If you are reading this article, chances are you love fashion just as much as I do. However, the fashion world that I love, is not (just) about those breath-taking embroideries, the colourful textiles or the bold make up looks on the red carpet. I believe that there is so much beauty in taking your time to understand the complexity of this world, instead of passively admiring it. What does it take for a sustainable brand to become successful? How can online brands thrive? What was Gucci’s recipe for success? Every time my mind comes up with one of these questions, I run to my laptop and type three simple…
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Fashion & Travel: the perfect match
More and more fashion companies are trying to expand their business to a new frontier: the luxury hotel industry. This trend started with new consumers’ attitudes, people want to have a 360° lifestyle experience and meanwhile feel part of an exclusive “elite”. This new reality is both the consequence of financial uncertainty, resulted from years of crisis, and of the notable increase in bargaining power of social platforms. Nowadays appearance is the hub of a society where social networks are becoming one of the main tools of communication. The phenomenon started in 1995 with Ferragamo’s family, and in the following years it spread to fashion designers such as Missoni, Versace and…
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Inside #InsideLVMH
When you go to lvmh.com, the first thing you see is #InsideLVMH. #InsideLVMH is also featured in the “Trending” of the BoF. A lot is written on the schedule the participants had, the experiences they went through, the application process preceding all these. The only thing left out of focus is how it really was for them and how they felt – and the gap will be filled on BS4F, telling the fullest story, firsthand. We were 220, the students selected from 21 leading schools – design, business and engineering, mostly French. Probably for the Paris-based the experience was a bit more casual as it involved no travelling; we, instead,…
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E-commerce: Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow.
A constructive moment of discussion. This is what the event held on Wednesday, 23th November at Bocconi University, hosting Andrea Panconesi – CEO of Luisa Via Roma – and Paolo Mascio – President Online Flagship Stores of Yoox Net-A-Porter Group -, chaired by Emanuela Prandelli – LVMH Associate Professor at Bocconi University – and organised by Bocconi Students for Fashion, represented. It was a moment of discussion between the guests, between them and the students, and also between two fields that, as Professor Prandelli claimed, are traditionally considered to be very apart one from the other: luxury fashion and digitalization. Moreover, it was held at Bocconi University, a place where,…
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A chat over dinner with Alberto Baldan, CEO of La Rinascente
You may think that I am exaggerating, and to some extent it is true. I did not dine privately with Mr Baldan, but this is how the evening felt like to me. When I saw the event promoting a tasty aperitivo with the CEO of the most famous department store in Italy, I thought of one of those networking events where the guest awkwardly speaks for 5 minutes and then has to rush away. But I couldn’t be more wrong: organised by Hub Giovani, a group of inspired young students and professionals who get together to discuss about work, culture, innovation and much more, the aperitivo with Baldan was so enjoyable…
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Il Nuovo Gucci: in the Backstage of the Italian Empire’s Rebirth.
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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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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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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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…
