March 1, 2017
Image from Prada's fall/winter 2016 women's wear campaign
Italy's Prada Group is jump-starting a conversation on sustainability and innovation with help from university professors.
On March 20-21, Prada will host the inaugural “Shaping a Creative Future” conference in Milan. The brand has partnered with the Yale School of Management and the Politecnico di Milano School of Management for the two-day summit.
The future is now
Shaping a Creative Future will include a series of conversations, guided by international experts from the business, academic and creative spheres. Discussions will be a reflection on the “interplay between sustainability and innovation.”
Key themes planned for the discussions include “brand heritage and market value,” “design for sustainability through innovation and tradition,” “sustainability and value creation” and lastly, “driving creative excellence.” Each theme is accompanied by a series of deep-dive questions meant to direct the conversation and generate thought.
Day 1 on March 20 will be held at Fondazione Prada and will include working sessions where brand representatives can meet with Yale School of Management and Politecnico di Milano School of Management professors and alumni to discuss sustainability and innovation.
Banner for Prada Group's Shaping a Creative Future conference in Milan March 20-21
On March 21, Prada will host the plenary conference at its Milan headquarters. The full day agenda will be moderated by professors from the two partner universities.
The aforementioned themes will be discussed and debated at length by business leaders and representatives from international organizations. Confirmed brand speakers include Eataly, Microsoft, Illy, Zegna, Facebook and Sergio Rossi, among others.
Prada’s Shaping a Creative Future agenda can be viewed here.
Innovation in luxury is a hotbed topic, with nearly every conglomerate and brand eyeing the future for technological advancements in business.
LVMH, for example, is seeking innovations that will help move the luxury industry forward with the creation of a prize for young businesses.
During the 2017 Viva Technology show taking place June 15-17 in Paris, the company will name the inaugural LVMH Innovation Award recipient. The prize is meant to open doors for startups, allowing the winner to break into the luxury industry through meetings with LVMH houses and other potential collaborators (see story).
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