with my senior supervision during the first year of the contract. For the moment, there is no interest.” — Silvia López Balmaseda, Senior Pattern Maker• “There’s currently no clear pathway to pass on our skills to the next generation. As a result, more and more senior technical professionals like myself are leaving the industry — and much of that hard-earned knowledge is leaving with us.” — Arena Page, Founder & CEO• “Mentoring is very important. I hope companies can appreciate that if they want fast fashion turnaround, they need to invest in the transfer of knowledge.” — Christina Lemm-Adams, Retired Clothing Manufacturing Specialist
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- • “So true. This is the outcome: immediate financial gain is prioritized over long-term quality.” — Danielle Steman, Freelance Patternmaker
- • “We had quality organizations that fell through the cracks. Very sad.” — Elizabeth Vester, Co-Owner, Shamah Blocks Pty Ltd
- Reverse Mentorship Can Help Bridge the AI Gap
- AI doesn’t replace human expertise — it reflects it. And without the right inputs, it’s simply incomplete.
- Reverse mentorship can help ensure that the right lessons are embedded in every prompt, tool, and decision — blending lived experience with technical skill.
- But that only happens when we foster collaboration, not competition.
- And Let’s Be Clear — Not All Mentors Are on Payroll
- Mentorship doesn’t require a corporate title or a full-time job. Some of the most impactful mentors today are industry veterans who consult, teach, or simply want to give back. We need all experienced hands on deck — not just those still clocking in.
- Some of the most impactful mentors are consultants, freelancers, retirees, or semi-retired professionals — individuals with decades of knowledge who are now ready to give back in new ways.
- That includes people like Bruce Burns, a clothing consultant in South Africa with 50 years in the industry, who recently reached out to join this discussion. He’s one of many. And he’s not done contributing.
- The Benefits of Reverse Mentorship in Garment Engineering
- Here’s what companies stand to gain:
- • Faster onboarding: Younger workers help senior staff adapt to new platforms, while seasoned pros accelerate the newbies’ technical intuition.
- • Bridging the AI gap: AI doesn’t replace human experience — it amplifies it. Reverse mentorship can ensure that the proper lessons are embedded in every prompt, tool, and decision.
- • Cultural insight: Gen Z workers bring a different worldview — one that can help make products more inclusive, diverse, and resonant with emerging markets.
- • Retention and respect: When generations collaborate, there’s mutual recognition. Young professionals feel seen. Senior professionals feel valued.
- • Business continuity: Instead of losing legacy knowledge when someone retires, that knowledge evolves — shared, documented, and integrated into new systems.