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 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…
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Kering: When Sustainability Marries With Luxury
Sustainability and fashion – two words full of meaning that seem to collide, but where the social power of this mesmerizing industry strikes again, creating synergies between an apparent dichotomy. Environmental impact has been a hot issue in the recent years, and the fashion industry has often been placed on the other side of the spectrum, and classified as one of the most polluting industries in the planet. Last week, Kering published an ambitious sustainability report marking an important step towards a more sustainable luxury. Let’s see what its implications are. Kering has been the first luxury giant to share publicly the environmental impact of its operations. Last weesk’s report…
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Saint Laurent: A Strategy For Success
Saint Laurent has undergone major changes in the last month. The fashion world rendered homage to Hedi Slimane’s departure from his position as creative director and welcomed Anthony Vaccarello as his successor. What’s more, last week Kering reported buoyant growth in revenues up 27% in the first quarter of 2016, driven by retail sales and double-digit growth in all geographies and all product categories. What are the pillars of this winning strategy? Earlier this morning an interview with YSL CEO Francesca Bellettini by Imran Amed (BoF’s editor in chief), helped giving some clarity to the quasi-abnormal growth, and cleared the air after the confusion and press talk after Slimane left.…
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High Tech & Retail: The Next Big Move?
As the shopping experience is gradually moving from the physical retail store to online shopping platforms, stores are fighting to stay relevant in an increasingly digital world. Many retailers are now exploring high-tech gadgets as a sales tool to compete with online sellers for shoppers’ attention. Tommy Hilfiger is the first international retailer to make use of Virtual Reality gadgets: during fall fashion week 2015, they introduced the Samsung Gear VR Headset in their Manhattan store. This virtual reality headset gave shoppers a three-dimensional, front-row view of the fashion show, held at New York’s Park Avenue Armory. The shopper would sit a few virtual feet from the models while they…
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The Business of Fashion Books: An ever-growing market, or old news?
Would you believe me if I said that there are more fashion books published each week than blog posts…? Now I’m sure that’s not true, but it sure feels that way! Every day I hear news of a new book being published by bloggers, stylists, fashion designers, models or even just your regular celebrity (turned lifestyle/blogger) that I just can’t keep up! If you haven’t already heard the famous Naomi Campbell is publishing a fashion book, soon to be on shelves May 1st! Growing up (before the e-book) I loved reading magazines and special edition books focused on fashion because I felt that I was part of some exclusive club…
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A Thousand And One Reasons Why Dubai Can Be The Next Fashion Capital
Dubai as the capital of a new-born fashion industry? Here is why I think it is possible. 1. THE RETAIL MECCA Dubai’s alluring and exotic modernity is tempting travellers from all over the world, making it one of the most desired holiday destinations. Market data are astounding: according to Bain’s luxury report, the Middle East is the tenth largest luxury goods market, with sales exceeding 6 billion euros. Dubai alone accounts for 30% of this amount. Those consumers bear an international trademark: market studies demonstrate that the city is the second favourite shopping destination in the world, overstepping even NYC. This success is partly due to Dubai’s affirmation as an…
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Lineapiù Italia
Disclaimer: The following is not an advertisement for Lineapiù. The author visited Lineapiù as part of a school excursion. People often think of big brands and corporate-styled conglomerates when it comes to the business of fashion. However, manufacturers and contractors play an important role in the fashion ecosystem too. Without them, it would be difficult for companies that run on a horizontal system (put simply, they do not own their own mills and ateliers) to sustain themselves because owning everything cost money. Despite the importance of these manufacturers, there is little awareness on their creativity and the innovation they bring to the fashion industry. Lineapiù Italia is a great example. A Florentine based company,…
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Fitness in Fashion
As the warm weather draws closer (well it snowed the other day here in Canada so maybe I still have to wait a while…) we all start to think about the famous bikini that we will have to dig out of our drawers soon. When I hear the word bikini I get all nervous because I know that I am SO not ready to look at myself in the mirror in one. Don’t get me wrong – I love my body and would totally hit up a beautiful beach in southern Puglia tomorrow if I had the chance, I just know that I could feel so much better if I…
