One-year Course in Fashion Marketing and Communication in Italy

  Italy

• Florence: 
Florence

Term: Academic Year, Throughout the year, Trimester 
Dates: January - December 2009

Description: The One Year Fashion Marketing and Communication course aims at giving a comprehensive and consistent training, to enter with success into the fashion world. First of all, the objective of this course is to give a strong cultural background in the fashion field (from the history of fashion, to the reality of the fashion system today). The specificities of fashion will also be developed: the fashion pipeline, the technical aspects of the product, the study of fashion as a social phenomena.

All the concrete aspects of marketing in the fashion industry will be developed in-depth (marketing plan, importance of the brand, web marketing, store management and visual merchandising), as well as key aspects of communication, advertising and PR. Intensive workshops and projects development will give the opportunity to work directly and concretely, developing one's ability to build a consistent marketing plan or to create a strong communication activity, developing one's personal skills: creativity, ability to work in team in an international environment, organization and presentation skills.

This one year also offers a unique opportunity to dive into the Italian world of fashion, connecting with professionals, visiting brand's flagship stores, and attending fashion shows, in a school totally dedicated to the fashion culture and system.

Our Assets:

- Classes will be held directly in English
- Full time tutoring with limited number of participants
- About 700 class hours
- Italian language course to fit into the Italian background
- Advice and information about the existing activities and trips to the major cultural assets and places in Italy
- Advice and information about accommodation alternatives
- Access to qualified laboratories: modeling, computer lab., tailoring, textile, knitwear, lightinglab.
- Access to Internet and to the Library.

Our Students:
Students must have at least a high school diploma. Good knowledge and comprehension capacity of the English language is required.

Last But Not Least, Why Italy?

Italy is well known as the cradle and very heart of world fashion design, interior design and industrial design.

Highlights: * Culture

Contemporary fashion - The analysis and study of last ten years and contemporary fashion system through the reading of seasonal collections.

Workshop Contemporary Fashion - An intensive experience of in-depth analysis of contemporary fashion, through field research and reading of current collections.

Italian Language - A basic Italian course during the year to enable students to communicate and understand the Italian way of life.

Milan Ground Research - Research through Milan's markets, libraries, flagship stores to gather information and inspirations to be used individually within our projects.

* Fashion System

Fashion System - General introduction to the fashion market, by analyzing the pipeline, the professional figures, the competitive system, the fairs.

Fashion Product - Introduction to the fashion production process, starting from the collection project all the way to the merchandising plan.

Sociology and Trends - Analysis of social phenomena and purchase-related behaviors, with particular attention to lifestyle issues. Analysis of trends in the fashion market. The role and figure of cool hunters.

Technology of Materials - Analysis and study of the natural, artificial and man-made fibers and yarns: general features, classifications, typologies and production methods.

* Marketing and Retail

Fashion Marketing - From the definition to the launch of the product, the different steps of the marketing planning, focusing in particular on the specific features of the fashion product.

The brand's value : how to position, communicate and strengthen the corporate brand, and create a distinctive brand identity.

Project 1:
Marketing study - Plan and realize a concrete market analysis for a specific segment of product.

Store Management - Management of a sale's point: managing the sales, the clients' relations, team management, merchandising and the organization of events and promotions.

Project 2:
New retail concept - Realize a creative and concrete plan for creating a new concept of fashion store.

Visual merchandising - How to enhance the specificity of the brand's visual identity on the point of sale.

Rational organization of the sales area and optimization of product display.

* Communication & PR

Communication, Advertising & PR - Communication techniques and strategies. Coherence in the positioning of the product, the target group, the message, the media planning and the store concept.

Definition of communication goals, investments, creative strategy and media planning.

Role of the press office, the media relations, the organization of events & fashion shows.

Project 3:
Communication Plan - Present a creative communication plan for a specific brand or project.

Fashion Publishing - The journalistic language of fashion.

Articles, abstracts and headlines in the fashion sector.

Analysis of Italian and international fashion magazines, defining their profile, functions and logics.

Web Marketing - Analysis of the internet market. Use of internet as a communication tool, formats & planning of web advertising. Forums & blogs.

* Skills Development

Teamwork Techniques - Develop one's own communication abilities with interpersonal communication and teamwork techniques (role playing).

Computer Skills - Windows OS application softwares and of Microsoft Office suite (Word, Excel, Power Point).

Graphic Design - How to use the layout software (Xpress, InDesign) and an image processing software (Photoshop), in order to create PR releases, flyers, etc.

Tutoring - Continuous coordinated lessons with a tutor to control and develop on-going work projects.

Cost in US$: 15,000

Living cost and accomodation is about 1,000-1,500 USD per month.

Experience Required: no

This Program is open to American, Australian, Canadian, European, Kiwi, South African and World Wide Participants.

Participants Travel to Italy Independently

Typically Participants Work Independently

Application Process Involves:

• Transcript
• Written Application

Typically The Application Process Time Is 2 weeks

Post Services Include:

• Job and Internship Network

Morini & Rossi SAS's Mission Statement: Established on 2001, our firm offers academic programs taught in English by the highest ranking Italian and international universities and institutes of technology. Our audience is international students, corporations and professionals . With main offices in Tuscany, Morini & Rossi handles admission procedure, courses registration, search for accommodation, advisory services on visa procedure and travel arrangements. We often offer discounted rates. Our main partners are the Polytechnic University of Milan and Rome University II, Italian leading Higher Education institutes. Through us you can apply for admission into semester, Summer, Bachelor Degree, Diploma and Master Degree programs . Last but not least, you can apply for internships. We also offer FC Inter Milano, AC Milan and Arsenal FC team and Summer camps.

Year Founded: 2001