Anyone who has watched a beloved brand fade into oblivion or a niche studio suddenly explode onto the scene knows fashion is as much a business as it is a form of creative expression. Behind every successful brand, dozens—even hundreds—of number-crunchers make the decisions that keep it afloat. We may take our cues from the people who sketch and sew, but it's the suits—beautifully cut, of course—that make a label look good.

In late 2017, ELLE forged a new partnership with MIT University and the Complutense University of Madrid to help train the next generation of executives. The three elite institutions joined forces to launch the ELLE International Fashion & Luxury Management Program, a global course that kicked off in November 2017 to offer young professionals in the fashion and luxury industries access to premiere professors at the MIT Sloan School of Management and the Complutense, taking participants around the globe in pursuit of fashion education.

The first wave of students enrolled in the program have just completed their session, which means there are a few spots opening up for the fashion education of a lifetime.

The program's global format takes participants to four on-site modules in New York, Boston, Madrid, and Paris.

"Each destination will cover a different area of the business: fast fashion in Madrid, haute couture in Paris, premium brands in New York, and innovation on the MIT campus in Boston, Massachusetts," the ELLE International Fashion & Luxury Management Program said in a press release. "And all four will give participants access to business leaders and fashion experts in some of the most glamorous and innovative cities in the world."

The program's next edition begins Dec. 12, 2018 and will run through May 24, 2019, traveling sequentially from Madrid, to Paris, to New York, to MIT.

Not a globetrotter? The program is also offered in hybrid and online formats. The hybrid format gives participants the option to attend (in-person) either the U.S. modules (in Boston and New York) or the European modules (in Paris and Madrid), completing the module that isn't attended via online services. Participants who need even more flexibility can complete the entire program online without leaving home base.

Find program details and admission requirements here. Applications are open now.