Hello all,

This is my first post here, and I would appreciate your opinions on what I plan to do, and some advise.

I have 3 years work experience within luxury goods (fragrances) in the UK, including experience working for a LVMH brand, and I currently work for Prada, which a retail role. I would like to move into luxury brand management, i.e deal with marketing aspects of the brand, PR, events etc. My experience so far is retail based and I am dying to move into the marketing side of things. I do have some marksting experience working for a luxury brand, that is e-commerce bases only, but that was a start-up and from there I moved into traditional retail. However, I would like to keep my options open, and not limit myself and prospects later on. I have thought about going into Luxury buying, too, but marketing is ultimately where I want to be. My experience also is more beauty based and I want to keep my options open for other job opportunities too, such as fashion marketing etc, and no just skincare or perfumes.

I am based in the UK, and there aren't many choices when it comes to luxury brand marketing or management programs. Question is this, should I stay in the UK and do a generic international marketing and/or business course, either MBA or Msc (im more inclined to do an MSc than an MBA), or should I go to EU and do a more specialised luxury brand management / marketing course? Whether it's an MBA or not doesn't concern me, however, I would not like it to interfere with my job. My employer is aware that I plan to study and they may be willing to give me one years sabbatical or flexible working options to do this, or if I find a program that fits around work, that would be even better. For this reason, the likes of ESSEC and SDA Bocconi are not really options, because

1. Their programs are revolved around travelling to other countries and doing semesters in various parts of the world. I can't do that for various reasons (family) and plus I don't think there is a need to have to take classes in places like India or China, as it won't be beneficial to my career plan.

2. The cost of this worldwide galavanting is not something I would consider, on top of the extortionate fees.

Programs in places like France, such as Skema's luxury program, as well as Emloyon's Luxury programs seems appealing and there is no galavanting to other countries required to complete the program. Which of these two is the better option, in terms of the reputation and the programs?

EU wise, I have also seen:

1. Sup De Lux
2. Paris Business School
3. University of Monoco
4. EIML MBA program
5. Domus Academy (Italy)
6. IFA Paris
7. INSEEC - Paris campus

There are a few other Italy based programs that seem sketchy in terms of not much info online available. Any comments in terms of reputation/standing etc of these above institutions and their luxury programs?

I have also seen NEOMA joint program with MIP Politecnico in Milan, but the course itself doesn't cover what I am looking for, plus I am not sure how having a degree in luxury program, from a politics school (Milan) would rate with emoloyers. The program isn't exciting enough to consider. I have found that those that seem to not have much of a reputation or 'standing' etc, have really good courses and cover all topics I am interested in. This is the case with the likes of EIML and Sup De Lux. Bit of a dilemma. Alumni and careers network is also very important to me.

Cost is an issue, of course, in the UK, I can easily do a generic marketing or international business and marketing program, that has modules concerning luxury, and using the postgraduate loan, it would help me significantly with the costs, plus there would be no need to have to go through the hassles of studying in EU (accomodation costs etc) ... I also have a house in the UK I have to maintain, so cost and availability of scholarships in EU is important.

My plan is to find work in Dubai, within the luxury sector (we plan to move there), so if a program or institution can provide links and opportunities in the UAE, that would be a deciding factor. Bocconi, I think provides a semester or something in UAE, which is useful, but it also includes the need to travel to China and India I think, which is a waste of money and time as far as I am concerned, as those markets are not what I am interested in. If there was a program that includes only a semester or time period in the middle east, that would be something I would definitely look into.

Advise?

With thanks! :)

[Edited by LuxuryChic on May 14, 2018]

Read through Luxury & Luxury Brand Management http://www.find-mba.com/board/24603

I assume you speak Arabic.

I think the most solid options are EMiLUX, HEC or ESMODE, since they all have good networks in Dubai.

Thank you for the suggestions. Yes, I do speak Arabic and it is the middle eastern luxury market that I hope to work in.

As mentioned in my post, SDA Bocconi's EMiLUX isn't really an option, because it involves wasting a lot of time and money on studying in other places like India etc. I did once have a look at ESMODE and their Dubai campus only does short courses, their Paris main campus has a really bad reputation, many bad reviews. HEC require a GRE/GMAT for their MSc courses, whereas the likes of Skema's and Emlyon don't . I'll think I will be better off going with either of these two or doing a general marketing and international business Msc course in the UK. Kingston University has links with L'Oréal, and their course looks promising.


Thank you.

Read through Luxury & Luxury Brand Management http://www.find-mba.com/board/24603

I assume you speak Arabic.

I think the most solid options are EMiLUX, HEC or ESMODE, since they all have good networks in Dubai.

I don't quite understand why being lectured by Bocconi faculty in a room in India is a waste of time, when the same people in a room in Europe become less wasteful. If you think Kingston seems better, then that is great news.

