In luxury, the product remains the most visible expression of a brand, but it rarely defines the entire experience. Leading companies create value by turning their brand promise into something tangible, coherent and memorable. People play a central role in this process, as do the culture that guides their behaviour and the relationships they build with clients.
This perspective emerged from a conversation with Alessandra Santonocito, WW Retail Training Director at Fendi. Her long-standing experience in the luxury industry offers a broader reflection on the evolution of retail, training and client engagement. It also highlights the capabilities that future professionals need to succeed in an increasingly sophisticated market.
Every luxury brand makes a promise. It may centre on quality, heritage, craftsmanship, innovation or exclusivity. These elements give meaning to its products and help distinguish the brand from its competitors. However, the promise creates real value only when clients can recognise it in their experience.
The relationship between brand promise, product, people and client experience therefore works as an interconnected system. Each element reinforces the others. The product expresses the identity of the brand, while people give that identity context through the way they present, explain and communicate it.
This perspective also changes the way companies should look at individual functions. Retail, training, merchandising and marketing may pursue different objectives, but they all contribute to the same client experience. People ultimately connect these different areas and give the brand consistency.
For those entering the fashion and luxury industry, one lesson stands out: professional growth requires a perspective that extends beyond a specific job description. Knowing how to perform a role matters, but understanding the wider business matters just as much.
Professionals need to develop knowledge across three dimensions: the product, the business and the people. Product expertise builds credibility, while business awareness provides context. Understanding people then allows professionals to turn both into relevant decisions and interactions.
This approach also gives training a broader purpose. Effective training should not simply transfer information. It should help people transform knowledge into confidence, judgement and stronger client relationships.
The same principle applies when organisations introduce new functions, projects or ways of working. Technical expertise can generate an idea, but it cannot create change on its own. Trust, autonomy and support give people the space to take responsibility and move ideas into action.
Luxury brands operate globally, but clients experience them locally. Markets differ in culture, consumer behaviour, expectations and commercial dynamics. As a result, consistency does not mean reproducing exactly the same approach everywhere.
Professionals need to understand the context before deciding how to act. Why does a company operate in a certain way? How do its culture and priorities influence its decisions? And how does each function contribute to the wider organisation?
The same questions become relevant when looking at clients. Brands need to answer a fundamental question: why should a client choose this product?
Heritage, prestige and product characteristics all contribute to the answer, but they cannot stand alone. Professionals must connect these elements with the expectations and motivations of each client. In doing so, they turn brand identity into a meaningful experience.
Knowing a product and creating value from that knowledge require different skills. In luxury retail, expertise matters when professionals can understand the product, explain it clearly and make it relevant to the client.
Observation, curiosity and active listening make this transition possible. Clients do not always communicate their needs directly. What they look at, touch or return to can already offer useful clues and create natural opportunities for conversation.
Thoughtful questions can then help clients express their preferences and expectations. Active listening keeps the conversation focused on what matters to them, rather than turning the interaction into a standard presentation of products and features.
Preparation makes this approach more effective. Confidence rarely comes from improvisation; it grows from competence. Professionals who know the brand, understand the products and follow the market can adapt more naturally to different clients and situations.
For students and young professionals, these lessons extend far beyond retail. A career in fashion and luxury requires curiosity across functions, an understanding of how businesses create value and the ability to connect strategic knowledge with human relationships.
Trust, preparation and presence should not sit on the margins as secondary soft skills. They directly influence professional effectiveness. As brands compete not only through products but also through experiences, companies increasingly need people who can connect strategy, culture and client expectations.
This perspective also sits at the heart of the Fashion and Luxury Management Masters at Rome Business School. The programmes combine managerial education with an international view of the fashion and luxury industries. Students and professionals explore the strategic, operational and human dimensions of the sector while engaging with companies, managers and real business challenges.
Programmes such as the Global Master in Fashion and Luxury Management, the International Master in Fashion Management and the Executive Master in Gestione della Moda e del Lusso help participants develop the broader business perspective that the industry increasingly demands.
In luxury, the product may capture attention first. The ability to transform it into a relevant, coherent and memorable experience is what creates lasting value.
