From NEWTON to Louis Vuitton

As the daughter of a successful fashion brand founder, she watched brand building from the front row. After high school, she chose Digital Marketing. Today, she has completed a prestigious Master’s program in Milan and works in visual merchandising for the Parisian fashion house Louis Vuitton. In this interview, Anna Blažková shares her journey, the behind-the-scenes of a demanding recruitment process, and her perspective on how Generation Z is changing the perception of luxury.

Anna, as the daughter of a successful fashion brand founder, you had a front-row seat to business and marketing right from your childhood. Why did you decide to study at NEWTON University after high school?

Yes, that’s true. Fashion, but especially entrepreneurship, were part of my life from an early age. In high school, I studied fashion design. Towards the end of my studies, when the COVID-19 pandemic hit, we were all stuck at home, and keeping the brand alive was a daily topic at our house. That’s when I realized that just fashion wasn’t enough for me in life. I needed the business side of it too.

So, I started looking for a university in the Czech Republic (specifically due to the pandemic) that would provide me with a business environment and teach me the basics of economics, accounting, or marketing. It was important to me that the school had a modern approach to education and wasn’t stuck in old curricula, which I think some well-known schools are. NEWTON felt like the right choice precisely because of everything it offered.

Thanks to the rapid growth of social media's influence during the pandemic, I chose Digital Marketing, which felt highly relevant. I remember knowing basically nothing about marketing back then. But when we had our first classes on media campaigns and brand management, I was completely hooked.

After graduating from NEWTON, you headed to Milan to study at Istituto Marangoni. From your perspective, what exactly did the admission process for such a prestigious international school look like, and what did it require from you?

After gaining knowledge in economics and other subjects, and especially after discovering my passion for communication and brand building, I wanted to connect my fashion and business backgrounds. Studying in Milan had been a big dream of mine since I was 15. Plus, my Italian was at a high level.

I chose the Master of Fashion & Luxury Brand Management program at Istituto Marangoni. Just like at NEWTON, I liked that completing a certain number of internship hours was a prerequisite for getting the degree. The admissions process took place entirely online. I did an online interview and had to provide my CV, two letters of recommendation, and a certificate proving my English proficiency.

You achieved a similar success with Louis Vuitton. How demanding was the selection process?

To be honest? Tough. For more than half a year, I went through interviews, mostly with smaller brands, showrooms, and marketing agencies. Most were online, some took place in person in Milan. Half a year after classes ended at Marangoni, most of my classmates were already back in their home countries without managing to secure an internship in Milan.

The job market situation there is very different from the Czech one. Finding a position in the big world of fashion is not easy. Openings are scarce, and recruitment processes often involve at least three rounds of interviews, sometimes more. But I believed I would make it. I relied on my fluent knowledge of both Italian and French and turned down several internship offers from smaller companies. I always live by the phrase:

'Move like it's gonna happen, because it will.'

Then, in mid-December, the phone rang. Louis Vuitton wanted to interview me right away. I remember standing right in the middle of a busy and noisy Milan street. Two weeks later, an in-person interview followed with the Visual Merchandising Manager of their Italian flagship store. That very same day, while I was on my way home for the Christmas holidays, they called to offer me the internship. I did it! Even before Christmas started, I had to study the Code of Conduct of the entire LVMH group and sign it along with other formalities.

Your bachelor’s thesis at NEWTON focused on the marketing of the Blažek brand. Analyzing a brand that bears your surname and was built by your father must have been quite specific.

I never had an issue looking at my dad's brand objectively and having my own opinion on things. What’s harder is sharing that opinion with him in a way that he takes it well. I approached my bachelor’s thesis as a project that used data to confirm or refute my own beliefs about the brand. At the same time, it helped me communicate my insights more systematically and perhaps even support certain changes in brand management that I, as a member of Gen Z, would like to see.

In your thesis, you focused on Generation Z at the turn of 2024 and 2025. What was the most surprising finding from your research? In what ways do Czech 'Zoomers' challenge traditional marketing templates the most?

For Gen Z, the main challenge isn't seeing an advertisement, but believing it. So, we disrupt the traditional idea that a strong media reach automatically means strong influence. For us, authenticity, community recommendations, and real experience with a brand are much more important. That's true for me personally as well.

