Design for Fashion Retail

Course

The fashion system is called upon to respond to the new habits and behaviors of customers and businesses. Today, the shopping experience must include a variety of sensory and informational stimuli, and sales are activated in an omnichannel context, enhanced by rapidly evolving technological dynamics. To address this change, qualified professionals are needed who can design, develop, and implement innovation processes in the field of retail customer experience.

The Master in Design for Fashion Retail has a specific cultural and scientific objective: to train new professionals capable of meeting the current needs of businesses within the fashion system. This educational program is designed for individuals who must lead the digital and sustainable transformation of brand sales processes and channels. During this interdisciplinary path, theoretical knowledge and a design-led approach are integrated to equip participants with the necessary tools for managing complex issues. The aim is to provide the expertise needed to start a professional experience as a Visual Merchandiser, Phygital Retail Designer, Omnichannel Strategist, Retail Events Manager, and many other positions that are relevant to the disciplinary field.

The single modules of the master include theoretical lessons, seminars, exercises, and projects. The program is also enriched by a professional internship in companies or studios within the industry. Here are some of the topics covered to teach innovative methodologies and updated technical skills:

• History and evolution of the Fashion Retail supply chain, introduction to design-led innovation processes
• Leadership and management strategies for key processes characterizing fashion retail
• Tools and methodologies for building Customer Experience and Phygital Retail services
• Preparation of personal portfolio

Didactics

Training objectives

• Acquire skills to design, develop, and implement strategies and innovation processes in the Retail Customer Experience
• Learn theoretical knowledge and a design-led approach to manage complex issues
• Understand strategies for managing complex ecosystems in the retail sector and the dynamics between sectors influencing consumer experience

Develop the ability to analyse elements that build the retail ecosystem, such as consumer-brand touchpoints, interactions between physical and digital channels, and relationships between different industry actors

Didactic Modules

The Master includes multidisciplinary educational activities. The teachings provided within the modules include theoretical lessons, seminars, exercises, and projects. Each module has a specific final assessment exam.

Module 1 | Hours: 12

Learning to Stand Up

Strategies for leadership, inclusive leadership, team building, and e-Coaching of relationship systems.

Module 2 | Hours: 40

Tools

Instrumental training to fill any gaps from previous studies. In particular, learning tools, techniques, methodologies, and uses of specific software and applications. (ex. Excel basic and advance, Adobe Creative Suite)

Module 3 | Hours: 60

Fashion Retailing Overview

The Fashion Industry (10h): In-depth understanding of the Italian Fashion System, its supply chain and evolution over time. Analysis of design, branding, and business models.

Consumer & Shopping Behaviour (12h): Analysis of consumer decisional processes to decode shopping habits. Focus on the impact of pricing, distribution, online and offline retail channels, promotion, and advertising.

Design-driven innovation (12h): Theoretical and practical learning on design methodologies to foster creative problem-solving and human-centered thinking. Goals: to be able to identify new opportunities, create user-centered solutions, and face challenges with a multidisciplinary and future-oriented mindset.

Fashion Retail Transformation (10h): Analysis of new retail strategies focusing on omnichannel retailing, experiential shopping, technology integration, and sustainable practices. Introduction to digital innovation, AI, and data-driven insights in the future of fashion retail.

Fashion supply chain (10h): Overview of the fashion supply chain (structure, key players, and operational complexities). Goal: to understand the dynamics of the value chain, focusing on efficiency, sustainability, and technological advancements.

Fundamentals of Economics and Management (16h): Focus on management principles and economic concepts as a solid foundation to navigate the complexities of global fashion markets. Goal: to be able to analyze and understand business operations in the fashion industry.

Module 4 | Hours: 184

Strategic Approach to Fashion Retail

Retail marketing (16h): Strategic understanding of retail marketing, focusing on store operations, consumer behavior, and competitive positioning. Goal: to be able to develop effective retail strategies that enhance customer engagement and brand positioning in an evolving market.

Fashion Business model (16h): Fundamentals of business models in the fashion industry, focusing on their role in strategy formulation and brand differentiation. Goal: to gain the tools to design and refine business models that align with the dynamic needs of the global fashion industry.

Fashion Branding & Communication strategy (18h): Comprehensive approach to fashion branding, covering both strategic and creative aspects (from the analysis of the brand identity to the implementation of campaigns). Goal: to be able to create cohesive and impactful brand strategies.

Trends & Scenarios (20h): Interdisciplinary approach (combining design, sociology, psychology, and market research) to identify, analyze, and forecast trends in the fashion industry. Goal: to be able to envision future scenarios to generate new design proposals for the fashion industry.

