Fashion Buying in Porto
Key Information
Information
Application Deadline: 23/10/23 at 9:00 am
Opportunity type: Academic-led trips
Faculty: Art, Design and Humanities
Ref: 10007838
Dates
Departure Date: 08/04/24
Return Date: 11/04/24
Costs
£450: the estimated cost for travel, accommodation and in-country coach hire (excluding DMU Global funding). Students will also be required to pay for: UK and in-country transfers, food and drink, and visa (if applicable)
Funding
DMU Global Bursary: £150
Booking
Accommodation: Shared rooms in a hostel/hotel booked by DMU
Travel: Flights booked by DMU (students travel as a group)
Contact
General Enquiries: Global Mobility Office - dmuglobal@dmu.ac.uk
Trip Lead: Siobhan Merrall - siobhan.merrall@dmu.ac.uk
How to pay
Payment details: Students will be required to pay £300 as a contribution towards the cost of travel, accommodation and transfers (if included) after being offered a place on the trip. The DMU Global bursary will be deducted directly from the overall cost of the booking.
Carbon Levy
Student contribution: To offset the carbon emissions from the flight for this trip there is a £3 Carbon Levy for this trip which has been added to the total cost. Information about how this Levy will be used can be found here.
Eligibility
Second and third year Fashion Buying students are eligible to participate on this opportunity, with priority being given to second year students. There are a maximum of 20 places available, with a minimum of 10 participants required for this opportunity to take place. Students are recommended to check the eligibility criteria before applying.
About
The purpose of the trip to Porto is to give students insight into a ‘real-life’ buying trip so they can see first-hand what it is like to visit factories and negotiate face-to-face with factory managers. As part of the trip, there will be visits to the factory portfolio for Dias Textil whereby we will visit dye houses and printers, spinners and knitters and the garment factory itself.
The students will have the opportunity to ask questions about these processes to grow their knowledge and also be able to challenge the factories on sustainable practises. The experience will finish with live negotiations whereby students can design a garment using fabric from the showroom and then negotiate the cost and delivery with the supplier. This experience gives the student a chance to practise their negotiating skills and appreciate some of the challenges involved.
This trip also aligns with DMU’s wider commitment to addressing the UN SDGs, in particular sustainability. The factories that the group will visit operate sustainable practices, demonstrating how the fashion industry is making moves to becoming more environmentally friendly.
Learning Objectives
Participating in a DMU Global opportunity can help you develop knowledge, skills and competencies that enhance your studies. The objectives of this trip to Porto are:
Before the visit students will attend cost and negotiation seminars whereby they will practice and learn the principles of successful negotiation. The ‘sheet’ we use to prepare for a negotiation will be required to complete in the ‘live’ activity on the trip. On return, students will be able to add this to their CV, and talk fluently about this enrichment experience. This should give them an advantage in employability for placement or graduate roles.
Cultural Activities
Porto is culturally and historically extremely interesting. During the visit students will have time to visit the Ponte de Dom Luis 1 bridge which spans the Douro River. The architecture includes historic sites such as the Palacio da Bolsa, the Cathedral Torres dos Clerigos Tower and observation deck and the recently renovated Church of Santa Clara.
There are fascinating examples of the famous tiled walls which illustrate Portuguese history. There are parks, river tours and shopping including the Lello bookshop famous for the ‘Harry Potter’ staircase.