Global Fashion Enterprise (GFE)

This course introduces students at a graduate level to the global fashion industry, with a particular focus on benchmarking successful organizational strategies. The course integrates textile functionalities, usages, design concepts, and apparel manufacturing. Students visit US fashion houses and participate in experientially focused workshops. Students will evaluate fashion strategies, from both the technical and business perspectives, and examine the conceptual frameworks and core disciplines within the Global Fashion Enterprise curriculum.

This course aims at showing that state-of-the-art technology in a given field has become an essential component for strategic leadership, profitability and stable employment. The point is made by providing a broad perspective on the major technical advances experienced by the apparel industry from the 1980s and their positive impact on the national industries where they originated and/or were adopted. Analysis of the difficulties met by high wage countries failing to follow that course helps to reinforce the point. Review of the factors accounting for these advances brings out the critical importance of technology transfer and fusion in the formulation and development of basic concepts. Detailing both processes offers the opportunity to introduce the notion of systemic thinking and its growing influence on management style. It is intended that the student will gain a global perspective of the textile and apparel business and of the growing role played by advanced technology and its impact on finances and personnel.

U.S. textile and apparel companies are under siege, facing competitive threats that have been continually mounting for years. What it takes to be successful in the future is explored. The concept of ?business as usual? has long outlived its usefulness, and new and refreshing approaches are necessary. Students will be introduced to avant-garde management concepts often espoused, but seldom adopted, by most textile and apparel managements. The course is designed to introduce the student to the global perspective of today?s apparel industry and to prepare the student to make critical international marketing and sourcing decisions within a complex economic environment. Students will explore the major variations which occur across international markets - economic, social, and cultural; examine the behavior of business within different marketing and manufacturing contexts; and consider the factors involved in making effective global marketing and sourcing decisions.

Students research, select and conduct preliminary work on a project falling either within the: (1) Product Concept Track in which they develop a fashion line consisting of apparel, accessories, or home textiles that could be produced and sold online or in traditional retail establishments, or (2) Business Concept Track in which they develop a business plan or implement an innovative concept at an existing company. Weekly and summative critiques are held with faculty and industry associates.

Continuation of GFE-722. Students implement their product or business concept and write a formal business plan. The final strategy for a visual merchandising plan, or business plan development, will be solidified and implemented. Students will conduct pilot testing to assess the feasibility of their plans and will present their plans after interviewing clients and reviewing their plans with industry critics. Each phase of the new business lifecycle concludes in a progress presentation with industry critics.

Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) has become one of the emerging technology applications in business, specifically in apparel, accessories, footwear, textiles, and other fashion-related industries. Learn how PLM software can accelerate your product development process with digital asset (image) management, tech pack management, quotation and bid management, sample and production planning and tracking, pre-concept line management, and materials management. In this hands-on course, you will develop, manage, and edit a echnically accurate, complete mini-collection in GERBER comprehensive suite of PLM tools developed specifically for fashion companies.

This seminar course features speakers from across the fashion value chain who share their experiences and career insights. Students reflect on the implications of the topics presented for their own careers, relating concepts and insights to material covered in other Global Fashion Enterprise courses. Students have the opportunity to network informally with course speakers. .

This seminar course features speakers from across the fashion value chain who share their experiences and career insights. Students reflect on the implications of the topics presented for their own careers, relating concepts and insights to material covered in other Global Fashion Enterprise courses. Students have the opportunity to network informally with course speakers.

The course provides a broad introduction to many critical facets of supply chain. Students in this course will understand existing tools utilized in managing inventory and logistics in the global supply chain. The course covers topics in inventory logistics management, network design, value of information sharing, the international supply chain, supply chain contracts, and risk management.

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