Edited in Tezza with: Vintage

Author: Katie Parks | Major: Apparel Merchandising and Product Development | Semester: Summer 2025
I chose this specific program because it perfectly encompasses my two fields of study: Fashion and Marketing. I also appreciated how the program gave me the opportunity to travel to several different cities. These cities not only are beautiful and bucket-list worthy but also are
very important to the fashion industry. The program also set up many exclusive museum visits, exhibits, and tours that all revolved around my field of study or history of the cities. While abroad, I studied Fashion Marketing through a professor from the London Metropolitan University. My professor was extremely knowledgeable and amazing at relating
our studies to current life. She focused our curriculum around the cities we visited and luxury fashion. Luxury fashion was focused on specifically because the cities we traveled to have huge
luxury fashion markets. We learned about the harmful effects of counterfeit products, how to
market fashion effectively, and sustainability efforts. My biggest takeaway from my learning was
her discussions about counterfeit products. I can firmly say I left the program with a better grasp
on their effects on the industry.
During our afternoon visits we would explore sights, museums, exhibitions and so much
more. One of my favorites is we visited a luxury small mens clothing business. We got to explore
their showroom, talk to their interns and learn some industry tips. This stood out to me because it
was super insightful and the advice I believe I will use in the future. Another one of my favorite
moments was when we toured a shoe factory. They make all their shoes by hand and we got to
see shoes made of luxury/rare leathers such as shark, hippo and so much more.
One thing I appreciated about my program was that we had endless free time. As a
fashion major I would usually spend this time shopping vintage and luxury stores that were
specific to the location I was in at the time. I also visited several sights during my free time,
would explore, and eat local favorites. While in London, I traveled to Brighton, England for the
day. This cozy little beach town was a great change of pace and I loved seeing the water and
shopping the local stores. While in Milan, I traveled to Lake Como and got to see all the sights
by boat. This was truly an unforgettable experience. Finally while in Florence, I traveled to
Tuscany to participate in a vineyard tour. The views were breathtaking and we got to make our
own pasta as well.
This is only a glimpse into all the amazing experiences I took! I am so grateful to have
been able to see so many new places while also studying everything I love. I would recommend
this program to anyone interested and wish I could experience it all over again!