If you love fashion and have plans to sign in to any of the fashion schools in Italy, we have put down all the information you need to succeed.
There are so many reasons why you should study fashion and design in any of the fashion schools in Italy.
In this article, we will provide the information needed for that and above all, we will look at the top reasons to study fashion and design in Italy.
Reasons to Study Fashion & Design in Italy
- Historic Leader and Current Trendsetter
- Prestigious International Events & Fairs
- The best Fashion & Design Schools, plus Work Opportunities
Historic Leader and Current Trendsetter
Italy is home to the most famous fashion and design brands and has been a leader for centuries.
From ancient Rome’s architectonic masterpieces to contemporary protagonists like Gio Ponti and Renzo Piano; from century-old family generations excelling in shoemaking and leatherwork, to the modern-day fashion icons of Ferragamo and Gucci, just to name a few.
Throughout the past decades, Italy has been the protagonist of several movements that had an impact on art and design both at the national and international levels.
Prestigious International Events & Fairs
Italy is known for hosting amazing events related to the world of design and fashion.
Examples include MIFUR(International Leather and 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 – among many others.
There are also beautiful exhibitions that you cannot miss, such as the Costume Gallery at Palazzo Pitti in Florence or the Triennale Design Museum in Milan.
The best Fashion & Design Schools, plus Work Opportunities
Italy offers outstanding design and fashion academies in different cities.
They offer students a wide range of options such as workshops, summer courses, long-term courses or undergraduate and MA programs.
The List of Fashion Schools in Italy
- Italian fashion school|Istituto di Moda Burgo
- Istituto Marangoni
- Ferrari Fashion School
- Raffles Milano | Istituto Moda e Design
- Polimoda
- Accademia Costume & Moda
- Domus Academy
- IED: Istituto Europeo di Design
- NABA (Nuova Accademia Di Belle Arti)
- Milan Fashion Campus
- Accademia Italiana Florence School
- Lorenzo De’ Medici
- Alma Mater Studiorum – Università di Bologna
- Sapienza University of Rome
Italian fashion school|Istituto di Moda Burgo
Istituto di Moda Burgo was founded in Milan in ‘61 by the current Director and Publisher Fernando Burgo in order to create a school of reference in the field.
A highly qualified teaching staff and constantly updated has the essential task of training complete professionals and able to compete internationally.
The textbooks, unique in the industry, are a further and fundamental support teaching. INDIVIDUALITY and PRACTICE are the key words that best characterize the fashion courses of Burgo school.
The personalized study plans, consist mainly of workshops, allow a fast learning of the profession and a maximization of time by exploiting the potential of each student.
- Address1: Via Lungo Tevere dei Mellini, 44 – Rome (Italy)
- Telephone: (+39) 02783753
- Email: imb@imb.it
- Website: www.imbroma.it
- Address2: Piazza San Babila, 5 – 20122 Milan (Italy)
- Telephone: (+39) 02783753
- Email: imb@imb.it
- Website: www.imb.it
Istituto Marangoni
- Locations in Italy: Milan, Florence
- Average percentage of international students: 79%
- Average class size: 20
- Placement rate: 80%
Istituto Marangoni offers a variety of courses in the areas of fashion design, fashion styling and fashion business in response to the needs of candidates at undergraduate, postgraduate levels and short courses.
In this fashion school, study methods in Fashion Design are rigorously oriented toward professionalism, industry demands, and a fine balance of design functionality and aesthetics.
From day one, participants find themselves immersed in the fashion system and fashion design methodology, incorporating key trends with bicultural anesthetics and new consumer voices influencing style.
Depending on their chosen level of study, participants work on projects such as an in-depth analysis of clothing or accessories manufacturing, or the language of couture construction versus ready-to-wear.
They progress through various stages of the design process from fashion illustration, pattern making, pattern cutting, construction or prototyping, right through to the finished garment or product.
Pathways offer further options to specialize in a chosen area or fashion design profession. Explore more.
It is one of the oldest and most prestigious fashion schools in the world founded in the year 1935.
It’s particularly known for its Milan campus ranked as the 7th best fashion school in the world in 2021.
It’s located right in the heart of the fashion capital of Italy. This location is easily accessible by bus, tram or metro from any corner of Milan.
