Aesthetics of the Luxury Business

2025/2026

Academic Year

ENG

Instruction in English

3

ECTS credits

Delivered at:

Department of Management

Course type:

Elective course

When:

2 year, 2 module

Course Syllabus

Abstract

The course focuses on the relationship between art and business. The aim of the course is to provide students with knowledge about the mechanisms of work of organizations in the field of luxury, to discuss how luxury brands with strong brand heritage evolve and develop. The course is largely based on the case of the Cartier jewelry house. The company operates in a global market, has a significant network of partnerships, and is one of the most successful companies operating in the luxury sector. These facts make this case indicative of how luxury companies operate.

Learning Objectives

• To give the students an understanding of the history and modernity of the House of Cartier as a unique element of European and world culture.

Expected Learning Outcomes

• have knowledge in luxury business history
• have knowledge in luxury business analytics
• have skills in project management in luxury market

Course Contents

• Socio-economic and political conditions for the production of luxury goods in France in the late 18th - first half of the 19th centuries.
• Transformation of codes of European culture: the emergence of the L'art de vivre phenomenon.
• Cartier: the beginning (1847 - 1899).
• Cartier: the time of world recognition.
• Cartier: a new chapter in history. Jeanne Toussaint.
• Cartier: the continuation of an outstanding story. Cartier and Russia.
• House of Cartier today: living heritage and innovation
• Cartier Today: Global Corporate Initiatives and Commitments

Assessment Elements

• Test 1
  It is a written take-home test with 10 open-ended questions. Students give short answers using the course materials and open sourсes. Students should attend lectures and seminars to better prepare for the test.
• Test 2
  It is a written take-home test with 10 open-ended questions. Students give short answers using the course and open sourсe materials. Students should attend lectures and seminars to better prepare for the test.
• Test 3
  It is a written take-home test with 10 open-ended questions. Students give short answers using the course materials and open sourсes. Students should attend lectures and seminars for preparing for the test.
• Project
  A group project. The output of the project is a presentation submitted in Pptx (consisting of approximately 20 slides) and presented orally. The presentation should consist of a title slide, an introduction detailing the purpose and structure of the research; a body covering the main points; conclusion summarizing and highlighting the significance of the research, reference list.

Interim Assessment

• 2025/2026 2nd module
  0.4 * Project + 0.2 * Test 1 + 0.2 * Test 2 + 0.2 * Test 3

Bibliography

Recommended Core Bibliography

• Lu, P. X. (2011). Elite China : Luxury Consumer Behavior in China. Hoboken: Wiley. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsebk&AN=420758

Recommended Additional Bibliography

• Girón, M. E., & Gardetti, M. A. (2014). Sustainable Luxury and Social Entrepreneurship : Stories From the Pioneers. Sheffield, UK: Routledge. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsebk&AN=818981

Authors

• Миронова Алена Геннадьевна
• Zelenskaia Elena Mikhailovna