Gateway Seminar: Fashion (2235.YR.004293.1)

General information

Type:	OPT	Curs:	1	Period:	S semester
ECTS Credits:	1 ECTS

Teaching Staff:

Group	Teacher	Department	Language
Year 1	Cristina Lastra Ravn	Dirección General y Estrategia	ENG

A strong desire and keen interest in exploring the Fashion Industry as a potential professional option is a must. Previous experience and/or contact with a related business or activity is interesting and will of course enrich the Course when shared with your colleagues.

Sessions: 12h. total over 4 days

Additional work & case studies: 10-15h.

The Fashion market has proven resilient and adaptable as global change continues to affect most industries, in many cases directly disrupting established business models. The consolidation of megatrends such as Sustainability, Genderless and Equality affect Fashion brands at every stage of the industry, calling for strong vision and innovative approaches in brand management, creativity, design, production and distribution, making it an excellent space to examine change in action.

We touch on various themes and key issues including: the challenge of managing creativity as a business and its effect on the creative nature of the outcome, the social significance of Fashion, the disappearance of seasonal collections and cycles based on easily foreseeable trends, retail and e-commerce from luxury to the high-street, the emergence of small niche brands leveraging the power and speed of technology, the role of new and powerful consumers, the increasing focus on sustainability and social responsibility, the value of direct contact between brands and consumers via social media and the irruption and evolution of influence marketing.

Like all marketing disciplines today, it is an exciting and challenging scenario that demands specific knowledge and skills, creative thinking, agile mindset, continuous learning, resilience, digital competencies, value management and brand building.

The Fashion Seminar aims to provide students with an introduction and general overview of the Fashion Industry articulated on four levels: Universe, System, Future and Professionals.

Specifically, it focuses on providing insights into the following areas:

Fashion Universe: the foundations of the fashion industry and its distinguishing features as an artistic and cultural signifier, personal statement, design discipline and business activity,

Fashion System: the elements that configure the fashion ecosystem and how they interact with each other within specific parameters to configure a unique process as a creative industry (structure, suppliers, channels, product, brand, marketing, communication, consumers, stakeholders, technology, design).

Fashion Future: challenges faced by the Fashion Industry with a specific focus on Brands & Communication including the new consumer, the fast-fashion model, sustainability, social media and influence.

Fashion Professionals: what does it take to work in Fashion? The skills, mindsets, roles, abilities, career paths available and access to them.

Especially chosen Case Studies, industry insiders and plenty of examples are used to illustrate and drive discussion, while a specially designed Flash Fashion Project is an ideal exercise for stretching creative muscles in the context of Fashion.

- obtain a basic understanding of the fashion industry: ecosystem, processes, relationships, value
- understand the main drivers and the role of digital innovation in changing the fashion system and creating different values
- identify the skills required and explore available career paths in the sector
- the experience of different actors and participants in the ecosystem
- becoming a visible and attractive Fashion Industry job candidate

1. Universe foundations of the fashion industry and its distinguishing features as a cultural reality, personal signifier, art form and business activity. creative industries, fashion brand management and equity; creative, artistic and design fundamentals. Case study: Burberry

2. System elements that configure the fashion ecosystem and how they interact with each other within specific parameters to configure a unique process as a creative industry: structure, suppliers, channels, product, brand, marketing, communication, consumers, stakeholders, technology, designers Case study: Gucci

3. Future Challenges faced by the Fashion Industry with a specific focus on Brands & Communication including: the fast-fashion model, sustainability, social media and influence Case study: Glossier & Ganni

4. Professionals skills, mindsets, roles, abilities, career paths available and access to them from the perspective of an MSc in Marketing Industry insiders - Digital Communication & Social Media

The aim of the Seminar is an introduction and overview of key areas of the Fashion Industry through lectures, a group project, guest speakers and class participation. The Seminar will be held over 4 days with 3h Capsule Sessions each day.