At the end of your stay in this institution, each student will have made several collections. Above all, annually, selected students have the chance to present their work at Milan Fashion Show. They offer the following:
Bachelor degree programs:
- Fashion Business Communication & Media;
- Fashion Business Digital Communication & Media;
- Fashion Design & Marketing;
- Fashion Styling & Visual Merchandising;
- Fashion Business;
- Fashion Styling & Creative Direction;
- Fashion Business & Buying;
- Fashion Design;
- Fashion Design & Accessories
Average annual fee for Bachelor’s programs:
- EU students: € 23 700
- International students: € 27 100
Master’s degree programs:
- Fashion Buying & Merchandising;
- Fashion Business & Digital Marketing;
- Fashion Business & Entrepreneurship;
- Fashion Design Menswear/Womenswear/Activewear;
- Fashion Promotion Communication & Digital Media;
- Fashion Design Collection & Marketing;
- Fashion e-business and Digital Transformation;
- Fashion Art & Textile Innovation;
- Fashion & Luxury Brand Management;
- Fashion Omnichannel & E-Commerce;
- Fashion Product Management;
- Fashion Promotion Communication & Media;
- Luxury Accessories Design & Management
Average annual fee for Master’s programs:
- EU students: € 32 100
- International students: € 34 500
Check out their requirements and how to apply.
Ferrari Fashion School
Ferrari Fashion School Milan is a fashion school that’s been operating in the Fashion and Luxury field for 20 years, training new generations of professionals appreciated at international level.
The Academy, which is named after the founder Silvia Ferrari, was born with the aim of transmitting the passion to the new generations, “the knowledge” and “the know-how” in this field.
The didactic approach and the working methodology used by Ferrari Fashion School are based on six main pillars: culture, collaboration, sharing, comparison, interdisciplinarity and internationalization, which are some of the adjectives that most characterize the educational offer that touches, transversally, all or most of the professional figures involved in the fashion and design supply chain: whether it is a collection project, the launch of a new brand or an advertising or communication campaign.
Ferrari Fashion School offers its students the opportunity to work, during their training, on interdisciplinary projects, collaborating with companies, teachers, professionals and students from all over the world, from various courses and different disciplines, in order to offer them the opportunity to test themselves on the field, with the right theory but above all with a lot of practice.
Knowledge and Know-How are two fundamental characteristics to become capable, esteemed and recognized professional by the job market and that is what you get in this fashion school.
Ferrari Fashion School is a member of the Fashion Training System Platform which brings together the Italian excellence of the fashion education.
Courses:
- Fashion Design
- Fashion Stylist & Digital Communication
- Fashion Business & Digital Marketing
- Tailoring Prêt-à-Porter
- Pattern Making
- Master Fashion Photography
- Master Stylist & Digital Communication
- Master Fashion Design
- Master Fashion Startup
- Other
- Fashion Design (Womenswear / Menswear / Accessories)
Accademia Italiana Florence School
This is one of the best fashion schools in Italy where you will be able to cover the following at the end of your stay:
- Trends analysis
- Analysis of the market and of the client
- Analysis of different types of research for designing clothing
- Graphic and visual communication of the collection’s theme
- Knowledge of materials and their use within the collection
- Technical design and knowledge of the garment
- Illustration and the ability to communicate a look
- Coordination and identity of the collection
- Photography of the collection’s garments
- Pattern-making
- Knowledge and application of hand-sewn details and finishings
- Creation of prototypes
- Exploration of the complexities of structured tailoring
- Creation of garments in their final materials
- Creation of designs for the final event (fashion show, performance, exhibition, etc.)
COSTS(Yearly tuition fees can be paid in two instalments with a small surcharge)
EU Students:
- Admission exam fee: 150 Euro
- Enrolment fee (1st year only): 1.300 Euro
- Tuition fee (yearly*): 8.330 Euro
- DSU regional tax (yearly): 140 Euro
Extra-EU Students:
- Admission exam fee: 150 Euro
- Enrolment fee (1st year only): 1.900 Euro
- Tuition fee (yearly*): 8.930 Euro
- DSU regional tax (yearly): 140 Euro
Students are awarded Official Bachelor’s degree accredited by the Italian Ministry of University at the end of the program.
