Institut Français de la Mode launches online courses

The Institut Français de la Mode (IFM) is offering online courses for the first time through a partnership with FutureLearn, an online platform used by 10 million people across the world.

Called "Understanding Fashion: from Business to Culture", the course is delivered by IFM professor Benjamin Simmenauer, who is in charge of teaching brand strategy and fashion theory at the school.

Several renowned speakers will also offer their expertise, including Paul Smith, Simon Porte Jacquemus, Christelle Kocher as well as the CEOs of Chanel, LVMH Group, Yves Saint Laurent and Hermes.

The courses will run for four weeks and are mainly aimed at marketing students, although the IFM specifies that anyone interested in fashion is able to participate. The content aims to provide students with key industry knowledge, including how to interpret fashion silhouettes and understand the shifting behaviour of the consumer.

Making fashion more accessible

Although access to the course is free, students will have to 54 euros to get their hands on an official certificate. The course aims to reach a much larger audience than a regular course and allow people to participate without paying the large tuition fees normally associated with such a course. The lessons will be delivered in English, but the content offers subtitles in several languages.

Xavier Romatet, Dean of IFM said in a statement: “This Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) showcases the essence of our expertise, offering an analysis of fashion in all of its dimensions by the best academic experts and major players of the fashion industry”.

And the project, supported by the Defi, won’t be the last of its kind, as the school plans the release of a second MOOC in the first half of 2020 on online learning platform Coursera, in partnership with the Politecnico Milano, called “New business models and creative entrepreneurship in the digital era.”

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