The structure of the course (which will be provided in full in the final syllabus) is based on a combination of theory and practice, with students expected to be proactive and engaged in their approach. The material and exercises included aim to foster the identification and acquisition of related skillsets and apply learnings in an atmosphere of open contribution and creativity.
Sessions will be active, creative and innovative in their design and speakers on specific areas will share their insights and experience with students.

Some preparation will be requested prior to sessions.

ASSESSMENT BREAKDOWN

We recommend some background reading and preparation before attending the course to make the most of the experience and get you familiar with the subject. Also please become familiar with industry publications, brands and news.

Here's a random collection to inspire, become familiar with and enjoy the Fashion Industry from multiple perspectives including Marketing, Communication, Culture & Design.

Marketing Fashion - Harriet Posner, Laurence King Publishing, second edition 2015

Marketing Fashion is a practical guide to the fundamental principles of marketing and branding, from catwalk to price calculation, developing brand identity to creating a customer profile. The book explains key theoretical concepts, and illustrates how they are applied within the global fashion and retail industry, from the heights of haute couture to the multiples of the mass market.


The fashion handbook (media practice) - David Shaw, Tim Jackson, Routledge, 2006

The Fashion Handbook uses case studies, interviews and profiles and includes chapters written by recognised academics and fashion industry experts. Specialist topics include fashion culture, luxury brands, fashion journalism, fashion buying, design and manufacturing, retailing, PR and styling. "The Fashion Handbook" includes: a unique and wide overview of the fashion industry; chapters on specialist topics; contributions from recognised experts in both academia and the fashion industry; expert advice on careers in fashion retailing. It is a must for all students of the fashion world.

100 Contemporary Fashion Designers - Edited by Terry Jones, founder & creative director of i-D, Taschen

A compendium of the 1st two volumes of Fashion Now! by TASCHEN . An exhaustive study of fashion design worldwide, it's considered an indispensable reference book for anyone interested in the future of fashion.


Lovemarks: The Future Beyond Brands - Kevin Roberts, CEO Worldwide Saatchi & Saatchi, Powerhouse Books

Relevant and timeless in its exploration of the intimate relationship between emotions and brands, the Lovemark concept finds a natural and powerful context in Fashion. A prescient text, written before the Social Media revolution and the disruption of the fashion industry, it remains seamlessly of the moment at http://www.lovemarks.com/

Icons

Grace: A Memoir - Grace Coddington, Random House 2012

Known through much of her career only to those behind the scenes, she might have remained fashion's best-kept secret were it not for The September Issue, the acclaimed 2009 documentary that turned publicity-averse Grace into a sudden, reluctant celebrity. Grace's palpable engagement with her work brought a rare insight into the passion that produces many of the magazine's most memorable shoots. The book weaves together her personal story with the professional career that has made her a powerful and respected creative force in the world of fashion.


Carine Roitfeld: Irreverent - Carine Roitfeld, Rizzoli 2011

A visual history of Roitfeld's fearless career. A daring instigator, she is known for pushing the limits with her subversive styling ideas. Featuring a selection of 250 magazine tear sheets and covers from pivotal editorial shoots and advertising campaigns, as well as intimate visual ephemera, this book gives an inside view into Roitfeld's creative thought process and sensibility and is a must-have for those interested in cutting-edge fashion and femininity.

Documentaries

The September Issue https://youtu.be/5NsAH5xtLt4

The First Monday of May https://youtu.be/7KFhhgTvz0o

Franca: Chaos and Creation https://youtu.be/sD6PL97sCoo

Loic Prigent: Filming Fashion https://www.youtube.com/c/LoicPrigent

Online References (check Instagram accounts too)

http://www.businessoffashion.com

https://www.voguebusiness.com/

https://www.vogue.co.uk/

https://www.harpersbazaar.com/

https://www.net-a-porter.com/en-us/porter

https://www.lyst.com

Group	Teacher	Department
Year 1	Cristina Lastra Ravn	Dirección General y Estrategia