Florence, 26 September 2017 – Polimoda, one of the Italy’s top fashion schools founded in Florence in 1986, is launching a new master’s course in partnership with Gucci.
Entitled ‘Fashion Retail Management’, the course brings together two pillars of the Italian fashion industry, Polimoda and Gucci, through the education of talented students who will be equipped to take up managerial roles in the fast evolving retails business of international luxury brands.
Marco Bizzarri, President and CEO of Gucci says:
“Retail is the heart of this business. In the last two and a half years at Gucci we have clearly demonstrated that a new, contemporary and joyful retail environment, together with the enthusiasm, the passion and the charisma of talented people on the floor able to offer an unforgettable experience, really makes the difference. In such a turning point of the story of this brand, we have been concretely investing in training, both on our Italian craftsmanship, mainly through in-house programs, and on the retail side of the business, like this partnership. We are extremely happy to support this new programme in collaboration with Polimoda, with whom we share both Florentine origins and the fact that we too have an international leadership role in our field.”
Gucci’s involvement is pivotal to the degree, as top managers from the Florentine house will support the programme by giving presentations relating to specific areas including retail management, finance, merchandising, visuals, marketing and communications, and store operations. Set to start in April 2018, the nine month course will also give students access to international guest lectures and a variety of field trips to the Gucci organisation.
“Retail is one of the key areas in fashion that’s really changing at the moment –Danilo Venturi, Director of Polimoda says –following the needs and thoughts of millennials who account for perhaps the most important consumer group. This is why Fashion Retail Management will be particularly interesting to combine the know-how and flexibility of a fantastic company like Gucci, with the unique insight of millennials themselves. I have no doubt that the future of retail will be entrenched in this course, and then delivered across the world when these students graduate.”
Giving students unprecedented access directly within the core of the industry, the course’s conclusion will involve Gucci having the opportunity to identify outstanding graduates and offer them internship or job opportunities at Gucci or within Gucci’s business network.
