At Florence University of the Arts - The American University of Florence, Fashion Retail Management class teaches students about the ins and outs of fashion production. Livia Quaresmini teaches the course educating students on how the ever-changing factors of the fashion industry are changing retail management with hands-on experience. Quaresmini understands the impact of experiential learning in better understanding retail management.

“This experience can provide them with practical insights into customer behavior, supply chain, and the importance of building relationships within the industry. Additionally, it helps them appreciate the challenges and opportunities that local retailers face,” said Quaresmini.

Students get the opportunity to see how resale and consignment, pricing strategies, and social media is run for FLY - Fashion Loves You. The small stylish vintage shop run by FUA-AUF allows the students to bridge the gap between what they are learning within the classroom and being able to creatively come up with solutions.

The Fashion Retail Management class allows students to see a variety of problems that can occur. The class aims to help students also to be able to deal more with situations they would deal with in their niches of emphasis in the fashion industry. Study abroad student, Chloe Buckely who is part of the hands-on portion of the class shared, “They listened to what we wanted, what we had interest in. What we wanted to learn more about, and are trying to add to what we want to get out of it, which is very helpful,” said Buckley.

Further allowing the students to monitor and assess the impact of their strategies. Local businesses are a crucial step in helping students understand the dynamic fashion industry. In class, Quaresmini also addresses the movement of retail management from in-store shopping to online platforms.

“The rise of online shopping significantly affects retail management, necessitating a shift in strategies to integrate digital and physical retail experiences,” said Quaresmini.

To help guide students through the complexities of the modern fashion industry, she teaches the importance of omni channels which allows for a more fluid experience of shopping on and offline.

While the fashion industry may be ever-changing, Fashion Retail Management students learn just exactly how to navigate all these dynamic elements and the impacts they can have on the fashion industry.