FASHION MARKETING & FASHION
BUYER
Istituto Europeo di Design
North American Admissions Office
Tel: 206.388.3321 604.628.1647
1.866.602.6628
www.iedDesign.com
info@iedDesign.com
MASTER COURSE
In collaboration with
This master course is intended for graduates and/or professionals operating in the
fashion industry.
Duration: 1 year
Language: English/Italian
Starting Date: November 2008
Attendance: full-time from Monday to Friday
Objective
- To shape professionals able to handle the development of a project’s realization
process in the fashion field.
- To mould creativity and sensibility towards the product using analytical capacities
inherent to the on going market.
- To generate team work in order to achieve a common goal.
The annual full-time formula allows one to penetrate in a complete theoretical and
practical experience coming in contact with Venice and the surrounding territory.
Environment rich in both Made in Italy and history.
Programme
Within the programme it is possible to identify 5 macro areas: Trends and Visual
culture, Marketing Intelligence, Brand Management, Fashion Buyer and
Communication. The aim being to have a global view of the fashion system inside
marketing.
Each branch is structured in a theoretical part followed by a concrete project
realization assignment allowing for the application of the acquired instruments and
notions. Several projects will be developed in collaboration with local firms (from
the briefing to the final presentation).
 The lecturer, professionals of the field, coming from different complementary areas,
will present case histories relative to their specific line of work.

Professional Figures analysed:

Product Manager: responsible for the management of a product line. Analyses

the trends, directs the work of the style office, follows the development and the
production, and collaborates with the material research division.

Brand Manager: responsible for the market strategies related to the brand.

Fashion Buyer: responsible for purchasing. Analyses the trends, interprets them
and defines the acquisition guidelines for distribution.

License Manager: responsible for brand use, develops product line on license.

Retail Manager: responsible for the development of a distribution circuit.

Supervises and directs the work in stores, verifying sale results and the brand
image.

Visual Merchandising Manager: responsible for brand image within retail points.
Guarantees the rational organization of the store and optimizes product exposition.

Cool Hunter: has a 360° view on the contemporary scene, pin points and
elaborates trends to present new views to the style department (materials, colours,
volumes).

Didactic Areas

Fashion Trends and Visual Culture

The fashion world and the world of image: the origins, the icons and the designers
that wrote the history of fashion and the reasons behind the birth of phenomenon
that become trends.

• Fashion History
The analysis and study of history of fashion and contemporary fashion.

• Visual culture
Movies culture, design, art, exhibition & photography, a global overview of our
current visual culture, to understand and feel the continuous changes in the
contemporary life.

• Sociology and trends

Analysis of social phenomena and purchase-related behaviors, with particular
attention to lifestyle issues. Analysis of trends in the fashion market.

• Project: Fashion Trends & Visual Culture

Marketing Intelligence
Trends in the fashion system: from fashion economy to product specifics
(materials, development process). Fundamental marketing concepts and methods
of consumer analysis.

• Fashion Economics
A general introduction to the fashion market, by analyzing the pipeline, the
professional figures, the competitive system, the fairs.
Istituto Europeo di Design
North American Admissions Office
Tel: 206.388.3321 604.628.1647
1.866.602.6628

www.iedDesign.com
info@iedDesign.com
 • Fashion product
Introduction to the fashion production process, starting from the collection project
all the way to the merchandising plan.

• Technology of materials
Analysis and study of the natural, artificial and man-made fibers and yarns: general
features, classifications, typologies and production methods.

• Fashion marketing
From the definition to the launch of the product, the different steps of the marketing
planning, focusing in particular on the specific features of the fashion product.

• Consumer Intelligence & Consumer Watching

Research results and consumers’ methodologies in the fashion sector (Italy and
abroad) from the social-demographic analysis up to the lifestyles.

• Project : Marketing Intelligence

Brand Management
Creating a world surrounding the product. Focus on the luxury brand phenomenon.

• Brand Management
The brand’s value: how to position, communicate and strengthen the corporate
brand, and create a distinctive brand identity. The concept of brand-extension and
brand equity.

