Edinburgh Castle and Old-Town
Author: Ryan Miller | Major: Apparel Merchandising and Product Development | Semester: Summer 2025
My study abroad journey as a part of the Apparel Merchandising faculty led tour included 4 day trips to the culturally rich cities of Edinburgh, London, and Paris. I chose this tour due to its program focus on European textile production and fashion retailing. This program peaked my interest due to the opportunity to explore the European luxury retailing industry, a business segment that I hope to one day participate in. The trip lasted twelve days, with four days in each city respectively.
Throughout the trip, I experienced first hand the scale and operational strategies that have set Europe as the cornerstone of luxury fashion. Specific visits while on tour included luxury shopping hubs of the iconic Bond Street in London, and the world renowned Champs Elysees of Paris. Exploring these prolific districts filled with the leading luxury brands of the current day, I was able to gain a clear understanding of experiential and visual retailing practices used to sell the images of luxury brands operating in Europe.
The trip included visits to key exhibitions and museums located in Edinburgh, London, and Paris that offered perspective on fashion history and evolution. Beginning with Edinburgh, the group visited a curator-led exhibition of the National Museum of Scotland’s fashion exhibition. This exhibit taught me key points of emphasis in the development of textiles, design, and garment construction. London’s Victoria and Albert Museum featured a limited time exhibition hosted by Cartier, and featured jewelry designed by the brand spanning across hundreds of years. Here I experienced the elegance and construction techniques used by the luxury jeweler that have defined the luxury accessory landscape. Finally, Paris was highlighted by the Louvre’s fashion exhibit featuring one hundred pieces of iconic couture from some of fashion’s most famed designers. This exhibition allowed me a broadened perspective on the meticulous designs and trends throughout couture’s history in Paris.
Other appointments took place in each country. Beginning with Scotland, a visit to Holland and Sherry’s headquarters, a luxury fabric producer, allowed me key learning experience as to how to build and market luxury products for an end consumer. London appointments were highlighted by Tom James Company, the parent company to Holland and Sherry, where I learned how these aforementioned fabrics were turned into fine tailored suits meant for a luxury clientele spanning globally. Lastly, Paris visits of note included Benmoyal, a high fashion brand founded in 2020 leading the charge of innovative and sustainable runway collections. These visits all allowed me crucial experience that come with building, marketing, and selling fashion products.
Other personal experiences provided me perspective to the rich and lengthy cultural history of Europe. Key moments of importance included experiencing the architectural styles developed during the times of European royalty and colonialism, all of which enlightened me as to the historical development of these global city centers. Further, utilization of each city’s metro system taught me the importance and integration of urban planning and public transit in European metropolitan hubs. Overall, this experience was an invaluable one that will be sure to shape my knowledge of European fashion and culture, and the memories gained throughout the trip will truly never leave me.