On Wednesday November 7th, the first year Masters of Fashion Studies students enrolled in the Business of Fashion class presented their final case study to conclude the semester. The presentations were held at Parsons Paris for Professor Geraldine Blanche as well as Professor Marco Pecorari, who provided practical feedback on pitching a business concept to investors. This presentation was the capstone project for the class, and included key concepts that were central to the course, such as an activation kit and strategy, SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) analysis, and construction of a brand identity.
Students in Business of Fashion were divided into four groups, and instructed to create a business plan for a mono-product brand of our choosing, featuring either leather goods, shoes or eyewear. The presentations were built upon each class throughout the semester, and allowed the class to strengthen creative and practical skills that will support them as workers in the fashion industry in the future. Ultimately, each group created a business plan document, as well as a powerpoint presentation, and the presentation was arranged in a pitch style directed at business angel investors.
Each group was invited to be creative in the construction of their brands, and were excited to see the different brand identities and values they had created over the semester. While the project concept was simple, it was expanded into many different directions and the class enjoyed the opportunity to create something unique. While the masters program is often more focused on theory and academic writing, this project gave the class an opportunity to learn more about the business side of the fashion industry, and what type of work they may be engaging in in the future.
Written by Victoria Nergaard
Slides by Molly Apple, Trevor Chapman, Clara Montre, Victoria Nergaard, Deandra Green, Kevin Bass & Svitlana Sobolyeva