Fashion Responsibility (14h): Analysis of the role of sustainability in fashion (how businesses can redefine value systems to foster responsible and agile models). Goal: to be able to implement sustainable practices that align with the evolving fashion and retail landscape.

Module 5 | Hours: 136

Retail Customer Experience

Omnichannel analytics & Customer experience (20h): Learning to collect and analyze data from multiple customer interaction points to create a seamless, personalized retail experience. Goal: to be able to design and implement data-driven customer experiences tailored to evolving consumer expectations.

Store design & Visual Merchandising (22h): Design of retail spaces, focusing on the experiential and communicative aspects of store environments. Goal: to be able to create a retail concept book, translating a brand’s philosophy into a cohesive retail design strategy, including store layout and window displays.

Project Management (16h): Key methodologies and tools for planning, executing, and overseeing fashion projects. Focus on prioritization, resource allocation, risk management, and stakeholder coordination. Goal: to be able to manage complex fashion projects, ensuring timely and cost-effective execution.

Retail performance & CRM (18h): Methodologies and tools of Customer Relationship Management (CRM) and its role in retail performance optimization. Focus on data-driven customer insights, loyalty strategies, CRM technologies, and KPI analysis. Goal: to develop customer segmentation models and tailored marketing strategies.

Experiential E-Commerce (22h): Analysis of different e-commerce models (from direct-to-consumer platforms to third-party marketplaces), understanding their unique features and consumer expectations. Goal: to be able to design and manage innovative online shopping experiences, aligning them with the latest technological advancements and consumer behaviors.

Transmedia Storytelling & Content strategy (18h): Focus on engaging brand strategies and narratives across multiple platforms. Focus on co-creative content, user-generated content (UGC), and interactive brand storytelling. Goal: to gain the tools to develop compelling transmedia content strategies that drive brand awareness and interaction.

Module 6 | Hours: 110

Phygital Retail Design Experience

Enabling Retail Technology (20h): Focus on technological innovations (AI, machine learning, cloud computing, automation, IoT, AR, VR), enhancing customer experiences, optimizing operations, and driving the digital transformation of contemporary retail. Goal: to be able to integrate emerging technologies to create seamless, data-driven, and interactive retail experiences.

Retail design and servitization (30h field project): Focus on retail innovation through circular economy principles (exploring how fashion brands can transition towards reuse, repair, remanufacturing, and aftercare services). Goal: to be able to design and develop retail strategies linked to circularity, integrating product-as-a-service models, take-back programs, and sustainable business practices to create a future-proof retail experience.

Phygital Retail Experience (30h field project): Focus on how physical and digital retails adapt to changing consumer behaviors in an interconnected world. Goal: to be able to design concepts that seamlessly merge online and offline touchpoints, creating dynamic store environments that cater to evolving market trends and consumer expectations.

Omnichannel retail experience (30h field project): Focus on how digital and physical spaces work together to create a unified, customer-centric experience. Analysis of customer journeys, data-driven marketing, cross-channel promotions, and interactive in-store technologies. Goal: to gain the tools to shape the next generation of retail experiences.

Retail Practice 

Immersive Retailing Experience (retail safari to learn about the most cutting-edge companies in the industry), Empowerment & Career Management, Internship (internship at companies and professional studios related to retail design and preparation).

Internship and Final Exam

Presentation and discussion of a paper describing the experience gained during the curricular internship and all educational activities, with particular reference to the projects developed during the course.

Title Released

At the end of the course, upon successful completion of the final exam, the diploma of First-level Master’s degree in Design for Fashion Retail will be issued in English. The Master awards 60 CFU (Crediti Formativi Universitari), equivalent to 60 ECTS (European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System).

Employment Opportunities

The Master trains qualified profiles capable of mastering design processes related to the retail ecosystem: junior professionals able to investigate the changing nature of the retail fashion sector by designing sales experiences between online and in-person.

