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Sign up for our first online course (MOOC)!

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Sign up for our first online course (MOOC)!

Institut Français de la Mode launches its first ever MOOC. Open to a wide and international audience, this massive open online course is available on the British platform FutureLearn.

The course, called "Understanding Fashion: from Business to Culture", offers a dual approach to fashion, both as a cultural phenomenon and as a creative industry.

Delivered in English and subtitled in several languages, it is taught by Professor Benjamin Simmenauer, who teaches brand strategy at the school. He has recently co-authored a book called "Les grands textes de la mode" published by IFM-Regard publications. Several Professors from Institut Français de la Mode and academic experts also provide input on historical, economic, sociological or aesthetical perspectives.

In order to remain as close as possible to the realities of fashion and luxury today, the MOOC also offers video testimonials from major business leaders and fashion designers, who share their analysis and unique expertise of the different issues addressed in the course. Among them are Francesca Belletini (CEO, Saint Laurent), Guillaume de Seynes (Managing Director Upstream and Investments, Hermès International), Bruno Pavlovsky (President of Fashion Activities, Chanel), Sidney Toledano (Chairman and CEO, LVMH Fashion Group), Christelle Kocher (Founder & Designer, Koché) and Simon Porte (Founder & Designer, Jacquemus) and designer Sir Paul Smith.

The course is mainly aimed at students from all over the world, but also at professionals.

The project is supported by DEFI.

Learning outcomes

By the end of the course, you'll be able to:

  • Develop transdisciplinary knowledge and expertise aimed at understanding the logics of the contemporary fashion field
  • Identify the creative models of the different fashion houses and their conception of time
  • Explore the trends diffusion models
  • Interpret a fashion silhouette
  • Explain the construction of consumer behaviour

Practical information

The online course is available free of charge by registration on the FutureLearn platform. Registration is open on this page. The MOOC will start on November 18th 2019 and will run for 4 weeks. Subject to completion of all the coursework, participants may obtain a certificate (optional for a fee of £42).

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