City Branding and Public Space: An empirical analysis of Dolce & Gabbana's Alta Moda event in Naples

This article focuses on the celebration of the thirtieth anniversary of D&G held in Naples in June 2016. For this event iconic places of the city were used as the backdrop of the Alta Moda Fall/Winter 2016 collection. For a few days, access to different areas of 'Centro Storico' (the Neapolitan's downtown) were closed to the general public generating controversial opinions on the phenomenon of privatization of the public space. The study presents an empirical analysis of the video produced for the event and it focuses on the elements that characterize Naples as a cultural artifact capturing the authenticity of Southern Italy and simultaneously meeting the brand values of D&G. The findings revealed how the urban space becomes a tool to emphasize the core values of the fashion brand and how this process enhances the image of the city as a historical and cultural center, essence of Mediterranean and Italian culture

Translating Business Agility into Language for Specific Purposes Teaching

Prior to 2020, digital tools were considered an opportunity to enhance students’ learning experience. However, the Covid-19 pandemic turned them into a necessity to enable business continuity when face-to-face interaction was not possible. While 2020 exposed areas in which infrastructure and digital literacy could be improved and pushed institutions to find timely solutions, 2021 was a year of uncertainty that required flexibility to quickly adapt class content and assignments from in-class to online mode. This also required a change in syllabi to reflect the increasing need for agility in business, and therefore in communication, creating a gap between language for specific purposes and the application of knowledge in the workplace. In the post-pandemic world, digital tools are still part of teaching and learning activities; however, both teachers and students are renegotiating their use. This paper provides examples of technology being integrated into teaching activities to enhance students’ learning experience, with a focus on the adaptation of existing content to different teaching modes. The examples include the simultaneous use of different digital tools while conducting classes on Zoom and the adaptation of syllabi guidelines for virtual presentations. The Test-Teach-Test Paradigm was adopted to review the use of two new game-based learning tools aimed at anticipating the use of virtual worlds (e.g., the metaverse) for teaching purposes. The paper draws similarities between consumer and student behaviour in the adoption of technology and provides pedagogical implications for university teachers showcases new tools in an effort to increase student motivation and engagement

How legitimate are the environmental sustainability claims of luxury conglomerates?

Purpose: By responding to scholarly calls, this study examines the environmental reports of LVMH and Kering. The study extends legitimacy theory to ascertain the credibility of the aforementioned luxury conglomerates’ commitment to environmental sustainability. Approach: A corpus-assisted discourse analysis centred upon the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) guidelines is used to examine the environmental disclosures of LVMH and Kering. Findings: The findings show inconsistencies due to the lack of brand level reporting and reporting quality falls short of comparable sustainability reporting within each conglomerate and with one another. Selective and unbalanced reporting along with symbolic management and undermine the legitimacy of sustainability efforts by LVMH and Kering. Originality: Despite the increased attention paid to sustainable luxury, few studies critically analyse how luxury brands formally report on sustainability