- Duration: 3 academic years
- Attendance is on-campus and mandatory (80% minimum)
- 600 lesson hours approx. per academic year
- Language: Italian/English
Polimoda
- Locations in Italy: Florence
- Average percentage of international students: 71%
- Average class size: 20 students
- Placement rate: 91%
- Graduates work at: Ferragamo, Gucci, Fendi, Valentino, Givenchy, Vivienne Westwood
- Polimoda is one of the best fashion schools in Italy, located in the Firenze neighborhood of Florence.
- Average annual fee for Bachelor’s programs: € 18 000
- Average annual fee for Master’s programs: € 28 000
- Scholarships: Top talented students can be awarded a scholarship up to € 14 000
It has a convenient location that can easily be reached by walking or public transport from any part of Florence.
This fashion school fosters an interdisciplinary approach to fashion education, with its main values, centered around heritage, creativity, and research.
Students are always encouraged to push boundaries while the school’s curriculum is continually updated to fit contemporary market trends.
You will be guided by seasoned teachers who have gathered many years of experience.
Bachelor’s degree programs:
- Fashion Design;
- Fashion Business;
- Fashion Art Direction;
- Fashion Styling;
- Fashion Marketing Management;
- Atelier Design;
- Fashion Accessories Design;
- Product Management;
- Fashion Design Management.
Master’s degree programs:
- Fashion Retail Management;
- Fashion Brand Management;
- Luxury Business;
- Fashion Art Direction;
- Fashion Design;
- Collection Design;
- Shoe Design;
- Bag Design;
- Fashion Styling;
- Fashion Trends Forecasting;
- Fashion Critique and Curation;
- Sustainable Fashion;
- Creative Direction;
- Knitwear Design;
- Fashion Marketing & Communications;
- Fashion Merchandising & Buying;
- International Fashion Business;
- Knitwear Design;
- Product Management
Lorenzo De’ Medici
- Via Faenza, 43 50123 Firenze, Italia
Phone: (+39) 055287203
info@ldminstitute.com
Lorenzo De’ Medici has a design, marketing and merchandising department.
The aim of the LdM Fashion Design, Marketing and Merchandising Department is to educate and inspire future creative leaders in the fashion business on an international stage.
Students at LdM learn new technologies with sustainability as the starting point for innovation, while critically examining traditional fashion industry practices learning how to respond to the expanding needs of the industry and its effect on the global economy.
At LdM, students acquire a solid theoretical foundation with practical applications, ranging from design and product development to retail management.
Thanks to a collaborative and interdisciplinary approach, students acquire vital skills and develop the ability to think critically, explore innovative solutions and perform in today’s evolving fashion industry.
Furthermore, the fashion marketing and merchandising courses focus on brand identification, market strategy and the dynamics of retail buying, while also analyzing brand positioning and practicing entrepreneurial skills.
The LdM Department of Fashion Design, Marketing and Merchandising is located in three historic buildings in the heart of Florence.
Certificates available at LdM:
Accademia Costume & Moda
- Locations in Italy: Rome, Milan
- Average percentage of international students: 25%
- Average class size:
Bachelor’s: 22-53
Master’s: 11
- Placement rate: 85%
- Average annual fee for Bachelor’s programs:
EU students: € 10 000
International students: €13 000
Average annual fee for Master’s programs:
- EU students: € 12 000
- International students: €17 200
Accademia Costume & Moda is one of the best fashion schools in Italy that has central locations in Rome and Milan.
Its largest and oldest campus is situated in the Ponte district of Rome and can be best reached by bus from other parts of Rome.
This fashion school was established in the year 1964 and has over the years become renowned for its culture that is rooted in craftsmanship, design and experimentation.
Since then it’s been building its prestige by producing famous alumni such as the two most recent Gucci creative directors and Maurizio Galante, one of the most respected haute couture fashion designers.
Moreover, Accademia Costume & Moda hosts lectures and workshops in partnership with brands like Giorgio Armani, Valentino, Salvatore Ferragamo, Louis Vuitton, and Prada.
Bachelor’s degree programs:
- Costume & Fashion;
- Fashion Editor — Styling & Communication;
- Fashion Design Management
Master’s degree programs:
- Alta Moda – Fashion Design;
- Fashion Sustainability & Industry Evolution;
- Fabrics Innovation Design;
- Fashion Communication & Art Direction;
- Creative Knitwear Design;
- Accessory Design;
- Fashion Jewelry;
- The Art & Craft of the Costume Designer
Domus Academy
- Locations in Italy: Milan
- Average percentage of international students: 95%
- Average class size: 23
- Placement rate: 92%
- Graduates work at Calvin Klein, Gucci, Giorgio Armani, Max Mara.
