Fashion Startup Incubator

Months 1 – 3 focus on identifying industry issues, market gaps, real customer pain points and the potential solutions. There is a huge emphasis on completing user research as quickly and efficiently as possible to find the best potential business opportunity. It is broken down into 3 module groupings:

1. Creative & Concept
2. Business Opportunity Mapping
3. Business Model Definition

Masterclasses include:

• Product Discovery: fashion markets and the industry
• Finding the value proposition
• Problem definition and statement creation
• Business model canvas
• Product / business road-mapping
• The fashion consumer: user research
• Design strategy

Months 4 – 6 focus on the initial product release for initial customer feedback and concept validation to find the best product-market-fit. There is a huge emphasis on working in sprints, working through systematic iterations to eventually reach an MVP ready to deploy for gauge traction. By the end of month 6, startups are expected to have a full business concept fleshed out and potentially their first prototype(s). It is broken into 3 module groupings:

1. Minimum Viable Product
2. Go To Market Launch
3. Pitch and Demo

Masterclasses include:

• Financial modelling
• Marcomms strategy – talking to the fashion consumer
• Creating an investor/client ready pitch deck
• Financing a fashion tech startup
• Go to market strategy
• Fashion Supply Chain: Finding the right supplier
• MVP strategy

Phases 1 and 2 include weekly lab sessions where the Startup Program founders receive hands-on support from the Beyond Form and Ferrari Fashion School teams.

Months 7 – 12 provides time for startup founders to undertake an internship at a Milanese fashion company. This can be up to a full-time basis whilst founders continue developing their startup business.

Ignite your fashion startup’s launch at the Milan fashion incubator showcase events, where top founders from the Foundation Fashion Startup Program step into the spotlight of Italy’s fashion capital. Organised by Foundry Powered by FFS, these high-energy celebrations showcase your market-ready prototypes to elite buyers, investors, and industry tastemakers during Milan’s world-renowned Fashion Week.

Events can include:

• Demo day
• Milan-based industry conferences and trade shows like Milano Unica
• FFS events like the Fashion Show and the Showcase

Startups in the Fashion Startup Incubator benefit from private 1-2-1 mentoring sessions with experienced members of the Beyond Form and FFS teams. These tailored mentoring sessions are scheduled on an ad-hoc basis depending on each startup’s progress, providing focused and personalized guidance to help founders refine their business models, develop prototypes, and prepare effective market entry strategies.

Through these private meetings, founders gain valuable insights and expert advice specifically aligned with their stage of development, ensuring they receive practical support to navigate challenges and accelerate growth within Milan’s fashion ecosystem and the broader Italian market.

Phases 1 and 2 are delivered through a hybrid offline/online format centred around masterclasses, labs, mentoring, and industry visits. These sessions are held in an intensive 1-week format the first or second week of each month. The remaining time participants are expected to progress business development interpedently, accompanied by weekly mentoring and lab sessions.

All participants receive:

• Specialist masterclasses
• Subject-focused lab sessions
• 1-2-1 mentoring
• Community gatherings – e.g. hear startups stories of previous program entrepreneurs
• Access to networking and tradeshow events
• Access to industry visits – e.g. Armani head office

Each startup will be given negotiated key milestones to hit throughout their 12-month journey, which they will have accountability to their mentors. If the startup wishes to participate in the showcase events at the end of the program, then they must hit these milestones. All decisions about the startup’s readiness to present at the program-organised events are made by the incubator team.