Course 2025-2026 a.y.

20524 - VALUE CHAINS AND BUSINESS MODELS IN FASHION & LUXURY

Department of Management and Technology

Course taught in English
31
ACME (6 credits - I sem. - OBS  |  SECS-P/07) - AFC (6 credits - I sem. - OP  |  SECS-P/07) - AI (6 credits - I sem. - OP  |  12 credits SECS-P/07) - CLELI (6 credits - I sem. - OP  |  SECS-P/07) - CLMG (6 credits - I sem. - OP  |  SECS-P/07) - DES-ESS (6 credits - I sem. - OP  |  SECS-P/07) - DSBA (6 credits - I sem. - OP  |  SECS-P/07) - EMIT (6 credits - I sem. - OP  |  SECS-P/07) - ESS (6 credits - I sem. - OP  |  SECS-P/07) - FIN (6 credits - I sem. - OP  |  SECS-P/07) - GIO (6 credits - I sem. - OP  |  SECS-P/07) - IM (6 credits - I sem. - OP  |  SECS-P/07) - MM (6 credits - I sem. - OP  |  SECS-P/07) - PPA (6 credits - I sem. - OP  |  SECS-P/07)
Course Director:
STEFANIA SAVIOLO

Classes: 31 (I sem.)
Instructors:
Class 31: STEFANIA SAVIOLO


Suggested background knowledge

Knowledge about industry analysis and competitive strategies are recommended to successfully attend the course

Mission & Content Summary

MISSION

This course offers an overview of the global fashion and luxury industries, examining business models, value chain design, drivers of growth and profitability, and the impact of digitalization and sustainability. While maintaining a global perspective on competition and value chains, the course also places a specific focus on the Italian fashion model and Italian business cases. The course explores key business models across various segments – including luxury, high-end designer fashion, premium fashion, fast fashion, and online platforms – and provides analytical tools to assess competitive positioning, operational processes, and key success factors in sectors such as textiles, apparel, sportswear, leather goods, jewelry, and eyewear. Through a mix of lectures and a group assignment, students will learn how to segment markets, understand product categories, and build strategic groups by analyzing their key success factors. They will also explore business models in terms of value propositions, value chain design, and revenue models. Additionally, the course addresses cutting-edge topics such as developing sustainability narratives, the impact of digital technologies, and the drivers of business model innovation. The course has a strong practical focus, combining traditional lectures, case discussions, and guest speakers. Students will have the opportunity to apply the tools and models learned in class during a group project in collaboration with a leading fashion compa

CONTENT SUMMARY

Main Topics Covered in the Course:

  • Industry analysis in fashion and luxury,

  • Country-specific fashion models and the country-of-origin effect

  • The fashion process and timeline, the industrial fashion pipeline, and current challenges in global fashion value chains

  • Business models in fashion and luxury (luxury brands, designer brands, premium brands, fast fashion brands, fashion e-tailers, and direct-to-consumer brands)

  • Competition across segments of the fashion industry and their value chains (textiles and leather, apparel, sportswear, leather goods, jewelry, watches, and eyewear)

  • Sustainability and digitalization in the fashion value chain, ingredient branding strategies, and the branded supply chain

  • Drivers of business model innovation in fashion and luxury


Intended Learning Outcomes (ILO)

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING

At the end of the course student will be able to...

  • Understand the concept of seasonality, the different country models in the fashion and luxury industries, and the sources of the country-of-origin effect

  • Recognize the key success factors for competition, strategic groups, and bases for cost leadership and differentiation within the fashion and luxury sectors

  • Distinguish between different business models in fashion and luxury based on their core pillars: value proposition, value chain design and go to market strategies, and revenue model

  • Appreciate the importance of value chain design (make-or-buy decisions) in the luxury and fashion industries

  • Identify value creation strategies specific to fashion businesses such as leather goods or sportswear

  • Identify the drivers of business model innovation

  • Understand the impact of digitalization and ESG compliance on the growth of fashion businesses

APPLYING KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING

At the end of the course student will be able to...

  • Conduct an industry analysis of the fashion and luxury sectors, identifying the key success factors for competitive advantage

  • Analyze the business model of a specific company within different fashion segments and value chains

  • Understand the strengths and weaknesses of the Italian fashion system in the context of the global fashion industry

  • Identify the most relevant metrics to assess sustainability in the fashion sector

  • Develop teamwork skills and learn how to deliver a professional project for a client


Teaching methods

  • Lectures
  • Guest speaker's talks (in class or in distance)
  • Collaborative Works / Assignments

DETAILS

  • Several guest speakers contribute to student learning by sharing best practices and successful cases from the industry.
  • Multiple case studies make the learning experience more practical and tailored to the fashion and luxury sectors.
  • A group assignment provides students with an effective “action learning” opportunity and fosters team-building skills.

Assessment methods

  Continuous assessment Partial exams General exam
  • Written individual exam (traditional/online)
     x
  • Collaborative Works / Assignment (report, exercise, presentation, project work etc.)
 x    
  • Peer evaluation
 x    

ATTENDING STUDENTS

  • Knowledge and understanding of global fashion value chains, country models, business models, go to market strategies and innovation strategies within the fashion and luxury sectors are assessed through a written exam, which accounts for 60% of the final grade. To obtain the final grade (combining the individual exam and group assignment), the individual exam must score at least 18 out of 30.

  • The ability to apply the concepts learned in class is evaluated through a group field assignment. In this project, students are required to carry out a real-world project for a company, using all the methods and tools presented in class. The group grade represents 40% of the final grade and remains valid for one academic year.


NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS

  • Knowledge and understanding of global value chains, country models, business models and their go to market strategies, as well as management and sustainability strategies within the fashion and luxury sector are assessed through a written individual test. This assessment accounts for 100% of the final grade..

Teaching materials


ATTENDING STUDENTS

  • E. Corbellini & S. Saviolo, Management in Fashion and Luxury Companies, ETAS, 2009 (Chapters 1–8)

  • S. Saviolo & G. Borney, The Branded Supply Chain, BUP, 2021 (Chapters 4–9)

  • Additional cases and handouts available on Blackboard


NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS

  • E. Corbellini & S. Saviolo, Management in Fashion and Luxury Companies, ETAS, 2009 (Chapters 1–8)

  • S. Saviolo & G. Borney, The Branded Supply Chain, BUP, 2021 (All chapters and cases)

  • S. Saviolo, Business Models and Go-to-Market Strategies in Fashion (Working paper, 2025; available on Blackboard)

Last change 31/05/2025 15:04