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2021/2022  BA-BBLCV6000U  Fashion Entrepreneurship and Business Development

English Title
Fashion Entrepreneurship and Business Development

Course information
Language English
Course ECTS 7.5 ECTS
Type Elective
Level Bachelor
Duration One Semester
Start time of the course Autumn
Timetable Course schedule will be posted at calendar.cbs.dk
Min. participants 40
Max. participants 75
Study board
Study Board for BSc and MSc in Business, Language and Culture, BSc
Course coordinator
  • Fabian Csaba - Department of Management, Society and Communication (MSC)
Main academic disciplines
  • CSR and sustainability
  • Entrepreneurship
  • Marketing
Teaching methods
  • Blended learning
Last updated on 08-02-2021

Relevant links
Learning objectives
The student should be able to:
  • Demonstrate knowledge of the core concepts and contemporary condition of the fashion industry
  • Apply analytical frameworks of the course to identify opportunities and address challenges of fashion enterprises.
  • Understand and reflect critically on the theory, concepts, tools and cases covered in the course
  • Develop and present a convincing business plan for an upstart fashion enterprise, a project which helps address challenges faced by established fashion enterprise, or an analysis of salient issues in the fashion industry or theory of fashion (business).
Prerequisites for registering for the exam (activities during the teaching period)
Number of compulsory activities which must be approved (see section 13 of the Programme Regulations): 1
Compulsory home assignments
Class presentation of group projects and Peer feedback on project presentations.
Students can present individual projects. For entrepreneurial and business development projects, however, it is recommended to work in groups.

Oral presentations etc.
Please note, to attend the exam it is a precondition that the student has made an attempt in the mandatory activity, unless it can be documented that lack of submission/participation was caused by illness or similar circumstances.

In case the student fails the mandatory activity or can document that lack of submission/participation was caused by illness, he/she will be offered an extra home assignment (3-pages) that is to be handed in before the exam.
Examination
Fashion Entrepreneurship and Business Development:
Exam ECTS 7,5
Examination form Oral exam based on written product

In order to participate in the oral exam, the written product must be handed in before the oral exam; by the set deadline. The grade is based on an overall assessment of the written product and the individual oral performance, see also the rules about examination forms in the programme regulations.
Individual or group exam Oral group exam based on written group product
Number of people in the group 2-5
Size of written product Max. 15 pages
Students have the option to submit an individual 10 page assignment. It is, however, recommended to do entrepreneurial and business development project work and submit reports in groups.
Assignment type Project
Duration
Written product to be submitted on specified date and time.
15 min. per student, including examiners' discussion of grade, and informing plus explaining the grade
Grading scale 7-point grading scale
Examiner(s) Internal examiner and second internal examiner
Exam period Winter
Make-up exam/re-exam Home assignment - written product
Size of written product: Max. 10 pages
Assignment type: Project
Duration: Written product to be submitted on specified date and time.
Description of the exam procedure

Report on either entrepreneurial project/business plan, business development project, fashion industry analysis or fashion (business) theory paper and oral exam.
Course content, structure and pedagogical approach

This course introduces students to the fashion business and provides them with the analytic concepts and practical knowledge and skills to help establish and develop succesful fashion enterprises - as entrepreneurs, consultants or business analysts. The course starts with an outline of the contemporary structure and transformations of the fashion industry in Denmark and beyond. It identifies key trends and forces driving change, including globalization of sourcing and markets, digitalization and demand for more sustainable and responsible business practice. Drawing on theory, industry reports as well as company cases, the course will explore the main challenges faced by entrepreneurs as well as more established fashion enterprises, and the opportunities for rethinking business models and building strong brands in contemporary fashion. 

 

The course presents a framework for understanding different phases, critical moments and key value relationships in the growth of fashion companies. The framework addresses central aspects of running a fashion business and provides students practical insights and tools to deal with issues of finance, sourcing, CSR, design, production, sales channels, communication, legal affairs, IPR and brand building.

 

During the course, the students should acquire the skills to competently formulate, develop or review business models of fashion companies and propose action to address challenges of business growth or analyze key issues in contemporary fashion.

 

The course draws on different disciplines, including fashion theory, entrepreneurship studies, business model theory, business economics, strategic brand management, CSR theory.

 
Description of the teaching methods
The course consists of 10 three-hour sessions which blend theoretical and practical approaches to fashion enterprises, markets, institutions and consumption. The first part of the course places an emphasis on the introduction and discussion of theoretical perspectives and concepts. Gradually the focus shifts to presentations by fashion industry speakers, who share practical experiences and insights and provide the course's core illustrative case examples. In the latter stages, teaching guides student groups in developing their own fashion business or theory project. The projects should either detail a business plan or model for a new fashion enterprise, assist an established enterprise in developing selected aspects of their business or deal with substantive issues in the business of fashion. Students will develop and present (preliminary) projects in class during the course, and submit final project reports at the specified date. Project reports serve as the basis for oral exams. In class sessions, groups will present their ideas and receive feedback from their peers and faculty (both experienced fashion industry consultants and scholars) , who also offer supervision in the preparation of the projects.
Feedback during the teaching period
Feedback on class assignments
Comments on project proposal ideas
Quizzes to test comprehension of selected texts and theory (with feedback)
Student workload
Total student hours 206 hours
Participation in classes 36 hours
Readings and assignments for class 70 hours
Research for fashion project assignment 40 hours
Project presentation (preparation and evaluation) 10 hours
Completion of exam (project) report 38 hours
Oral exam preparation 20 hours
Further Information

The course is developed and will be offered in close collaboration with Danish and (to the extent it is possible)  international fashion industry associations and companies.

 

It seeks to build stronger relations between CBS and Danish fashion, and help facilitate and encourage student entrepreneurship, internships, projects and research on business development in fashion. 
Expected literature

Textbook: Varley, R et al (2019) Fashion management. A Strategic Approach. London: MacMillan

 

Amed, I. & Berg, A. (2020) The state of fashion 2021. London: Business of Fashion & McKinsey

 

Aspers, P., & Godart, F. (2013). Sociology of fashion: Order and change.  Annual Review of Sociology, 39, 171-192.

 

Mills, C. E. (2018). “Grappling with the Challenges of Start-Up in the Designer Fashion Industry in a Small Economy: How Social Capital Articulates with Strategies in Practice”. In Creating Entrepreneurial Space: Talking Through Multi-Voices, Reflections on Emerging Debates(pp. 129-155). Emerald Publishing Limited.

 

Osterwalder, A. and Pigneur, Y. (2010), Business Model Generation, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hobroken, New Jersey. (excerpt)

 

 
Last updated on 08-02-2021