The thought of going back to school may seem daunting for some, but exciting for others—especially if that school is run by Condé Nast International. The media company opened up the Condé Nast College of Fashion & Design in London back in 2013, but due to its popularity the publisher will be opening another in Shanghai with enrollment starting this fall. In fact the company is now planning to open several schools around the globe in the coming years, and fully extend itself into the educational system.
Over the years the brand has used its association with style, glamour and luxury to open several veins of business in including restaurants, business conferences, awards, festivals and even an exclusive e-commerce site that will take the current place of Style.com. They know how to capitalize on their name and connections. This new direction is surprising, but due to the success of their first school in London, it seems to be a profitable one. Last year the school placed 152 of the 180 places in the Vogue Fashion Foundation Diploma program with those graduates going on to work at companies like Hermès, Céline and Net-A-Porter.
“We and our clients are expanding geographically in China and badly need talent to power that growth,” Liz Schimel, president of Condé Nast China, told Business of Fashion. “We see great demand coming from recent university graduates who are ambitious and realize they are lacking certain skills and knowledge to achieve their career goals. Shanghai is a magnet for ambitious young people, who often find that their university education hasn't fully prepared them for the standards of the fashion and design industry.”
The Condé Nast Center of Fashion & Design Shanghai will be similar to its London counterpart with large, dedicated facilities, an on-hands curriculum and discussions with industry speakers. Unlike the first school, Shanghai’s programs will be taught in both Chinese and English and will be geared toward postgraduate students, with classes tailored to requirements of the market.
