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MBA Fashion Business

Course Summary School: IFA Paris International Fashion Academy, Paris & Shangai

Location: France, Paris

Education: Diploma

During her 2011 runway show, Miuccia Prada stated that “Fashion is an instant language”. In an era of massive digitalization in which individuals have indirect communications through the intermediary of a screen, it is psychologically reassuring to believe that the construction of one’s style mirrors its representation as an individual. However, just like any other languages, Fashion has a myriad of nuances and facets that render any reading and interpretation much more complex.  

The main objective of the MBA in Fashion Business at IFA Paris is to equip its postgraduate students with keys to decipher the ever changing fashion industry. Delivered since 2008, the course has been completely revamped in order to take full advantage of IFA Paris’ heritage and cultural specificities. 

The philosophy of the MBA in Fashion Business revolves around 3 pillars: 

  • Discovery:
    Students are being immersed in a workshop environment allowing them to get an intensive and practical training based on each development stage of a fashion collection, from inception to commercialization.
  • Experimentation:
    While travelling between IFA’s campus locations (Paris, Istanbul, Bangkok and Shanghai) our students are able to experience first-hand the intrinsic characteristics of emerging and mature markets thanks to IFA Paris learning by doing pedagogy. 
  • Self-affirmation:
    The overarching Capstone thesis reflects the students’ commitment to the development of a unique and individual project.

The overall course structure promotes a holistic approach to the fashion industry enabling participants to analyze complex functions. The MBA in Fashion Business is one of the only postgraduate courses that allows its students to understand the integration of Sensorial Marketing within the strategies of international fashion houses. 

The development of special seminars in haute couture, fashion trade shows, celebrity endorsements and fashion ethnography are “windows” into unique activities or phenomenon of the fashion industry. From their implication in the organization of fashion related events to the discovery of the inner sanctum of Paris Haute Couture Ateliers, participants will be able to improve their professional portfolio with experiences that will ultimately render their profile more sophisticated and attractive to potential employers.  

Finally, from inception to graduation, and regardless of their location, Postgraduate students of IFA Paris will benefit from the support of a unique department called the “Career and Alumni Center”. The industry relation arm of IFA Paris’ academic programs is in charge of organizing bi-weekly guest lectures and field trips to attune our students with the fashion pulse. They will have access to exclusive brand launch events, fashion shows, art exhibitions or professional trade-shows in order to build their own professional network. The Career and Alumni Center accompanies IFA Paris students even after graduation by linking them with its strong alumni network composed of individuals originating from 50 different countries. The key word here is synergy, whereby IFA Paris, its students and its graduates are all major actors in the reshaping of the fashion industry panorama.   

Our MBA Courses are structured with the ECTS framework in mind as set by the Bologna Convention. Upon completion of their studies participants will gather a total of 120 ECTS that they will be able to transfer if they wish to further their studies. The Course is also accredited by IDEL/IDEART* and is certified as “International Master”.

Admission requirements:

  • Preferably 2 years of professional experience (Internships are taken into account)
  • Bachelor Graduate or significant professional experience in related fields
  • IELTS 6.5 or TOEFL IBT 79 (or equivalence) or proof of study in English, for non-native English speakers
  • Interview (on campus or Skype)
  • Online test

Documents to provide:

  • Fill in the online application form
  • Latest transcript
  • Copy of Bachelor diploma or equivalence
  • Motivation letter
  • Resume/CV
  • Passport photo
  • Copy of passport

All applications will be reviewed by the Program Director and Academic Director of the postgraduate department. Should applicants be deemed to not meet the minimum admission requirements in terms of academic background, they will be asked to enroll in a Foundation Workshop held prior to the starting date of their MBA Program.

Our Fashion Business course covers a wide range of modules clustered into five main module groupings:

Marketing and Management:
This grouping encompasses a series of modules that will be sequentially planned based on the structure of a marketing plan. The overall body of knowledge acquired by the students will prepare them to:

Analyze complex marketing challenges based on practical case studies
Allocate resources strategically to achieve pre-determined objectives Craft brand DNAs allowing for the achievement of a sustainable competitive advantage

Business Issues:
The capacity to listen and interpret markets’ signals is a key component of today’s managers. It needs to be continuously cultivated. Within this module grouping students will discover the idiosyncrasies of the fashion industry from an economic and financial view point.

Distribution and Retail:
The emergence of fast fashion retailing and the exponential growth of online commerce have changed the distribution landscape for fashion houses. This module grouping explores the importance of selecting the right distribution strategies as well as creating a positive shopping environment to achieve an efficient customers’ return rate.

Fashion Environment:
Programs focusing on Fashion Business traditionally put the emphasis on analyzing strategic and marketing challenges. The MBA Fashion Business at IFA incorporates a more creative accent, sourcing inspiration from the school’s roots in Fashion Design. In this module grouping students will learn and experience first-hand about the different steps involved in the creation of a cohesive collection.

Fashion Lifestyle:
From observing the development of a Haute Couture Collection in a studio in Paris to taking an ethnographic trip in the Northern Tribes of China to understand their contribution to the contemporary fashion scene, this series of seminars comprised within the “Fashion Lifestyle” module grouping will allow our students to experience specific aspects of the fashion industry in a workshop like environment.

The Foundation workshop will be taught over 2 full weeks (75 Hours) and comprise the following modules:

  • Principles of Marketing – 15 Hours
  • Quantitative Research Approaches – 15 Hours
  • Accounting Principles – 15 Hours
  • Working Methodology – 15 Hours
  • Project Management – 15 Hours

Student Workload:

  • 510 Hours of Face-to-Face lectures
  • 765 Hours of Self-Study
  • 840 Hours of capstone project
  • 200 Hours of industry contact and collaboration