department was nationally-known for its work in Contour Fashion (lingerie and corsets) and Knitwear Technology in the Fletcher Building. It was the only Contour Fashion degree in Europe, which started in 1947, after a request from the Corset Guild of England. Swimwear design started in 1965. The Qiana fabric of DuPont was designed from the mid-1970s, with the Lycra elastane fabric. Nearly all of the students in the School of Contour Design were female, with only one or two exceptions. It worked with the British Clothing Industry Association in the 1990s.
In the 1980s M&S had a university sponsorship scheme for 19 students taking Textiles courses at UMIST in Manchester, the University of Leeds and Leicester Polytechnic. In the 1980s, the department's fashion students were being often offered jobs before their course had finished, which was mostly the Contour Fashion students. The Polytechnic had the UK's largest faculty of art and design.
In cooperation with 22 companies and 4 universities, and the DTI, an automated knitwear research centre, known as CIMTEX (Computer Integrated Manufacture of Textiles), and factory, costing £7.6m, would be established from 1990. It opened in January 1992.
=== University status ===
Leicester Polytechnic became De Montfort University in accordance with the Further and Higher Education Act in 1992, establishing it as a degree-awarding body in its own right.
The name De Montfort University was chosen in allusion to Simon de Montfort, Earl of Leicester, a prominent figure in establishing the Parliament of England in the 13th century. Honouring Simon de Montfort has been controversial, as in 1231 he expelled the Jews from Leicester. By taking his name the university's commitment to community values has been questioned.
From 6 August 1993, 550 cinemas showed a 30-second advert, and a TV advert was broadcast on Channel 4 from Monday 9 August until mid-October in 1993. The television advert was designed for people aged 17 to 19, and was the first time that cinema, television and print had …
