Fashion Design Study in Italy

You think ‘design’ and Italy comes to mind, be it for fashion design, accessories design, or spatial design. Italy is the home to major top fashion brands of the world including Valentino, Versace, Prada, Armani, Costume National, Marni, Iceberg, Missoni, Trussardi, Moschino, Dirk Bikkembergs, Etro, Zegna, Dolce & Gabbana.

If you are in to the business of fashion or design, you are bound to have read or learned about these Italian designers: Giorgio Armani, Mario Bellini, Andrea Branzi, Roberto Cavalli, Antonio Citterio, Luigi Colani, Claudio Bellini, Vito Di Bari, Dolce and Gabbana, Antonio Di Chiano, Salvatore Ferragamo, Fendi, Gucci, Angelo Mangiarotti, Stefano Marzano, Alberto Meda, Bruno Munari, Missoni, Marcello Nizzoli, Roberto Pezzetta, Clino Trini Castelli, Massimo Vignelli, Gianni Versace, Marco Zanuso, Ermenegildo Zegna.

5 Reasons to Study Fashion in Italy

1. Fashion Capital of the World

Milan is known as the fashion capital of the world in the 21st century. Cities such as Florence, Vicenza, Palermo, Naples have historically produced some of the finest luxury goods. Your access to the world of fashion and industry is a great advantage when you study in Italy.

2. Range of Courses in Fashion at Varied Levels

Italy offers a range of courses in fashion. A student can study fashion design in Italy or if a niche area of study has to be considered, there are programmes that combine fashion design and marketing, fashion promotion, fashion styling, accessories design, shoe and bag collection, menswear design, and so on.

Besides the regular undergraduate and postgraduate courses in fashion, Italy also offers intensive one year courses in fashion. Students without a fashion design academic background can also study such courses.

Additionally there are short courses in fashion, double Masters courses in fashion, summer camps and more.

3. Internship Opportunities in Italy During Fashion Study

Most Italian fashion Institutions will integrate a 3 to 4 months internship during or after the fashion design course. Students in the past have had opportunities to work with the likes of Versace, MaxMara, Nike, Timberland, Trussardi, Louis Vuitton and such other top brands.

Once you have such internship experience on your CV, most fashion companies will be happy to offer you an interview opportunity in the future!

4. International Events and Fairs for Design and Fashion

Italy is home to some top events related to design and fashion. Few of such events are MIFUR (International Leather & Furs Exhibition), Salone del Mobile (Milan Furniture Fair), Milano Unica (International Italian Top-end Textile Fair), Homi (International Home Show), and the fashion shows of Pitti Immagine, Milan Fashion Week, Fendi and Dolce & Gabbana. You then have a chance to attend exhibitions such as the Costume Gallery at Palazzo Pitti in Florence or the Triennale Design Museum in Milan.

All in all, the experience of studying fashion and being connected with the fashion industry gives a top edge to student who studies fashion in Italy.

5. Combination of Fashion, Design and Technology

Italy has been a leader in design since centuries. Right from Roman architectural masterpieces to the modern day cutting edge technology that produces some of the finest textiles, surface design, Italy has embraced the culture of combining fashion, design and technology. Students in Italy, not only have lectures by top designers to gain knowledge but are also made to closely understand the evolving technologies that help create the next-gen apparels or products.

It is this combination that takes the student a long way in his / her career.

Cost of Studying in Italy

Cost of study in Italy for international students, especially for fashion design courses, very from Institution to Institution.

Typical cost of studying undergraduate fashion course in Italy: Euro 12000 to Euro 15000 per year

Typical cost of studying postgraduate fashion course in Italy: Euro 15000 to Euro 22000 (for the full Masters)

Living cost in Italy could range between Euro 8000 to Euro 10000 depending on the city you choose to study in. For eg. Milan will be more expensive than Florence. Thus, typically, cost of study in Italy for Indian students could be around INR 18,00,000 for one year.

