PARTNERSHIP Italy - UK

PARTNERSHIP | Winter 2019 08 Marangoni is planning to maintain similar currency of the programmes, as most of their “brilliant lecturers travel across countries to keep the offer and the experience consistent”. Concerning luxury brands, Ms Ghebreab confirmed, it is unlikely that renowned stores in both Italy and the UK (such as Harrods, Selfridges, 10 Corso Como, Al Duca D’Aosta) will change drastically their buying mix. However, there is a “general sense of being careful in the brand mix to invest, that is in line with the general overview that many predicted in this uncertain moment.” Consequently, “some production hubs and warehouses have been relocated from the UK to continental Europe, to cope with any no-deal consequences”, nevertheless, according to the Institute of Directors, nearly a third of British firms are considering moving operations abroad because of Brexit. · The fashion industry, a sector that will never wane Istituto Maragoni’s case study S ince June 2016, Brexit has been affecting all sectors of the UK economy. While politics has been working on this complex scenario, the fashion industry has been observing its evolving. Uncertainties derive from the possible consequences of Brexit: a no-deal, from what emerges in a statement of the British Fashion Council, would end up in a huge decline of the British fashion industry. However, the attitude of most big fashion brands has not changed. The fashion industry - with over £31bn of income only in 2017 - relies on international trade and thrives on a global landscape of future talents. The UK imports almost £10bn worth of clothing and shoes from Europe every year, and employs more than 10,000 European people. Considering Italian-British affairs, the UK is the third most important client for the entire textile and clothing sector for Italy. Confindustria Fashion Italy analysed that the sector was dynamic both before and after the Referendum. As a confirmation of this, between 2013 and 2017, Italian fashion exports towards the UK grew constantly despite the weakening of the British Pound. Moreover, 90% of UK designers told the British Fashion Council that they voted to remain. FASHION EDUCATION The fashion sector, as a creative industry, plays a significant role in cultural communication and is seen by many as a fundamental driver of modern cultural and economic development, mostly through fashion education. Italian fashion schools hold an essential position in this framework. One of them is Istituto Marangoni. The school, which is present in 8 different cities including London, Milan and Florence, “presents strong links among all its schools”, as affirmed by Ms Sennait Ghebreab, expert in fashion brand development and program leader for the BA courses in Fashion Business at Istituto Marangoni London since 2015. Ms Ghebreab emphasised that students’ international mobility has always been their strongest USP and that the institution aims to keep it this way, because “students gain many benefits by studying their BA across our schools”. Regarding Brexit, Istituto