KEI Abroad in Paris, France

One specific experience I have enjoyed at the Institut de Gestation Sociale, or, American Business School (ABS), was the use of interactive and hands-on experiences used by the professors. The best part was that the professors were actually industry professionals. I was in the fashion program at ABS, or the Luxury Retail Management Program, and the experience I remember most was when we took a field trip in place of class time to visit this amazing luxury shop right outside l'Opera. The store is called Bucherer and I have never experienced anything like this before! We got a private tour and it felt so intimate and mature- like we were already in the business as clients. The store was beautiful itself but we spent the whole day hearing about the care that goes into making watches and the art of watch making/wearing. I did not know much about watches when I arrived, I usually only learn about clothing and merchandising, but this experienced opened my eyes to a new world almost! I am so grateful to be able to have this experience because I feel like I really learned some valuable lessons that I could never have learned just by reading a textbook or sitting at a desk. This school did a great job with interactive methods of teaching and I would recommend it highly, especially for fashion majors who want to know more about the industry. My opinion is that there is no better place to learn about fashion than in Paris.

The program was exciting! Our on site director Daniele was the best! She was very enthustiastic about the French language and culture. When she took us on excursions she was passionate and knowledgable. Learning the use of the metro and buses was relatively simple. The school is located right next to the river and is a great place to eat lunch or work on homework. Overall, one the the BEST experiences. Can not wait to go abroad again!!!