How different is the approach to teaching business and marketing in an international environment, and what would you recommend to NEWTON students who are considering going abroad?

Naturally, it differs right from the scale of the companies that cooperate with the school. The people who teach at the school, as well as the companies I had the opportunity to work with on projects—Cartier, for instance—are among the biggest players in the world in their field.

There was also a huge difference in the evaluation system:

• During the Master’s program, I had almost no classical exams (only two in the History of Fashion Markets course).
• In most subjects, instead of tests, we worked on extensive and real-world business projects or reports in teams of four.
• Often, it was a single joint project that spanned several subjects simultaneously. For example, in fashion company financial planning, our task was to prepare forecasts for future financial statements. At NEWTON, on the other hand, I remember writing tests on similar topics.

The time commitment of the studies was also different. Classes took place 6 days a week.

I would tell everyone, over and over again: 'If you want it even a little bit and your circumstances allow it, do not hesitate and go study abroad. It will change your life in incredible ways. Not only on a personal level—whether it's about personal growth or making friends all over the world—but also professionally. My experience abroad literally opened doors to the world. After all, the Czech Republic is still a relatively small country.'

It’s a strange phenomenon, but every time you land back home and the plane touches down in Prague, you realize how much you’ve changed and grown since the last time. How many new things you know and can do. And that’s an amazing feeling that nothing else can compare to.

You currently work in the communication department for Louis Vuitton, focusing on visual merchandising. Does the strategic and managerial mindset from university help you?

Absolutely, yes. I rely on all my knowledge so far every single day. It helps me stay calm even in the environment of such a dynamic international company.

I work directly in their flagship boutique on Milan's luxury shopping street, Via Montenapoleone. The store spans over 4,500 square meters and even includes a café and a restaurant. So, besides communication, I am surrounded by sales and the management of such a vast retail space daily. There are 150 of us working at this location alone, and I am part of a seven-member visual team.

During one of my first training sessions, they told me that I am essentially a "silent client advisor." My work directly supports sales, even though I am not in direct contact with the customer. Therefore, I would say that visual merchandising is a combination of both.

Is visual merchandising more of an art, or pure sales psychology?

During night shifts when we install new collections, create window displays, or change setups, it becomes more of an art form. In a company of this size, we do follow very detailed guidelines from the headquarters in Paris, where we have to photograph and send every change for approval, but I still find space for my own creativity in these situations. What I enjoy most is creating accessories walls and textile & jewellery counters. That's where I can work with details that are much closer to my heart than, for example, large walls with handbags or ready-to-wear collections.

The world of high fashion is changing dynamically. How does today's generation define "luxury"? Is exclusivity and brand heritage enough for them, or do they require sustainability and digital innovation instead?

I think today's luxury is no longer about unattainable exclusivity. On the contrary. I see firsthand how important it is to be welcoming, inclusive, and able to build a community around the brand.

Part of our store is the previously mentioned Louis Vuitton Café. Even on quiet days when the store itself is almost empty, the café tends to be full, and there is often a queue outside. It’s a way for people to experience the brand's world and become a part of it without having to spend thousands of euros on products. As for history and sustainability—I think it’s more about how the brand communicates them. If it's done in an entertaining and engaging way, today’s generation will embrace it.

NEWTON places a strong emphasis on the entrepreneurial environment and networking. Did this community help you build the drive and courage to send your CV to the world's top fashion houses?

I have never been afraid to go after what I wanted and want. The worst thing that can happen is that they reject you. NEWTON only reinforced this belief and showed me that aiming high is neither selfish nor naive. On the contrary, it’s often the only way to truly succeed.

What would you advise students who have their bachelor's thesis ahead of them and might not yet fully realize what a massive springboard their final work can be?

Write about what you think about even in your free time. I don't want to use the classic cliché that you should focus on what keeps you awake at night. But really, write about what you think about when you are brushing your teeth in the morning or when you are cooking.

Personally, it helped me discover new questions, connections, and directions that I can pursue even after finishing school. Today, I look at many aspects of life through the lens of brand building—it’s probably a professional hazard by now. But when you write about something you genuinely enjoy, the work becomes a natural part of who you are.