PhD Track in Fashion and Craftsmanship Management

A unique program in France

The fashion and craftsmanship sectors present unique management and leadership challenges, between creative innovation and economic requirements. It also faces major challenges in terms of sustainability and digital transformation.

The “Fashion and Craftsmanship Management” PhD track enables students to develop cutting-edge expertise in a constantly evolving sector and to produce innovative research with concrete applications for the business practices of companies in the sector.

The PhD track teaches students to develop in-depth, critical and constructive reflection on the strategies of companies in the sector, consumer behavior, cultural dynamics and management practices specific to fashion and craftsmanship. This expertise is essential for understanding and anticipating future trends and challenges in the field.

Two complementary expert institutions coming together

IFM is already strongly committed to preserving rare and remarkable fashion craftsmanship, through training and research partnerships with key players in the luxury, fashion and design ecosystem (e.g. LVMH métiers d'art, Musée Yves Saint Laurent, Chanel 19 M, Fédération de la Haute Couture et de la Mode...).

The Centre d'Études et de Recherche sur les Organisations et la Stratégie (CEROS, EA 4429) at Paris Nanterre University is attached to the UFR SEGMI (Sciences économiques, Gestion, Mathématiques, Informatique) and the École Doctorale Économie, Organisations, Société (ED 396). It aims to develop knowledge in management science and to promote the work of its three research teams: Finance and Accounting, Management Innovation Legitimacy (MIL) and Organization and Processes.

Program

The approach is cross-disciplinary, drawing on several scientific disciplines in the field of management science (notably marketing, management, organization theory, consumer behavior studies, management control and entrepreneurship).

During their training, students enrolled in the PhD track in “Fashion and Craftsmanship Management” follow both :

• The doctoral program offered by ED 396 of the University of Paris Nanterre
• The dedicated program offered by IFM.

Students must select two of the 4 courses offered:

• (In-person and in French) Semantics and philosophy of fashion (20hrs total)
• (In-person and in French) Fashion marketing (20hrs total)
• (Online and in English) The challenges of sustainable development in fashion (20hrs to be taken at your own pace over 3 years)
• (Online and in English) Art, design and creation in fashion and arts and crafts (20hrs to be taken at one's own pace over 3 years)

Students enrolled in the “Fashion and Craftsmanship Management” PhD track benefit from the various resources offered to doctoral students at the University of Paris Nanterre (membership of the doctoral school “ED 396 - Doctoral School of Economics, Organizations, and Society,” access to ED 396 and CEROS seminars, access to the documentation centers of Paris Nanterre University), as well as the IFM resources (membership of the IFM research team, the monthly “DRESSCODES” research seminars, the monthly Nudge seminar to support young PhD students, and the IFM library).

Upon registration, candidates must pay both the Paris Nanterre University registration fee and the IFM registration fee.

For 2025's intake:

• University of Paris Nanterre: €391 incl. VAT and CVEC: €103 incl. VAT
• IFM: €300 incl. VAT

Registration for a PhD is decided by the Dean, upon recommendation of the director of the doctoral school, after consulting the thesis supervisor and the director of the research unit. Before applying, the candidate must contact a professor likely to supervise his or her thesis, sending a resume and a short research project proposal.

Description of thesis project proposal:

• a three-page project including a problem statement, hypotheses for resolution, a discursive argument, relevant methodological choices, a corpus of sources, objects, authors, or textual documents, a field of observation and analysis;
• a concise bibliography/webography;
• a provisional three-year research schedule.

You should also provide a copy of your Master's degree (or equivalent), with transcript, including grades for your master's thesis.
If possible, produce a first significant piece of research (Master's thesis, scientific article, etc.).

You are responsible for the choice of your research supervisor, within the Paris Nanterre University and/or Institut Français de la Mode. You should contact directly an eligible professor or lecturer (holder of an HDR) from one of the two institutions. The research supervisor is free to accept or refuse your request.

Please be aware that choosing the PhD track implies an intellectual and moral commitment that requires efforts of all kinds and will have an impact on your personal and professional life for at least three years. Before committing oneself, therefore, it is important to clearly define the feasibility of the subject, the time available, and the human and professional benefits expected.

Registration process

To register for the PhD track in Fashion and Craftsmanship Management, you must register with both the Economics, Organization, Society doctoral school (ED 396) at Paris Nanterre University and with Institut Français de la Mode.

Registration opening dates and updated registration fees for Paris Nanterre University can be consulted on the doctoral school's website.