We’re in December 2014, and the mutli-brand luxury group Kering announces the departure of Patrizio di Marco and Frida Giannini, respectively Gucci’s CEO and artistic director. This wave of departures from Gucci comes as no surprise, and marks the beginning of a fresh start for the Florentine brand. Set up in 1921 by Guccio Gucci and acquired in 1999 by the ancestor of Kering, PPR, the double G brand was, at the time, going through a rough patch. 2013 has proved to be a downturn in the brand’s sales, a situation that worsened in 2014, with lower sales volume of 1.8% at 3,49 billion euros. Considering that Gucci is the…
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Decades of Fashion: the 60s
“Hey mama hey mama – Look around -Everybody’s groovin’ to a brand new sound” Welcome to the 60s, Hairspray At the beginning of the Sixties, the world felt that something was changing. A rush of optimism was spreading around cities and, with the election of the new president of US, John F. Kennedy, in 1961, people believed that a new golden age had to start. The key actors of those years where those who were born after the World War II, also called the baby boomers. Having reached the teen age, the joyful, lighthearted youth embraced the pleasures of life without the knowledge of the dreads of past wars. They…
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Good American, Clashing Ideals?
It’s here! Yesterday Khloé Kardashian launched her new line of jeans “Good American” and the whole Internet is buzzing about it. Apart from the visually appealing styles, the line is being praised for it’s inclusive image. With sizes ranging from 0-24, made with stretchy fabric to showcase natural curves, the brand claims that its mission is to have a positive impact on the community. “Pledging to sustain the manufacturing of jeans in the United States and supporting charities that empower girls to realize their true potential,” reads the website. Co-founder, Emma Grede stated, “We believe everybody deserves to be shown off. Fashion should be made to fit women, not the…
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Brunello Cucinelli – “Beauty Will Save the World”
“Balance sheets are not saved through lives.” It is with this quote by Adriano Olivetti that the conference held on October 18th, organised by Gianfranco De Nigris, Roberto Montaruli, Bocconi Students for Fashion and B.lab Bocconi, and hosting Brunello Cucinelli, led off. The main focus of the event was sustainability and, as Francesco Perrini – full Professor of Management at Bocconi University and Senior Professor of Corporate Finance & Real Estate at SDA Bocconi – said, on Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), or better in this case, to a return to the concept of Community. Introducing Brunello Cucinelli, Professor Perrini described him as a revolutionist, promoter of an alternative entrepreneurial path.…
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A Guardian of Human Dignity: the Story of Brunello Cucinelli
October 18 is indeed a significant day for us at Bocconi Students for Fashion: a guest lecture will be held with the one-of-a-kind Italian fashion magnate Brunello Cucinelli. Having started his business with cashmere sweaters in 1978, in almost 40 years he grew it to a multinational empire with impressive financials, which are just one among his numerous achievements. Today’s article will go through the history of the iconic luxury house, tell a story of a truly humanistic approach, and explain why ethics and dignity are not contradictory to that primary business goal we all got used to. Brunello Cucinelli launched his first garments in 1978, focusing on craftsmanship and…
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The power of East: how Asian designers do MFW
Finally we are back at Bocconi, back at BS4F, and back at Milan Fashion Week. The new year calls for new experiences, so we decided to try something out: while the members usually attend events organized by Italian brands, this time there were also emerging asian designers added to the busy schedule. Today we will discuss the fashion show of Atsushi Nakashima, Japan, along with the presentation made by Samuel Yang from China, and see what they do to make the fashion-saturated Milan find place for newcomers from the east. Atsushi Nakashima The Japanese designer Atsushi Nakashima studied Fashion Design in Nagoya Fashion College, Japan, and claims to have been…
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Chiaja: a New Luxury Brand Rising
With a few weeks of delay, Milan is finally blossoming, trees are green again and summer seems to be finally coming. The time to make a choice about the look to wear on the beach this year is approaching, and with it the birth (and fast death) of many aspiring and unstructured swimwear fashion brands. But one seems to be different from the others, and has its roots in places very close to where we all study every day.The startup I want to tell you about today is Chiaja, born from three Bocconi students, Alessando, Umberto and Gabriele, with the dream to re-invent the way men’s swim shorts are worn…
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Top 5 Designers from Georgian Fashion Week
The world is changing; fashion is no more concentrated around Paris, Milan and New York. Today the world knows designers from China, Africa, Australia, and recently Georgia. For the ones interested in fashion there’s no way this place can remain unknown: the industry experts are betting on it here, there and everywhere. Today let’s take a closer look at the talents emerging in Tbilisi. Situated between Europe, the Middle East and Russia, Georgia is a newcomer of the fashion scene. The Mercedes Benz Fashion Week was only introduced to the country one year ago by Sofia Tchkonia, and essentially is currently far from what we have here in Milan. However,…
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The End of Big Chinese Fashion Manufacturers?
Over the past 30 years China has been a key pillar of manufacturing in general and even more of fashion manufacturing, but the last times has put the colossus under pressure. Nowadays Italy is the nearest competitor in fashion manufacturing , producing an eight of Chinese average output, but staying far far away from the surprising percentage of China, that yield the 60% of the world’s shoes and the 43% of world’s clothing. However Zhongguo is facing a storm that could lead to the loss of its primacy: the arrival on the scene of cheaper sourcing hubs in Africa and Asia and the always higher production costs, together with long term…
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Being a Fashion Intern : A look behind the Instagram Feed
Images Courtesy of: Megan Hess I just finished my last day as a fashion intern and boy has it been an eye opening experience! I’m sure many of you reading this right now have either thought about applying for an internship, are currently an intern or look at fashion interns’ Instagram feed wide-eyed wondering “How can I get that job?!”… Well I am here to tell you that it’s not easy, but SO worth the work in the end. I was lucky enough to do an internship in Milan and learn from some experienced people in the field who were wiling to take the time to teach me and include…
