API students have an unprecedented opportunity to learn from some of the best fashion and design minds in the world through study in this traveling program between Paris and Florence. Students begin in Paris at Parsons Paris – The New School, and then continue on to finish the program in Florence at Polimoda.
Students on this program are able to take Luxury Design Management, a specialized summer course on the essence, the heritage and the organization of high-end industries. It focuses on the strategic development of French and Italian leading luxury sectors and provides an interdisciplinary understanding of their processes and specificities at the crossroads of design innovation, business and culture.
The course is run by resident professors and guest lecturers from the industry in Paris and Florence, two of the main historical capitals of luxury. It combines lectures, seminars, workshops and field trips to luxury fashion companies and production sites in the Florence and Paris areas. During the course, participants receive instructions and tutorship to work on a research project, keeping written and visual track of their work process. 
The first two weeks are held at Parsons Paris, the only European campus of Parsons School of Design, located in the First district of Paris. The second two weeks take place at Polimoda, in the exceptional site of Villa Favard at the heart of Florence.
In Paris, special focus is put on Haute Couture and the relation between French fashion heritage, local crafts, creativity and strategic management. These topics are examined more closely in Italy through the exploration of the strong tradition of Florentine craftsmanship, the production of high-end leather accessories and the Made in Italy brand.
