Building a Global Brand
Participants will be provided with the knowledge and skills needed to build a modern fashion brand, develop a strategy, bring it to the Russian and international markets, and promote and manage their business. This is the ambitious goal set by the organizers of the intensive fashion course ‘Globalization in the Fashion Industry. Local Concepts in Creating a Successful Global Brand’, which will be held as part of the BRICS+ Fashion Summit. Leading experts from numerous countries, including professors and deans from the best universities in BRICS+ countries, will share their knowledge and experience with the project participants.
Fashion is being decentralized. BRICS+ countries are systematically strengthening their positions, and their areas of influence are changing. Trends are no longer being imported; rather, they are being formed locally. This is a favourable trend for local brands, which have a good opportunity to make a name for themselves. But in order to correctly build a development strategy, people need both specialized knowledge and an understanding of the general laws of how the fashion industry operates.
The programme consists of five conceptual blocks. On the first day of the course, participants will learn about global trends in fashion marketing and how they are being adapted to local conditions. How can we identify and create opportunities in the local fashion market? This is one of the main issues that will be discussed on the opening day.
The following blocks are of a more applied nature. On the second day of the course, successful designers will share their experience with participants. The lecture topics include ‘The First Collection: From Research, Trend Analysis, and Mood Board to Design and the First Sample’ and ‘Product Analysis and Testing’.
The third conceptual block focuses on innovative technologies and materials. What opportunities are opening up for designers? How can we choose the most eco-friendly materials? Participants and teachers will look for answers to these questions together. They will also discuss the possibilities of waste-free production. Representatives of successful brands will tell you that this is a real possibility.
Once it has already been decided what to produce and what materials to use for this, the question of brand positioning arises. The overriding theme of the fourth day of the intensive fashion course is market analysis, identifying the target audience, and creating an identity.
“Universities that train industry professionals still do not exist in every part of the world. Where they do exist, programmes are being adapted to the realities of each individual country. Because the European model that has been created over the course of centuries often does not apply to economies that are either in the development stage, or that were not generally interested in fashion and the creative industries until recently. In these countries, design is most often stronger in certain places, while in others they focus on production, management, or exploring the possibilities of creating clothes and accessories that are safe for the environment and people,” said Anna Rykova, curator of the intensive fashion course at the BRICS+ Fashion Summit, fashion editor, stylist, creative consultant, African fashion researcher, teacher at the British Higher School of Art and Design, author of courses at Fashion Factory and Skillbox, and former fashion director of Cosmopolitan, Marie Claire, and Elle.ru.
“In this short and very intensive programme, we tried to collect the most concentrated and useful summary from educational programmes and the research and real experience of universities, designers, creative agencies, consultants, and business owners, and we hope that it will provide beginning designers and developing fashion brands with a fresh look at both the fashion industry as a whole and at your future or your existing brand or production.”
Anna Rykova, curator of the intensive fashion course at the BRICS+ Fashion Summit
Learn from the Best
Each local fashion industry has its own strengths. Therefore, the creators of the programme set the goal of introducing participants to best practices, while also providing them with an understanding of the general laws of how the fashion business functions.“A successful entrepreneur must skilfully combine three components. First is the timing. It’s essential to follow current trends in the industry since your clients actively use social networks, follow the same accounts as you, and want to see similar ones. Second, [you must] follow the DNA and, more importantly, the archetypes of the brand. It is impossible to simply duplicate trends without passing through this unique component. And third, [you need] knowledge and an understanding of the needs of the market and the target audience,” says interactive teacher Stanislav Zimin, author of courses on trend forecasting and fashion marketing in the Fashion Theory and Industry programme at Lomonosov Moscow State University.
From Building a Concept to Selling Products
The intensive fashion course ‘Globalization in the Fashion Industry. Local Concepts in Creating a Successful Global Brand’ will take place from 28 November to 2 December at Zaryadye Park in Moscow. Over the course of five days, participants will attend seminars and lectures by teachers from Russia, China, India, Colombia, Brazil, South Africa, as well as the world’s leading fashion schools.The programme consists of five conceptual blocks. On the first day of the course, participants will learn about global trends in fashion marketing and how they are being adapted to local conditions. How can we identify and create opportunities in the local fashion market? This is one of the main issues that will be discussed on the opening day.
The following blocks are of a more applied nature. On the second day of the course, successful designers will share their experience with participants. The lecture topics include ‘The First Collection: From Research, Trend Analysis, and Mood Board to Design and the First Sample’ and ‘Product Analysis and Testing’.
The third conceptual block focuses on innovative technologies and materials. What opportunities are opening up for designers? How can we choose the most eco-friendly materials? Participants and teachers will look for answers to these questions together. They will also discuss the possibilities of waste-free production. Representatives of successful brands will tell you that this is a real possibility.
Once it has already been decided what to produce and what materials to use for this, the question of brand positioning arises. The overriding theme of the fourth day of the intensive fashion course is market analysis, identifying the target audience, and creating an identity.
The final day is devoted to building communication with the client. Participants will learn what content is preferable to use in specific situations, as well as the analytics of advertising campaigns. After all, all manufacturers want to promote themselves as efficiently as possible.
Combine Uniqueness and Manufacturability
The intensive fashion course will look at all the main stages of building a brand: from an analysis of the market where the product is to be sold to communication with the client. Participants will also have a unique opportunity to learn from the successful experience of companies that operate in significantly different markets.“Right now, when circular fashion is positioning itself as the most impactful solution, a strong focus on collaboration and sharing knowledge can drive connected growth,” says Cape Town College of Fashion Design dean Gregg Maragelis. Other teachers in the intensive course agree with him. Stanislav Zimin said that “it’s important to form communities and build communications between disparate structures and organizations”. Luciana Duarte, a lecturer at The Hague University of Applied Sciences and a consultant at Ethical Fashion Brazil said that “it’s crucial for local brands and independent designers to collaborate with each other”. She said such connections are precisely what will enable you to successfully compete with big brands and “preserve local culture, in particular, local textile technologies”. At the same time, Angela Dotor Robayo, a representative of Jorge Tadeo Lozano University, reminds us that we must not forget about innovation. Without innovation, it is difficult to compete with global corporations. So, when developing your own brand, it is essential to find a balance by preserving your own uniqueness, while also keeping up with the times and utilizing the latest developments.
“I believe that for local brands and independent designers, cooperation with colleagues and, as a consequence, cross marketing is essential. This will attract new clients for all brands that cooperate together.”
Luciana Duarte, lecturer at the Hague University of Applied Sciences and teacher of the intensive fashion course
