Business, fashion students take learning to 'Birthplace of the Renaissance'
Kim Chaudoin |
A trip to Florence, Italy, brought international business and the fashion industry to life for a group of Lipscomb students this summer.
For four weeks, 13 undergraduate business majors and six undergraduate fashion majors, led by Andy Borchers, professor of management and associate dean in the College of Business; Kathy Bates, assistant professor of fashion in the College of Entertainment & the Arts; and Joseph Bamber, visiting professor of marketing, explored their new “classroom” to experience what they were learning about business and fashion.
Each year, the College of Business offers a Maymester course in global business and culture that includes international travel in an effort to bring the text book to life by giving students an opportunity to experience a global business environment first-hand. This year, the College of Business teamed up with students from the College of Entertainment & the Art’s fashion program to learn more about the international fashion industry and the business operations that support it.
The course is designed for students to learn about various business segments, trends, governing bodies, cultural influences, political issues, marketing and service strategies, management approaches and other factors impacting the transaction of business in the international location selected each year.
Although Bates has led fashion design travel study trips to New York for more than 30 years to learn about the fashion industry there, this was the first year for the program to embark on an international travel study experience.
Borchers said when details of this year’s course were being planned, he was a little skeptical about whether Florence, where Lipscomb has a tradition semester abroad study program, was the best place to learn about the business of the international fashion industry.
“At first, faculty in the College of Business weren't sure Florence was ideal for our students,” Borchers admitted. “Cities like London and Frankfurt are generally considered the major business centers of Europe. However, when we connected with our colleagues in Lipscomb’s fashion program we saw tremendous potential.”
Borchers said the partnership between the business and fashion programs was a natural fit because the programs share a number of joint majors and minors. Through this joint venture, students took one three0hour course in business and one three-hour course in fashion.
Italy is one of the leading countries in fashion design, known for its luxury goods and in particular its leather products. Florence, the fifth fashion capital in the world according to Vogue, provided students a classroom filled with numerous opportunities to learn more about the business of the Italian fashion industry.
Students toured the headquarters and factories of some of the biggest names in fashion: Gucci, Ferragamo, Perugia, Cuccinelli and Cavalli. They also visited luxury, craft and fashion-oriented businesses including world class art galleries, a textile museum, Ferrari, a leather factory and Il Papiro, a custom paper firm. During these visits, students examined the organizations’ strategies for offering high value goods and services for which consumers are willing to pay top dollar.
“Italy played a crucial role in the development of fashion during the Renaissance,” said Bates, the long-time director of Lipscomb’s fashion program, who has also studied the history of fashion in London as well as in Milan, Venice and Florence. “Some of the leading styles came from around Florence, and they were very influential. A lot of the companies we know today got started in Italy years ago and many are still family run and operated. The workmanship is known to be incredible.”
Bates said valuable lessons are learned through travel study opportunities.
“We encourage any kind of travel experience for the students,” said Bates. “The experience of being there and seeing it, is wonderful for all fields, but especially in fashion, because it’s such a visual field. Being able to see the fine crafts of the Italians and some of the legendary family-owned businesses, was an incredible experience for them.”
“During the Renaissance era, much of the leading style came from around Florence, and the city was very influential for the rebirth, tailors and leather work. A number of industries got their start there. That’s why so many brands are located in Florence. Many are still family run and operated, and that makes a difference in the product. The workmanship is incredible.”
Borchers said, “Hands-on experiences such as the what we experienced at Il Papiro engaged our students. Weekend travel to cities such Venice and Lake Como broadened our student's experiences.”
Students said the trip to Florence was inspiring.
“Being exposed to and engaging in a new culture opens your eyes to countless new things. My favorite thing about Italian fashion is their commitment to quality and tradition,” said Becca Dean, a senior entrepreneurship and fashion merchandising major. “They do a brilliant job of mixing old techniques with modern designs. Even though a garment may take much longer to produce, it has greater value because it is handmade with the best techniques and the best fabrics available. I love the stories many of the Italian goods tell— they are unique in their own way. I would love to one day create a company that embodies many of these same characteristics.”
Dean said one of her favorite experiences on the trip was a visit to Solomeo, headquarters of Brunello Cucinelli that is housed in an ancient castle. Students toured the business— from the showroom and production facility to the theatre and even cafeteria where students were served an Italian lunch.
“We even got to see classes in session for ‘The School of Craftsmanship’ where students are taught the disciplines of mending and linking, cutting and assembly, tailoring and masonry,” recalled Dean. “It was incredible to witness an organization so committed to quality and tradition with a focus on investing in the lives of employees and giving business a meaning beyond profit.”
This course is just one of the many travel study programs offered through Lipscomb’s Global Learning Program.
“This type of collaborative program meets the demands of today's global marketplace,” said Michael Winegeart, director of global programs at Lipscomb. “With this inaugural program, both students and faculty were able to enhance their global competency - the ability to communicate and influence others across cultures.”
Lipscomb offers global programs to over 40 destinations on six continents. Semester-long study programs in Vienna, Austria; London; Santiago, Chile; and Florence, Italy. Short-term programs, such as the Maymester trip for business and fashion students, are offered primarily in the summer and are department-specific.
“Programs are designed to grow students academically, emotionally and spiritually by focusing on three pillars: experiential learning, community engagemen, and intentional spirituality,” said Winegeart. “Students today are culturally informed and unrestricted by geography. They see, share and engage in ways no one could have imagined. Students are no longer just a citizen of a city, state or nation, but of a world that is much larger and more connected than at any other time.”
For more information about the College of Business, visit business.lipscomb.edu. To learn more about Lipscomb’s fashion and design program, visit www.lipscomb.edu/fashiondesign or about the study abroad program, visit www.lipscomb.edu/globallearning.