• Licencing
The licensing contract: advantages, risks, critical factors and organizational issues
of the different licensing professions.

• Marketing of Luxury goods

Key luxury markets. The specificities of Luxury goods. Analysis of the mix and Key
success factors.

• Project: Brand Management

Fashion buyer & retail management

Fashion distribution. Fashion buyer techniques. Management and organization
both of retail and virtual stores.

• Distribution channel - Franchising

The commercial franchising system, advantages and risks: practical case histories
from the fashion sector. The different channels: multi-brand stores, monobrand
store, department stores, outlets and company stores, etc…

• Retail Management & E-Retailing

Management of a sale’s point: managing the sales, the clients’ relations, team
management, merchandising and the organization of events and promotions.
Analysis of the internet market. Virtual stores.

• Fashion Buyer
Buying techniques. How to draft a proper buying plan, from the interpretation
of the consumers’ demand up to the planning of the offer.
One day Visit to PITTI Uomo- September 2009- Florence

• Project: Fashion Buyer & Retail

Communication
Language and strategies in Fashion Communication. Coherence between
Istituto Europeo di Design corporate identity, brand and concept retailing.
North American Admissions Office
Tel: 206.388.3321 604.628.1647
1.866.602.6628

www.iedDesign.com
info@iedDesign.com
 • Communication, advertising & PR
Communication techniques and strategies. Coherence in the positioning of the
product, the target group, the message, the media planning and the store concept.
Definition of communication goals, investments, creative strategy and media
planning. Role of the press office, the media relations, the organization of events &
fashion shows.

• In store communication
How to enhance the specificity of the brand’s visual and corporate identity on the
point of sale. Rational organization of the sales area and optimization of product
display.

• Project: Communication

Skills development

• Budgeting techniques
How to implement and follow a budget.

• Sales & negotiation techniques

Effectively manage all the negotiation steps: from the first contact with the client up
to the conclusion of the negotiation.

• Graphic Design
In computer lab, use of an image processing software (Photoshop) and Flash to
create flyers, presentations, PR releases, etc...

• Tutoring
Continuous coordinated lessons with a tutor to control and develop on-going work
projects.

• Milan
4 visits to Milan, to understand and live Made in Italy.
Extra:
Italian language - A basic Italian course during the year to enable students to
communicate and understand the Italian way of life.

Courses are held in English or in Italian with translation.

Istituto Europeo di Design

North American Admissions Office
Tel: 206.388.3321 604.628.1647
1.866.602.6628

www.iedDesign.com
info@iedDesign.com
 Coordinator

Delphine Dumas, French, degree in business economy (marketing). 13 years of

experience in sales and marketing gained in international cosmetic and fashion
markets (BEIERSDORF NIVEA, SHISEIDO, ISSEY MIYAKE). She has spent the
last 2 years in Italy, developing various projects in collaboration with companies
operating in the fashion and cosmetics industry (DOUGLAS, LEE, GIVENCHY,
MARNI, ARMANI JEANS). She also deals with marketing coordination for the IED
Moda Lab Milan and teaches Fashion Marketing and Brand Management.
Giovanni Ottonello was awarded his degree in Architecture at Genoa and after
various experiences in the field of museum and scenographic exhibits, he
approached the world of fashion through the study of fabric in its variety of
expressions and designs. He helped to set up, order and launch an event at the
Diocesan Museum in Genoa. He has worked with the National Gallery of Palazzo
Spinola and Palazzo Ducale in Genoa, the company Salvatore Ferragamo, the set
designer and director Pierluigi Pizzi and the Piccolo Teatro theatre in Milan. His
current work involves lectureships and participation in seminars or conferences
ranging from graphics, to fashion, from design to photography and contemporary
art in various design and fashion institutes.

For further information:

www.ied.it
www.ied.edu

Istituto Europeo di Design Istituto Europeo di Design reserves the right to make any amendments to the syllabus that it considers
North American Admissions Office necessary in order to meet the defined objectives.
Tel: 206.388.3321 604.628.1647
1.866.602.6628

www.iedDesign.com
info@iedDesign.com