Across two Masterclasses, Fashion&Business Saturday Club members from University of the Arts London – Hackney, London College of Fashion, University of the Arts London – Kings Cross, and Istituto Marangoni were introduced to behind-the-scenes communications, marketing, and branding at Manolo Blahnik.
Established in 1970, Manolo Blahnik is a high-end shoe brand with flagship stores across the globe. After introductions to the team and the role of Communications, Club members completed three alternating tasks:
Content – to pose a pair of shoes with props for a photoshoot. Club members used everything from Rubik’s Cubes, dice, and mirrors, and items reflecting Manolo Blahnik’s Spanish heritage.
Press – To find a pair of shoes that fit the following briefs: Kaia Jordan Gerber at a Met Gala afterparty, and a fashion shoot with Vogue UK. Club members compared their decisions with which shoes were actually chosen by Manolo Blahnik for these events.
Marketing – With a budget of £100,000, Club members selected which magazines to place four shoe advertisements in, having to explain their choices to the rest of the group.
At the end of the Masterclass, Club members reflected on what they had learnt about Fashion Promotion and Communication. Club members concluded, ‘working in communications is lots of trial and error’ and ‘seeing how you get inspiration for advertising is really interesting’.