Giovanni Luigi Bordone is Head of the Humanities & Fine Arts Programme at Universal College Bangladesh and an academic and fashion-industry professional with extensive international experience across Europe and Asia. He holds a BA in Business and Economics from the University of Modena, an MA in International Fashion Management from the University of East London, and a Learning and Teaching in Higher Education qualification from Manchester Metropolitan University. He is also a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (SFHEA).
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He is currently completing his doctorate, where his research investigates the psychological and behavioural triggers influencing consumers’ willingness to switch from premium ready-to-wear to personalised luxury tailoring. His wider research interests include fashion personalisation, consumer behaviour, digitalisation, artificial intelligence, the evolution of fashion supply chains, and the broader social implications of technology for the future of fashion and society.
Over the past decade, Giovanni has taught at a range of higher-education institutions in the UK and internationally, including Istituto Marangoni in Shanghai and London, IFA Paris, London College of Fashion and London Metropolitan University, alongside a variety of international guest-lecturing appointments. At London Metropolitan University, he most recently led the MA Marketing programme while teaching across fashion business, retail, innovation, marketing and consumer behaviour.
During his years in Shanghai, Giovanni also worked with the Condé Nast Academy, delivering professional and corporate training for Chinese and international fashion brands, including Louis Vuitton, Loro Piana and Zara. This experience further strengthened his interest in connecting industry practice with professional and higher education.
Before entering academia nearly a decade ago, Giovanni developed an international career across several areas of the fashion industry, predominantly within luxury. He worked with Burberry, Ermenegildo Zegna and Scabal, where he supported the brand’s expansion in China and the wider Asia-Pacific region. Earlier roles across production, logistics, quality control and other areas of the fashion supply chain took him to manufacturing locations across Asia, including several professional visits to Bangladesh. This breadth of experience has given him a broad understanding of the fashion industry, from production and operations through to luxury retail, branding, marketing and consumer experience.
Alongside his teaching and research, Giovanni contributes to higher education through external examining and advisory work. He serves as an External Examiner for the University for the Creative Arts (UCA), the Berlin School of Business and Innovation (BSBI), and Future Education University College in the UAE, across programmes related to fashion business, digital marketing and global business. He has also served on a number of university advisory boards in the UK, as well as boards and advisory groups connected with non-profit and community organisations.
Outside his professional work, Giovanni enjoys sport, public speaking, reading and writing, and has a particular interest in the sociological implications of emerging technologies and future societies. He is married with three children and has a personal connection to Bangladesh through his wife’s Bangladeshi heritage. He is also a member of a Rotary Club in London.
As Head of the Humanities & Fine Arts Programme at Universal College Bangladesh, Giovanni aims to bring together academic thinking, international industry experience and practical learning, helping students understand not only how the fashion and creative industries operate today, but how they are likely to evolve in the future.