• Fashion Retail Designer: Responsible for conceptualising and implementing innovative retail ecosystems – both physical and digital – by integrating the emerging sustainable retail servitisation.
• Phygital Retail Designer: Expert in designing seamless interactions between physical and digital retail environments, enhancing brand engagement and customer journey through immersive experiences and technological innovation.
• Retail Store Planner: Specializes in store layout planning and optimization, ensuring that space, traffic flow, and visual merchandising align with brand identity and business objectives.
• Store Design Project Manager: Leads store design projects from concept to execution, coordinating architectural, operational, and experiential elements to create compelling retail environments.
• E-commerce Specialist: Develops and manages online sales strategies, optimizing digital content, customer journeys, and e-commerce processes. Oversees communication strategies and digital retail ecosystems, ensuring seamless integration across e-tailers and brand platforms.
• Visual Merchandiser: Specializes in the design and execution of visual merchandising strategies across physical stores and digital platforms, enhancing product presentation and stimulating consumer engagement through impactful visual storytelling.
• Customer Experience Manager: Responsible for designing and managing an integrated customer experience both in-store and online, implementing customer journey strategies, service management, and innovative retail technologies.Omnichannel Strategist: Develops and implements seamless integration strategies between physical and digital sales channels, ensuring a consistent brand experience across all customer touchpoints and service networks.

  Retail Design Consultant: Provides strategic guidance for retail brands and businesses, advising on store design, customer experience, and digital integration to optimize retail performance.

  Events & Pop-up Stores Designer: Specializes in conceptualizing and executing temporary retail experiences, including pop-up stores, brand activations, and retail events, creating unique consumer engagement opportunities..

  Media Strategy Specialist: Develops media strategies that align with omnichannel retail experiences, ensuring brand consistency and engagement across digital and physical platforms.

  Service Retail Designer: Focuses on designing service-driven retail experiences, integrating customer-centric business models, technology, and experiential strategies to enhance the shopping experience.

  Retail Events Manager: Plans and executes retail events, brand activations, and in-store experiences to drive consumer engagement, loyalty, and brand awareness.

Admission

Requirements

The Master’s program is open to candidates holding a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree or Academic Diploma of the First or Second Level in interior design, fashion, communication and creative industries, economics, and business management. With reference to other academic qualifications, the Board reserves the right to evaluate the specific profile of the candidate. For candidates with foreign certificates, equivalent study qualifications in their respective educational systems will be considered.

Admission Procedure

Candidates must submit their CV, motivational letter, and portfolio. After the documentation is uploaded, a selection interview, which can be done either remotely or in person, will be scheduled. Selections will be carried out in chronological order based on the date of receipt of the application, until all the available seats are filled.

The formal evaluation of the study title eligibility is by Politecnico di Milano. As a consequence the formal application should be done on the website www.polimi.it (the steps are described in the following weblink).

In particular, the steps that you will have to follow are those mentioned from page 1 to page 8 (by clicking on the following link you will find yourself directly in the same page shown on guidelines).

Deadlines

To take part to the selection process, the application form must be completed online within the following deadlines:

• EU/ Non-EU who graduated in Italy / EU citizens with qualification gained abroad within March 28th, 2025;

• Non-EU citizens who graduated abroad within February 28th, 2025.

Price

The cost of the Specializing Master is € 13.500 (€ 13.000 cost of the Master + € 500 entry fee at the Politecnico di Milano) FREE VAT ART. 0 DPR 633/72.

PROMO

FAMILY SUPPORT: -50%

A chance to gift your siblings the encouragement they need to invest in their future.

FRIEND TO FRIEND: -20%

An opportunity to gift to a friend to make education the foundation of their growth.

POLI.NETWORK: -50%

A promotion designed to strengthen the bond and identity among members of the Politecnico di Milano community.

SUPPLIERS

A 10% reduction to be applied on the participation fee (excluding registration fee or VAT) for suppliers and former suppliers of POLI.design. The reduction can be combined with other forms of discounts and/or exemptions*

*POLI.design reserves the right to verify the existence of the collaboration relationship.

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Faculty

• Valeria Maria Iannilli – Politecnico di Milano
• Alessandra Spagnoli – Politecnico di Milano

• Angelica Vandi – Politecnico di Milano
• Chiara Anceschi – Sustainable Fashion and Retail Experiences Designer, research fellow @RetailExperienceLab (Politecnico di Milano)
• Chiara Colombi – Politecnico di Milano
• Claudia Baldi – Architect and Interior Designer @MatStudio
• Federica Vacca – Politecnico di Milano
• Francesca Bonfim Bandeira – Retail Omnichannel Specialist & UX/Service Design Consultant, research fellow @RetailExperienceLab (Politecnico di Milano)
• Gabriela Fabro Cardoso – Politecnico di Milano
• Paola Bertola – Politecnico di Milano
• Vittorio Linfante – Art Director & Branding/Communication Expert
• Fabrizio Maria Pini – Strategy & Marketing consultant and professor, Head of Marketing Programmes @Mip-School of Management
• Dinara Timergaleeva – Business Model Innovation Scholar specialized in Luxury Fashion