Nurturing young fashion talent will be the key if the Arab world aims to mark its presence on the world fashion stage, noted French Fashion University Esmod – Dubai. The comment comes as Esmod Dubai announces the launch of a specialised summer course titled ‘How to launch your own fashion brand’ that specifically targets inspiring fashion enthusiasts, brand custodians, independent fashion designers, and fashion business initiators and owners.
Fashion minds are undermined in the region. Young Arab designers aspire to achieve global recognition equivalent to their European counterparts and other established fashion hubs. Several highly-talented Arab-origin designers such as Elie Saab, Rami Al Ali, Robert Abi Nader, Abed Mahfouz and Walid Attalah are already excelling around the world with their fusion of modern and Arabic-inspired elements. The first-ever all-Arab fashion event held in Europe last year, which was held under the theme ‘Arabian Fashion World,’ underlined the importance of Arabic fashion through the impressive collections of five acclaimed Arab designers from Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, the United Arab Emirates, Morocco and Jordan.
The six-week intensive course launched by Esmod Dubai begins on August 1, 2010 and covers topics such as market study, target market identification, branding, fashion marketing, competitor assessment, marketing and business plan formulation, budgeting, media planning, supplier and partner evaluation, strategising, cost management, pricing, launch strategies and publicity.
Commenting on the launch of the new course, Tamara Hostal, Director and Founder of the French Fashion University Esmod - Dubai, said: “Almost all students of fashion aspire to launch their own label at some point in their career. While being a highly skilled fashion designer is one thing, to be able to successfully launch your own brand requires a whole different set of skills, and this is precisely what our new course aims to address.”
“As expected in a course of this nature, the focus will primarily be on the business and marketing aspects of fashion. The comprehensive six-week course will have a mix of theoretical and practical sessions, including case studies, to ensure that the students get an in-depth understanding of the various facets of the fashion business,” she added.
To those registering before June 20, 2010, Esmod is offering a 25 per cent discount on the already affordable course fee. The last date for enrollment is July 15, 2010. The course will be conducted four days a week from Sunday to Wednesday, with the following timing options: 10:00am to 1:00pm or 7:00pm to 10:00pm.
“If launching your own fashion label has been a long cherished dream, we are here to help you turn this dream into reality. Launching your own fashion brand can be exciting, challenging and rewarding, and everyday could be a learning process. Students would realise that there are some skills that only a specialised marketing course can offer and this is the premise on which the ‘How to launch your fashion brand’ course is formulated. The key nevertheless is to believe in yourself and give it the best you have,” concluded Hostal.
Esmod is the oldest fashion university in the world. Esmod Dubai opened in 2006 and currently has around 200 students from 50 different nationalities. Esmod Dubai offers 3-year Diploma Degree programs, short programs that are open to the public, and customized short courses for professionals. The university recently announced the appointment of Christophe Beaufays, Designer and Creative Assistant of world-renowned French haute couture fashion designer Jean-Paul Gaultier, as the university’s new Associate Artistic & Creative Director. Also, the university recently hosted renowned French fashion designer Alain Germain, who engaged the students in a unique project that involved the creation of dresses inspired by illustrious 20th century artists.
