Bruce Pask, Senior Director, Men’s Fashion, Saks Fifth Avenue and Neiman Marcus, and Mentor of the Master in Fashion Merchandising & Buying, came to Polimoda for an exclusive lecture in occasion of Pitti Uomo 108 with Francesca Tacconi, Press and Special Events Coordinator for the fair.Â
The guest lecture informed the students about the importance of Pitti Uomo from a business perspective, and on how the fair works, by scouting for new talent and creating opportunities for designers. Francesca Tacconi co-hosted the lecture with Bruce Pask, covering both Pitti Immagine’s and Pask’s perspective.
He spoke to students on salient and contemporary topics like how a brand can strategically use its presence at Pitti Uomo to enhance its positioning and differentiate itself in a saturated menswear market, how trade fairs can shape trend forecasting differently compared to other fashion events, how exposure at Pitti Uomo can tangibly impact an emerging designer’s market reach and retail viability, and other themes which took from Pask’s rich professional pathway in menswear vision and development.Â
On his role as mentor at Polimoda, Pask said, “My responsibility as a mentor entails sharing as much relevant experience, insight and knowledge as I can with the students at Polimoda that I have gained over my many years in the fashion editorial and retail worlds. I aspire to provide valuable guidance that is specific to the projects the students are working on, as well as giving a general overview of the retail landscape, the direction of the future of the business and insight on external factors that affect our industry. I try to inspire thoughtful dialogue with the students to provoke conversations that will hopefully enlighten. I aim to be a source of support during their studies, ensuring my availability for student questions, consultation and advice, as they continue their exploration of the fashion merchandising world.”
Pask has some notable advice for students, “My advice tends toward the more personal. The fashion and retail worlds can seem quite large in scale, but the business is quite closely connected, with many involved across different companies and sectors familiar with, or at least aware of, each other. Therefore, it is important to be kind and generous to others, to be hardworking and to forge meaningful connections with others in our business. Shared knowledge and experiences are incredibly important, as they help create a sense of community that can be beneficial and rewarding as one navigates the business over time.”Â
The next edition of the Master in Fashion Merchandising & Buying with Mentorship by Bruce Pask starts in February 2026.Â
