The Luxury and Fashion Business Club was created with the aim of becoming a point of reference for professionals and enthusiasts in the luxury and fashion sectors and started its activity in a big way: with a launch event!
The inaugural event took place on April 27 from 6:00 to 8:00 pm at Collective Art Gallery 284 and aimed not only to introduce the club to the world, but also to influence the industry. To this end, the club organized a panel discussion on the topic of the fashion and luxury industry in Portugal, namely the "Status Quo of Fashion and Luxury in Portugal".
"The event was a success, attended by many brands and celebrities who believe in this project. At the round table we discussed how the fashion and luxury industry in Portugal is doing and where it is going. We had the opportunity to hear from Amorim Luxury Group and Fashion Clinic a successful example in our market and understand part of their strategy. At the end of the debate, Laurel stressed the importance of involving young people in national value chains to make them sustainable in the long term and preserve Portuguese know-how for future generations." - Mariana Barroso, Co-President.
Four mentors of this new Club participated in this discussion:
- Francisco Carvalheira, General Secretary of LAUREL, Portuguese Association of Brands of Excellence and guest lecturer of the Executive Program in Luxury Management at CATÓLICA-LISBON.
- Mónica Seabra-Mendes, director of two Executive Programs dedicated to the theme of Luxury Management and Founder-Associate of AFFLUENCIAL, a research and consulting platform related to luxury.
- Ricardo Preto, Creative Director of Amorim Luxury Group, in three key areas: food, fashion and hospitality, where he works with a focus on internationalization.
- Maria Pimentel, Fashion Clinic, Gucci and Dolce&Gabbana consultant in the Amorim Luxury Group for over eight years. Currently, she also provides luxury consulting services under her own name.
The event was also attended by partners of the Luxury and Fashion Business Club, such as Clarins, Castelbel, Moda Lisboa or Portugal Fashion, as well as relevant professionals of the fashion and luxury industry in Portugal, such as Chanel, L'Oréal, Hermès, Versace, Boutique dos Relógios Plus, Vista Alegre, Dior, Vogue Portugal, Ritz, Loewe, Estée Lauder or Porsche.
"We imagine that tomorrow we will be among the companies, brands and spheres of influence that we invite to our events today, with whom we are developing partnerships and numerous joint projects. We believe that we should start the relationship with the market while still in the academy, to know it and its main recruiters in advance." - Martim Villa-Nova, Co-President.
But, after all, why create a Club about Fashion and Luxury?
The Luxury and Fashion Business Club, the newest student club of the Católica Lisbon School of Business and Economics, aims to bridge the gap between academia and the fashion and luxury industry.
To promote knowledge of the industry and boost the careers of future leaders in the field, the club aims to develop various activities, including writing informative content, holding master classes, promoting networking moments, and establishing partnerships and mentorships with prestigious companies, recruiters, and key individuals in each sub-sector of the luxury and fashion industry.
According to the founders of the club, Mariana Barroso and Martim Villa-Nova, it is an industry that is constantly growing, and it is also a topic that can be easily transported to a very relevant and current issue with high relevance in society in general and in the mission of CATÓLICA- LISBON in particular: the sustainability of the sector and its framework in the Sustainable Development Goals.
Recently, there have been several concerns and debates about the sustainability of the fashion and luxury industry - and its exponential growth - that have led the club to take a more holistic view of the field of sustainability in the sector. According to the students, there is a great demand from companies to improve their sustainability policies, and they are always looking for students to help them along the way.
The growing demand for qualified professionals working in these industries to improve their behaviour towards the planet was one of the key factors that influenced the creation of this club. Thus, its activity also offers the opportunity to bring together professionals and stakeholders from this field on the campus of CATÓLICA- LISBON to create new partnerships with impact.
In addition to wanting to grow and enrich CATÓLICA- LISBON by creating partnerships in different areas, the young people also want to bring more information and knowledge about the sector to the community and publicize the many career opportunities so that people can make more informed decisions about their future and what they want for their professional lives.
According to the founders, "Portugal's continued potential to become the next Fashion Center, due to its vast textile industry, skilled craftsmanship, strict compliance with labor law, and close relationships with key players in fashion and luxury" are key factors that also led to the creation of this Club.
Would you like to be part of this club and know more about the Fashion and Luxury industry in Portugal? You can contact the Luxury and Fashion Business Club through this email: luxuryandfashionbusinessclub@gmail.com.
Instagram: @luxuryandfashionbusinessclub