The partnership between MAFED and YOOX NET-A-PORTER, a guarantee of digital expertise in fashion, turns five

The collaboration between MAFED and YOOX NET-A-PORTER began in 2017 and continues to flourish with its work in digital training within the fashion and luxury sectors. Digital skills have come to play a fundamental role in this sector and are increasingly an “open door to fashion and luxury for young talent,” said Emanuela Prandelli, Director of MAFED, Master in Fashion Experience & Design Management.

MAFED is a full-time Master degree in English that focuses on the fashion world and aims to provide solid managerial skills for work in highly creative companies. The young people who are typically interested in the Master consist of 80% international students, are 26 years old on average and have between 3-5 years of work experience in the field.

Every year, halfway through the MAFED program, during the part dedicated to “Advanced & Specialized Courses,” students are challenged to apply the practical skills they learned with the help of YOOX NET-A-PORTER managers, who share their knowledge with students and help them grow the skills they need to work in the fashion and luxury sectors. These skills, which come from the relationship managed between MAFED and the HR team at YNAP, have helped lead some of these students to join the staff at the Richemont Group company after their studies.

There were many managers this year who led sessions on various topics, including “Omnichannels Strategy”, “Marketplace”, “Delivery & Evaluation”, “Market Positioning” and “Buying & Merchandising”.

“The technical partnership is designed and coordinated together. The study sessions are led by YNAP managers, who also conduct and evaluate group assignments themselves. The quality and expertise of YNAP are a guarantee in this sector,” said Emanuela Prandelli, adding “how important it is to feed the skills of these students, provide them with the tools they need to navigate a new digital world. Because being digital native is important, but what’s more is to develop the right skills.”

The business case this year was focused on the operational flows and customer experience of a fashion brand, regarding daily delivery by a store. The members of the team that best convinced the YNAP managers were Abass Nadia, Ghosh Shalinee, Ospina Montoya Manuela, Sharma Rupangi, Tsami Dimitra and Kampi Maria Elisavet.

To achieve these objectives, the students could use all the tools they learned during the courses of MAFED general management in addition to the skills they gained during the course.

Iuliana Isarescu, Talent Acquisition and Management Director di YOOX NET-A-PORTER, comments: “We chose to collaborate with SDA Bocconi School of Management and, specifically, support the Specialized Master MAFED, over 5 years ago. We are combining the School’s prestigious experience in developing top talent and its cultural diversity, with our own ability to attract and grow exceptional digital professionals, sharing our knowledge and expertise in the management of digital strategies in luxury fashion. Thanks to MAFED we have contributed to training over 200 students from all over the world, and some of which have even continued their professional careers with us”.

SDA Bocconi School of Management