B0715 - Seminars: Marketing and Management (Gr. A)

Learning outcomes

Students at the end of the seminar will acquire high standard knowledge and skills directly from experts in the fashion fields, alongside special lectures held by scholars and researchers.

Course contents

Seminar: Fashion Startup Lab

Tutor: Eleonora Sette

 

The "Fashion Startup Lab" is a structured and interactive path, designed to provide students with an introduction to starting a startup in the fashion industry. The lab program is divided into six key modules, each of which focuses on a specific aspect of the startup process, from idea generation to effective presentation.

The laboratory was designed with a holistic approach, incorporating both theoretical and practical elements. Not only will students learn the fundamentals of starting a startup, but they will also have the opportunity to put this knowledge into practice through various exercises and projects, including creating their own fashion-related startup project.

Here is a detailed description of the contents for each module:

How to Startup: This module will cover the startup ecosystem, formulating a business idea, understanding the target market and the basics of running a business in the fashion industry. Additionally, students will be exposed to case studies of successful startups in the fashion industry for inspiration and learning.

Ideation: In this module, students will learn brainstorming and idea development techniques, such as lateral thinking and design thinking. They will also focus on how to identify opportunities in the fashion market and how to adapt and develop ideas according to emerging trends.

Validation: This module will introduce students to methods for validating the product idea and the market, such as market research, surveys, interviews and customer feedback. In addition, it will focus on how to interpret the data collected to make informed decisions about the startup's path.

Prototyping and Testing: In this module, students will learn how to prototype fashion products, from preliminary drawings to physical models. They will also explore testing techniques, such as usability testing and focus groups, and how to use feedback to improve the product.

Road to Market: This module will cover strategies for bringing a product to market, from developing a marketing plan to identifying the appropriate sales channels. In addition, pricing, promotion and distribution strategies specific to the fashion industry will be explored.

Pitching: In this last module, students will learn how to develop and present an effective pitch for their startup idea. They will explore various aspects of pitching, such as creating an engaging story, presenting financial data, and handling questions and objections.

Each module combines theoretical and practical content, ensuring that students have the opportunity to apply what they have learned in a practical context. This can include activities like developing an idea for a fashion startup, conducting market research, building a prototype, or presenting a pitch to a peer group.

Readings/Bibliography

The Fashion Startup Lab has been designed to be a dynamic and current path, so instead of using traditional textbooks, the course is based on a variety of freely available online resources.

These resources will include blog posts, articles, videos, podcasts and other relevant multimedia content that will be provided by professors during the Lab.

In addition, sets of slides will be provided for each meeting. These slide sets will be an essential resource for understanding the key concepts presented during the lessons and will serve as a reference point for students during their learning. The slide sets will be made available for download to the participants shortly after each class.

As for the bibliography, students will be encouraged to search and read additional online resources to deepen their understanding. Although there is no fixed reference text for this course, advice and guidance on where to look for reliable and up-to-date information will be provided. This approach will enable students to develop their research skills, an invaluable skill in any business environment.

Teaching methods

The learning methodology adopted in the Fashion Startup Lab emphasizes the "learning by doing" approach, which argues that the most effective learning occurs when students are actively involved in the learning process. This means that they won't just be passive listeners, but will actively participate, putting what they've learned into practice in a real context.

Another key methodology that will be used in the course is "Design Thinking". This approach to innovation focuses on understanding user needs, generating ideas to meet these needs, and creating prototype solutions to test these ideas. Design thinking fosters collaboration, experimentation, and iteration, all of which are critical skills for the success of a fashion startup.

In addition, the course will use tools such as canvas (e.g. Lean Canvas) to help students visualize, design and test their startup business models. These tools offer an effective way to explore the opportunities and challenges of an idea and to communicate the strategy to other people.

Finally, students will work in teams, simulating the dynamism and collaboration needed in a real startup environment. These groups' work will foster the development of team building and leadership skills, as well as promote idea sharing and co-creation. The ultimate goal is to provide participants with an in-depth and practical understanding of how to launch and manage a startup in the fashion industry.

 

Assessment methods

Fashion Startup Lab includes a final assessment where students will be asked to present through a pitch the business idea that they developed during the entire duration of the lab.

Teaching tools

In addition to the slides of each single module, indications will be provided for carrying out in-depth analysis in blog posts, articles, videos, podcasts and other multimedia contents relevant to the Laboratory.

Office hours

See the website of Ines Tolic