Programme structure and milestones

A journey designed to create, develop, and scale luxury brands.

Induction Phase

Business Fundamentals & Strategic Foundations

January - May

This phase is composed of modules centered on:

BRAND DEFINITION
MERCHANDISING AND PRICING
DISTRIBUTION
CIRCULARITY
SOURCING AND PRODUCTION
ADMINISTRATION AND FINANCE
COMMUNICATION AND ART DIRECTION

Goal: Develop a Clear Business Vision & Growth Plan
This phase equips designers with essential business knowledge, enabling them to build a solid foundation for brand growth and scalability.

Key Focus Areas: Market analysis, Branding and Positioning, Merchandising, Circularity, Sourcing, Product Development & Supply Chain, Showrooms, Sales and logistics, Brand strategy and Art Direction, Digital communication, Retail & Distribution, Fashion and luxury Business Models, Budget and Accounting, Administrative and Financial Structuring, HR, Intellectual property and Legal, Investor pitch workshop.

Milestone: At the end of this phase, each designer will have built a solid foundation to engage in personalized mentorship, focused on developing and strengthening their own business model.

Programme Format

Industry Masterclasses with top Richemont executives & luxury brand leaders in collaboration with Creative Academy.
Business case studies of leading Fashion and luxury brands.
Hands-on workshops on strategic business development.
Practical brand-building exercises guided by industry experts.

The program is delivered in English at Milan ACM and is full-time. Attendance at all activities during the induction modules is mandatory, as full participation is required to present the final project to the Richemont committee.

Mid-Term Individual Path

Personal Mentorship and Industry Experiences

June - July

Goal: Implement & Validate Business Strategies

This phase moves from theory to execution. Designers actively refine their business models, develop their supply chain strategies, and position their brands for growth.

Individual menthorships: In this midterm module the activity will be transformed into one-to-one mentorships. Each participant will be able to build a personal plan of mentorship based on the most relevant aspects related to one’s own needs emerged during the Induction Modules.

Production Ecosystem Experiences: During this period, Production Ecosystem Experiences are activated to put participants in contact with the main suppliers and makers coherently with their projects. This module is key to activate the network needed to realize the collection plan according to different makers and industry producers.

Milestone: At the end of this phase, designers will have the knowledge to develop their Business Plan, Collection, and Industrial Plan, turning their creative vision into a structured and sustainable strategy.

Real-World Learning

One-on-one business mentorship with Faculty and Industry professionals.
Industry access to Industry key players, manufacturing, and distribution.
Factory & supplier visits to construct and optimize production models.
Investment strategy coaching - Understanding investor expectations and funding rounds.

Final Business Acceleration

Market Positioning & Investor Pitch

September - December

Goal: Finalize Business Structure & Secure Industry Backing.

This phase equips designers for real-world business execution, helping them secure investors and finalize their market entry.

Key Focus Areas: This phase focuses on equipping designers with the tools to launch and scale their business. They will define a Go-to-Market Strategy, develop a strong Investor Pitch, establish Retail & Showroom Partnerships, and refine their Luxury Business Positioning.

By the end, they will have a comprehensive Business Plan, a Collection Plan & Production Strategy with sustainable sourcing insights, and a polished Investor Pitch Deck tailored for Richemont executives.

Milestone: At the end of this phase, designers will be fully equipped to launch or scale their businesses. They will have gained valuable connections with key industry stakeholders, building a network that supports their growth and success.

Individual Menthorships and delivery of the Final Project

The course culminates in the third part In this period each participant will benefit of more revisions to deliver the materials required for their final presentation.

The final project will be composed of three parts:

BUSINESS PLAN
What your sell, who you sell too, at which margin, with which communication strategy, how long does it take to become profitable and how much money you need to do it.
COLLECTION PLAN
How you structure your next collection in terms of categories, breakthroughs, and price points.
PRODUCTION / INDUSTRIAL PLAN
Where do you produce, what you produce, how you structure your offer in terms of ratio between cost, margin and prices.

Why AZ Academy is unique

Unlike any other executive business program, AZ Academy provides:

Funded Access
Richemont covers the tuition, removing financial barriers

Personalized Business Consulting
Not just education, but direct business coaching

Direct Access to Industry Leaders
Connecting designers with the minds shaping the future of business

Hands-on Implementation
A fully immersive, execution-driven experience