When Career and Passion Come Together!

“In order to attain Luxury, first learn how to manage it” ~ LCBS

Having completed my MBA in Media and Communication alongside with a PGDLM in Advertising & branding, I worked for a year and a half in a syndication firm, effectively included in selling of content and went about as a CRM Executive.  A research project on Burberry and my love for branding set off my enthusiasm in the Luxury Sector. After researching and going through many colleges, I settled on my decision and chose Luxury Connect Business School, the first and only Luxury Boutique School, and enrolled myself for a PGDLM in Luxury Brand Management in association with International University of Monaco. Like everyone, I had my apprehensions about enrolling in a college that started its operations in the year 2013 and was worried about the placement opportunities, but one look at the team heading the Institute, and I was convinced that I was in safe hands. The founder and CEO of the college, Mr. Abhay Gupta, is acknowledged as an industry leader by Forbes, Economic Times, CNN-IBN, NDTV, Hindustan times and Awarded as the ‘Luxury retail icon of the year 2012′ by Asia retail congress. He helped not only bring but establish luxury brands like Versace, Versace Home, Versace Collection, Corneliani, etc in India.

On the 17^th August, dressed in formals, I made my way to LCBS. To be honest, I have always enjoyed being a student and was excited to start my journey and interact with the faculty and my fellow classmates. The faculty and the staff welcomed us with utmost warmth and arranged ice-breaker sessions for us well. It was intimidating to have people standing in front of you with 25 years of experience behind them and realize that they have had worked with some of the best of the Luxury Brands, yet it was incredible to see them acting so modest and amicable. Whatever little qualms I had in my mind, soon vanished after we had a brief session with the alumni, who are successfully placed in different Industries in the Luxury Sector.

Day 2 of the induction and I find myself standing in the Dior store interacting with store manager! As a part of our Industry visit, we visited DLF Emporio and made visits to Dior, Louis Vuitton, Michael Kors, Armani Junior and Corneliani. The college had arranged for a personal visit to these stores to get hands on experience on the extravagance luxury retail market, know the brand history, and study the store design along with the products displayed. In spite of me hailing from Bombay, it was overwhelming to interact with the store managers and get the vibe of luxury brands. No more we were the customers, but aspiring Luxury Professionals! Right from the mall entry to the whole ambience and the personnel at this Luxury Retail Mall, I was awe-struck! My favorite brand visit would be Dior, a brand that has strongly imbibed its rich culture heritage in the store design and its products. Special mention for the extremely humble and courteous manager at Dior, who made sure we were comfortable and gave us a well guided tour across the store. Oh! Did I mention that I got the chance to pose with the classic Dior bag worth Rupees 2.7 lac! ;) (Perks of the course).It was now clear to me that this Industry demands you to be passionate, creative and innovative! The right attitude and knowledge will always take you a step ahead. On the 3^rd day, we had the Industry people visit us. Mr. Rolf Blaser, the country head of Safilo, India, shared insights about the company that is the second largest manufacturer of sunglasses and frames for most of the leading fashion luxury brands. Followed by the enriching session, we had the ex-country head of Burberry, Miss Nalini Gupta guiding us through the nuances of Luxury Industry and sharing her profound experiences at Burberry.

The three days of Induction and Introduction to the course evolved me from a mere information gatherer to a knowledge absorber. I am happy to be a part of a school that is fun, interactive and promotes experiential learning alongside great exposure! All geared up to start my journey and be a part of a world beyond ordinary! Closing off with a quote from one of my favorite Luxury brand;

“The best things in life are free. The second best are expensive.” ~ Coco Chanel