Fashion Merchandising and Buying
The Master for quality obsessed fashion enthusiasts with an eye for visual composition.
Florence
ENG
Master Programs
Language
English
Start date
November 2026
Frequency
Full time
Fruition
On campus
Duration
9 Months
Course Coordination
Svenja Niessen
Price
EU/EEA resident students: €22.200
Non‑EU/Non-EEA resident students: €24.200
Combine creative vision with project management and business strategies to orchestrate the processes behind fashion products.
Develop an in-depth understanding of the fashion market, study consumer habits, and master the selection of fabrics, styles, and quantities to build a unique and effective product collections that reflect market trends and client needs.
Gain analytical tools commercial frameworks for understanding the deep essence of what a fashion product is. The Master in Fashion Merchandising and Buying covers the entire supply chain and manages each step of the process from the creation to the sales of a product line.
The aim of this course is to provide students with the fundamental skills and knowledge necessary to guide and operate in real fashion processes in both local and international realities. In addition to lectures, case histories, and workshops, students will also have the opportunity to immerse themselves in prestigious company visits, coming into direct contact with a variety of professional figures from the local fashion scene.
Information to decide
Acquire competences that will allow you operate in and manage the various steps of the fashion supply chain while perfecting your creative dexterity for visual composition.
The IED Master in Fashion Merchandising and Buying is founded on learning by doing and a project-oriented approach that balances theoretical study with practical applications, comprehensively covering fashion production processes and managerial practices, paying particular attention to sustainability and the circular economy.
Students will participate in practical exercises that will simulate a real buying experience for a particular store, creating a brand forecasting report to plan the following season based on past and present information. Moreover, the class will prepare a visual merchandising strategy that emphasizes the importance of brand concept and perception through the use of images, mood boards, and other visual materials.
The course’s final project will see students produce a professional merchandising plan and buying strategy that includes both collection and purchase proposals that reflect the latest market trends, the client’s requirements, and fashion guide lines in regards to time, seasons, and production.
Considering the wide range of cultural, industrial, and commercial aspects of merchandising and buying, this Master is open to all students interested in entering the world of fashion with a particular interest in quality products as a common denominator.
The course has been designed to prepare students for careers as Merchandising Managers and Fashion Buyers. The skills and competencies acquired in this program may also prove fundamental if students wish to consider job positions such as Product Managers.
The Fashion Merchandising and Buying Master's Course provides you with an understanding and know-how of such tools as operations and above all, categories - an area where merchandising and buying share a close connection. Through the analysis of business processes, you will gain an understanding of how fashion companies deliver and maximize their collections for retail and distribution at every stage of the job. In addition, you will always be supported by a faculty of professionals who are willing to share their experience and expertise.
Tuscany has perhaps the largest fashion cluster in the world, and studying here is not just about learning things but also experiencing them first-hand with full-immersion training. This experience will give you insight into how to best manage a fashion company's processes and operations.
The main software you will need during your course is provided by IED!
On this page you will find all the features you need for your computer.
Syllabus
With the skills acquired along the way of the Master Course in Fashion Merchandising and Buying, you will learn how to properly identify your target market and its patterns of behaviour.
This is a crucial step when it comes to defining your product or service in terms of distribution strategy, target markets, merchandising and communication strategies and activities.
The Subject you will be trained on are:
- Contemporary Fashion Culture
- Market and Consumer Psychology
- Product Management
- International Fashion Marketing
- Fashion Merchandising
- Fashion Buying
- Fashion Operations
- Case history
- Company visits
- Final Project
Faculty
Course Coordinator
Svenja Niessen
Fashion Consultant and Business Development
Irene Chellini
Anthropologist
Francesca Del Re
Marketing & Communication Manager
Laura Pannocchia
Consultant in Retail Buying and Merchandising
Alessandro Pierattini
Textile Designer
Livia Quaresmini
Fashion & Sustainability Professor
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