Top Fashion Design Universities in Italy

Among several ranking systems, we find that the following as some of the top fashion schools in Italy:

Polimoda

Established 1986

Polimoda’s students thrive across three campuses in Florence: the historic Villa Favard, the contemporary Design Lab and a new campus inside the Manifattura Tabacchi. Situated on either side of the picturesque River Arno, whether centuries old or ultra-modern, these spaces are hubs of activity, creativity and new ideas that are changing the future of fashion as we know it. Students at Polimoda are taught an appreciation of the classical principles of design that first made renaissance Florence famous. With 70% of students from countries outside Italy, Polimoda is a cultural force in the heart of Florence.

Polimoda consistently features in the Top 10 world ranking in BOF Rankings for both undergraduate and postgraduate courses.

Fashion Design Courses at Polimoda:

Master of Fashion Design
Master of Fashion Styling
Bachelors in Fashion Design (4 years)

Politecnico di Milano

Established 1863

Politecnico di Milano has seven campuses located in the cities of Milano (Leonardo and Bovisa campuses), Como, Lecco, Cremona, Mantova, and Piacenza. This multi-centered structure is called Politecnico Network. in Milano, and the nearby cities constitute one of the largest economic and cultural areas in Europe. Being in Milan, the fashion capital of the world, means top access to fashion corporate houses.

Politecnico di Milano features in the Top 10 World in the QS Ranking.

Fashion Design Courses at Politecnico di Milano

Fashion Design Undergraduate Programme (3 years)
Design For The Fashion System Postgraduate Programme (Masters)

Istituto Marangoni

Established 1935

Istituto Marangoni is the international fashion school par excellence, with campuses in the most prestigious venues of international fashion: Milan and Florence in Italy, London in the UK, Miami in the US, Shanghai in China. The institution also launched its first campus in Mumbai, India. Istituto Marangoni is one of the largest fashion education institutions, with a student body in excess of 4000 students. For more than 80 years, Istituto Marangoni has taught over four generations of students from five continents in all sectors of the fashion industry.

Fashion Design Courses at Istituto Marangoni

Intensive Courses – 1 Year

Istituto Marangoni also offers intensive one year courses allowing students to pursue their interest in fashion design without having any prior experience in fashion. This is also a good opportunity for students who only wish to study fashion intensively for one year, and make an early entry into their career.

Domus Academy

Established 1982

Domus Academy was founded as the first postgraduate design school in Italy and as an open project revolving around the experience of Italian design and fashion. Over the years, Domus Academy has established its importance as a place of postgraduate education and research lab investigating innovation and design topics.

Domus offers Masters level programmes in: Design, Experience, Fashion, and Business. Each program combines coursework with hands-on workshops in collaboration with companies, followed by a professional experience period.

Fashion Design Courses at Domus Academy

Master in Fashion Design
Master in Fashion Styling and Visual Merchandising

Nuova Accademia Di Belle Arti (NABA)

Established 1980

NABA, an internationally renowned art and design academy,  is the largest private art academy in Italy. NABA offers bachelor’s and master’s degree programs in Italian and in English that are accredited by the Italian Ministry of Education, University and Research (MIUR). NABA has two campuses, in Milan and Rome. The Milan campus, set in the beautiful and historic Navigli area, comprises of 13 modern buildings spread over 17,000 square metres.

Fashion Design Courses at NABA

BA in Fashion Design (3 years)
MA in Fashion and Textiles (2 years)

IED Istituto Europeo di Design

Established 1966

The Istituto Europeo di Design (IED) is a private design school in Italy. The school is organized into four disciplines: Design, Fashion, Visual Communication and Management. It is spread over nine cities—Milan, Turin, Venice, Cagliari, Florence, Rome, Barcelona, Madrid and São Paulo—and thirteen locations which occupy more than 50,000 square meters of space.

Fashion Design Courses at IED Istituto Europeo di Design

Fashion Design Undergraduate
Fashion Design Masters

Study in Italy for Fashion Design

If you are interested in studying fashion in Italy, our expert counsellors for design education abroad, can guide you completely. Contact us today for your free counselling session.