Master of Arts in Fashion &
Luxury Brand Management

It is essential for students who study Fashion and Luxury Brand Management to be aware of the context in which the industry operates and the key drivers that impact that industry. This forward-looking course supports a core understanding of the world of luxury fashion, from micro and macro trends and forecasting, to the significant social and cultural movements that affect the industry, such as digitally, innovation, sustainability and ethical considerations, as well as emerging international fashion centers.

Prerequisite(s): None

Well produced, brand-appropriate presentation of work is considered a benchmark of professionalism in the luxury fashion industry. This course will support students in developing the ability to make sound judgements about how work may be persuasively presented and the different visual strategies that may be employed. An understanding of the principles of visual communication for a specialist and non-specialist audience are addressed through workshops in Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator and InDesign.

Prerequisite(s): None

Research Methods supports students in developing the core competencies and academic rigor required for study at postgraduate level. Through a series of lectures and activities, students will be able to gain the theoretical and practical understanding needed to create effective coursework and capstone project proposals. Lectures will cover the reflective process, the review of literature, research methodologies, structuring research.

Prerequisite(s): None

This course provides a strong theoretical framework from which to understand and apply fashion marketing techniques. Students will study marketing segmentation, targeting, positioning, planning and the marketing mix with particular reference to the retail environment, as well as analyzing fashion consumer markets and the principles of consumer behavior. Students will develop an understanding of different perspectives to fashion marketing and apply these to real world situations through project work.

Prerequisite(s): None

This course explores the ever-evolving world of marketing communication strategies, drawing on fashion industry case studies to help students to develop a deeper understanding of success factors. Media planning and strategy, public relations, sales promotions, direct marketing, CSR, the digital landscape of communications, fashion advertising and creative communication strategies, as well as laws and regulations associated with marketing communications are included amongst the topics.

Prerequisite(s): None

In order to develop a successful branded product and take it to market, students need a good understanding of the processes involved. In this course, they will develop
essential product development skills for a given market. This course works in conjunction with The Role of Creativity to form a cohesive package of specialist learning. The range will be presented from concept to consumer, enabling students to further develop their understanding of the application of creative thinking, brand analysis and the interpretation of key brand aesthetics, through to product development and production. The importance of developing effective strategies for supply chain management will also be addressed, and the growing imperative for sustainable sourcing.

Prerequisite(s): None

Students will study the strategic brand management process. This starts with conducting brand audits to identify strengths and weaknesses of brands, developing brand strategies, setting key performance indicators and defining execution plans. Branding topics such as brand equity, brand personality, brand identity and brand extensions will be studied, and students will be given the opportunity to research and critically analyze the application to luxury brands identifying key success factors and pitfalls. The Unit also explores contemporary branding topics such as digital branding, brand experience as well as rebranding, corporate social responsibility and globalization. The application of branding by fashion and luxury brands is an art which students will be able to master by being exposed to various frameworks, theories, case-studies and live projects. Students will develop their analytical, critical, research and communications skills but most importantly become creative problem solvers.

Prerequisite(s): None

New and evolving landscapes of the fashion retail environment are explored, through the analysis of innovative visual merchandising strategies for online retailing, bricks and mortar retailing and omni-channel retailing, as key to contemporary commercialization strategies.

Prerequisite(s): None

This Business of Luxury course investigates the various meanings of luxury and provides an in-depth analysis of the main pitfalls, similarities and differences between Premium and Luxury concepts. The course looks at how luxury brands evolve to respond to changing habits and trends in consumption, without losing their DNA and their codes. Using examples and cases from the world of luxury, there is a strong focus on the main business models adopted by various luxury brands to grow within a global conglomerate or as independent.

Prerequisite(s): None

This course covers various aspects of luxury brand management, through understanding the concepts and strategies of brand valuations, performance management, growth, and market entry. A range of tools, methods and techniques will be discussed and analyzed in the context of their usefulness to integrate theory intro real life examples and cases from the luxury world. Together with the Business of Luxury, this course assesses the current opportunities and challenges facing luxury brands through a deep understanding of the critical success factors needed to succeed and grow in the luxury industry.

Prerequisite(s): None

Creative flair coupled with market awareness are advantageous in luxury brand management. This course supports students’ ability to think critically and creatively in the proposal of innovative fashion products for a specified luxury brand. Based on in-depth brand and market research, students will generate and justify a well devised, brand-appropriate collection, building on trend forecasts and the application of personal design research, collection of fabric samples, developing a color story and mood board and producing technical information for the range.

Prerequisite(s): None

This course will apply strategies for the creation, communication and delivery of luxury, based on a critical analysis of the visual and experiential language of luxury. Students will explore the main ingredients required to create luxury, identify brand codes for communications strategies as well as formulating operating procedures to deliver coherent brand experiences at every touch point. How the luxury service culture strives to deliver wow experiences online and offline will be analyzed. Furthermore, students will examine the strong links between luxury brands, the arts and philanthropy. Here students will be given the opportunity to be entrepreneurial and revive or create a luxury brand.

Prerequisite(s): None

Complementing the course in Creating, Communicating and Delivering Luxury, this course supports the development of entrepreneurial skills. The ability to identify and exploit professional opportunities is essential to work with luxury brands or for those who wish to establish their own brands. Concepts of self-branding and the strategic development of professional networks is also covered in this course.

Prerequisite(s): None

Essential to the contemporary fashion brand, the concept of authorship is explored, as well as licensing rights and the protection of intellectual property. Other contractual instruments for developing brands are explored: joint ventures agreements, co-operation agreements, distribution and agency, agreements, other relevant provisions. The challenges of counterfeiting are also expounded.

Prerequisite(s): None

The capstone project represents the culmination of a student’s academic learning and may take a variety of forms. Students may select a course of personal and professional interest and relevance and conduct and document an in-depth investigation into the topic. Students will meet with a designated supervisor to support them through the development of their project. Outcomes may be a final collection, a product, a presentation, a short film or an academic paper that will be presented and orally defended to a panel of tutors and experts in the field.

Prerequisite(s): All LBM 500-level courses.