Online fashion studies arrive in Italy

Tag : Italy Shoes

"Several years ago it was not the right timing for the Italianfashion companies because they were still growing strongly and theyhad other priorities, like China," said Federico Marchetti, founderand chief executive of Yoox, which is based in Bologna and has 250employees. "That has changed and Yoox's job now is to help theItalian brands catch up with the Americans."
In Italy itself, the country's infrastructure problems havecontributed to the problem. Only about 17 percent of Italians havebroadband access, the lowest level in Western Europe, according tothe European Competitive Telecommunications Association.
"In Italy, we can find people who know about fashion - that's easy- but they don't know anything about the Internet," Marchetti said."The people who know about the Internet don't know anything aboutfashion. Finding people who are competent in both areas is very,very difficult."
But fashion is not the country's only laggard. Italian companies ingeneral have been slow to covert to online shopping, tallying totalsales of just €5.3 billion, or $7.5 billion, in 2007,according to a study by a research institute at MIP headed byAlessandro Perego. A professor of logistics and supply chainmanagement. Perego also is the director of the new e-fashiondegree. Three percent of those 2007 sales came from all types ofclothing and shoes.
In comparison, France totaled €16 billion in online saleslast year. Germany totaled €30 billion and Britain, €50billion.
Although clothing sales are still a minor part of Italy's alreadylimited online sales, they are the fastest growing sector and areforecast by Perego's researchers to speed up as more companies moveonto or expand online.
Internet fashion sales are still too small to have a considerableeffect on Italy's overall growth - the economy contracted in thesecond quarter and many analysts expect the same for this one,especially in light of the worldwide financial turmoil. But Peregosees online sales as a future growth driver that can also helpstimulate other parts of the economy.
"Fashion companies can't train their people fast enough and theyneed employees who can come in already with the skills," Peregosaid. "Every time a new site opens, there is a need for people withthese skills and there is nobody to fill the jobs. We saw themarket need and have moved to try and fill the void with thismaster's."
Students in the e-fashion program will study at the university fromNovember to April and then be placed in internships that will runat least until October 2009. In Italy, undergraduate studies arealmost entirely paid for by the government, but master's degreestudents must cover their own fees. Still, Perego said MIP washaving no trouble finding students ready to pay the €15,500,or $22,435, for the program. Applications were due Sept. 15.
While there are some less specific programs, including courses inmarketing and communications directed to the fashion industry atBocconi University in Milan, there is no other degree in Italy withthe same fashion e-commerce focus.