Recently, our class was fortunate enough to spend a week in Italy for the third and final round of our international field trips. We spent a total of four nights in Milan and two nights in Rome attending company conferences and enjoying the Italian culture.Our trip began with a visit to the hills of Milan at the Ermenegildo Zegna manufacturing plant. We met with several senior members of the Zegna team and had the opportunity to experience the history and heritage of the company, see how the clothing is made, and generally enjoy the experience at Casa Zegna. The following day we were invited to a presentation by Loro Piana in the Milan headquarters, where we were greeted by the entire team and spent the morning discussing the history, current position, and future vision for the brand. That afternoon was free, and a few of us took the opportunity to visit The Last Supper in the Convent of Santa Maria delle Grazie, which was as impressive as The Da Vinci Code portrays!
On our third day, Armando Branchini,the Executive Director of Altagamma, presented the existing and projected status of the luxury industry, both globally and in Italy. That same evening we met with several alumni from our program working in Milan for Zegna, Yoox and Intercos who explained their journey before and after the MBA in International Luxury Brand Management at ESSEC and how they went about their job search.
After arriving in Rome the afternoon of our fourth day, we attended a conference and presentation by Fendi, which highlighted their heritage and connections with the city of Rome as well as product development, licensing, and merchandising. Our final day included a visit to the high jewellery workshop of Bulgari just outside of Rome, where we were able to see the production process. The workshop visit was followed by a company presentation by the CEO that highlighted Bulgari’s international presence and future direction with regards to digital and online.
All in all, Italy was a wonderful way to wrap up our field trips to different luxury markets!