Wasting time, in terms of having to take time off work, traveling there, finding a place to live for 1 semester and all the rest that comes with moving to another continent. This is on top of the costs of tuition fees.
It's not just a case of being in a room in India to attend lectures, there is a lot more that goes into moving to another country. Money, because it takes money to do all I mentioned.

Doing this from the UK going to Europe is considerably easier and cheaper, because believe it or not, Europe is closer than India. I can go home on off days / weekends etc. If I were interested in working in the Indian market, then it would be something to consider.

Thank you!

I don't quite understand why being lectured by Bocconi faculty in a room in India is a waste of time, when the same people in a room in Europe become less wasteful. If you think Kingston seems better, then that is great news.

The EMiLUx module in Mumbai lasts five days (http://www.sdabocconi.it/en/specialized-master-full-time-executive/emilux/program/structure#content). I don't understand why you would have to live there for a semester.

"Europe is closer than India" to the UK. Thank you for clearing that up. I am, as you know, exceedingly stupid.

Maybe I got the Indian segment for the course mixed up with another course then, as I read somewhere that it was a whole semester. Even if It's for five days, the cost element is still there, and it's not just India, but other countries are also involved, one being the UAE which is relevant to the market that I want to work in. Ill have to double check the course again, and see how long it is... If it is only five days, then maybe it is worth considering, but there is also the cost element involved. I don't know in what way studying for 5 days in India will benefit my education at all... When, as you said before, "lectured by Bocconi faculty in a room in India" is really all it will be. If I was 5 days visiting companies out there and more field based work, it would be beneficial and it would provide real market insights, but I wonder what benefit there would be in me being lectured by Bocconi faculty in a room in India. It would be me just dishing out money for a plane ticket and hotel accommodation for the previledge of being lectured in a room in India.

As with anything in life, when spending a considerable amount of money on something, especially an investment, whether it comes to business or education money needs to be used wisely and not wasted, as one needs to get a good return on investment. There is no real use in me being lectured in a room in India, when I could be lectured on the same topics by other institutions, such as Skema, somewhere in Europe, saving me a considerable amount of money. It's not rocket science. I'd rather spend that money towards an extended holiday in India. If you have any idea how spending five days in India within a classroom would be benefit for my career, do enlighten me.

I don't mean to imply that you are stupid in anyway. I was just stating the obvious and you implied before that studying in India would not be wasteful.

It would be interesting to know how you back that up, how would you think me studying in a room in India would benefit my career?

[Edited by LuxuryChic on May 17, 2018]

I'll step out of the discussion here. Good luck.

Thank you for your input. Good luck to you, too!

I'll step out of the discussion here. Good luck.

Sounds like Manchester Global MBA and choose your workshops (or some of them) to be based in middle east (Dubai)

George!! Thank you very much for the very useful suggestion, indeed! I had an inkling that Manchester University may have something, I checked their masters degree and I didn't find anything that they do remotely related to luxury brand management (apart from maybe fashion retailing or international business) and for some reason or another I had never come across their part time Global MBA! This may be a solution! How wonderful! Bless you, George, I had a discussion with them over the phone today and it certainly looks promising! Thank you!

Graduated from the EMiLUX program by SDA Bocconi and ESSEC last year. This course did not offer any career assistance at all eventhough they said they would during my interview. You are on your own. Course director from Bocconi, Gabriella Lojacono is also highly unprofessional and shows favoritism towards Italians and students enrolled via Bocconi. Not the level you would expect from an executive program in terms of leadership and content.

Buyers beware.

Sad to hear that. Luxe programmes are famously weakest at placement support, and exec programmes are too, so perhaps not a surprise there. Even so, for around 50 percent more than ESSEC's excellent executive MSc in strategy and international management you should have gotten more value. I guess that is just luxury branding....

Yes, agreed. However, these part-time programs can be tricky in terms of career support.

For goals involving careers in the luxury sector, I always suggest that applicants pursue a program that offers an internship with a luxury firm, or at the very least one or more consulting projects in the sector. Hands-on experience with a known firm, that you can put on your resume, is very important.

Graduated from the EMiLUX program by SDA Bocconi and ESSEC last year. This course did not offer any career assistance at all eventhough they said they would during my interview. You are on your own. Course director from Bocconi, Gabriella Lojacono is also highly unprofessional and shows favoritism towards Italians and students enrolled via Bocconi. Not the level you would expect from an executive program in terms of leadership and content.

Buyers beware.

If you want o pose this question to EMiLUX alumni, you could approach some on LinkedIn. Remember, people who have invested heavily in something tend to say it was the right choice.  The alternative to consider is a EMBA at a top business school with links in the region you want to see into.