- Average annual fee for Master’s programmes:
EU students: € 21 900
International students: € 24 900
Domus Academy is one of the top private fashion schools in Italy that was founded in the year 1982. It is a fashion school that offers a postgraduate course that is characterized by innovation.
Here, students are given the academic freedom to design their own academic paths. Furthermore, this school specializes in the management side of fashion.
The academy also has a Language Center where you can level up your Italian language skills.
To top it off, the campus is located in the Navigli district, which is a hotspot for Milan nightlife and entertainment.
The campus is shared with the New Academy of Fine Arts and has a vibrant student population representing more than 50 nationalities.
This school offers Master’s degree programs such as Fashion Design; Fashion Management; Fashion Styling and Visual Merchandising. There are scholarships, but they are limited to around 5 students.
IED: Istituto Europeo di Design
- Locations in Italy: Milan, Florence, Rome, Como
- Average class size: 15
- Placement rate: 80%
- Average annual fees: The annual contribution ranges from a minimum of € 8 800 to a maximum of € 17 200. The fee is calculated based on the income bracket of a student’s family.
IED: Istituto Europeo di Design is an Italian design school with an international soul. This fashion school opened its doors in the year 1966 and has grown to expand to Spain, Brazil, and China.
Each of these schools is independent and united by the shared principle that unites creativity, experimentation, communication and technology.
IED welcomes about 2 000 foreign students each year and most of its programs are held in the Milan campus.
It’s located in the Morivione district, close to Porta Romana metro and train stations, and Fondazione Prada art center.
Bachelor’s degree programs:
- Fashion Design;
- Fashion Marketing;
- Fashion Stylist;
- Jewelry Design.
Master’s degree programmes:
- Fashion Textile Design;
- Fashion Marketing;
- Fashion Business;
- Fashion Design;
- Jewelry Design;
- Fashion Communication and Styling.
The IED offers scholarships that cover up to 100% of the tuition fee for Undergraduate courses and up to 50% for Master’ courses.
They are awarded based on competition, with a different assignment each year.
NABA (Nuova Accademia Di Belle Arti)
NABA (Nuova Accademia Di Belle Arti) is one of the best fashion schools in Italy that was founded in 1980 in Milan.
NABA is Italy’s largest private academy that is legally recognised by the Italian Ministry of Education, University and Research (MIUR).
The school is also considered one of the best art and design schools in the world. They have been included among the list of the top 30 world’s leading master in architecture, fashion and design schools by Frame.
It has also ranked as one of Europe’s Top 100 Architecture and Design schools by Domus Magazine and has been ranked among the world’s best fashion design schools by DOF.
Students from all over the world from about 70 countries enroll in their courses.
They have also built a prestigious network of companies and has placed students and graduates in leading companies in the fields of art, design, fashion, etc. They offer:
Undergraduate Programs:
- Graphic Design and Art Direction (Milano, Roma)
- Design (Milano)
- Fashion Design (Milano, Roma)
- Media Design and Multimedia Arts (Milano, Roma)
- Creative Technologies (Milano)
- Set Design (Milano)
- Painting and Visual Arts (Milano, Roma)
Master Programs:
- Fashion and Textile Design (Milano)
- Interior Design (Milano)
- Product Design (Milano)
- Communication Design (Milano)
- Visual Arts and Curatorial Studies (Milano)
There are 1-year naster programs and summer courses as well. The annual tuition fee at NABA for the 2019-2020 academic year is 16,500 Euros for undergraduate and 2-year masters.
The tuition fee for 1-year master’s program is 17.950 Euros. From short-term summer courses, 2-week courses are 1.795 Euros, 4-week courses are 2.995 Euros, and 6-week courses are 4.195 Euros.
Milan Fashion Campus
Milan Fashion Campus offer different types of fashion courses, some of these courses are:
Preparatory Course: This course will prepare the students to be ready to know everything that’s needed to create a fashion conscious and marketable collection.
You will not only learn how to draw different types of garments or croquis, but also about different fabrics and materials, and how to put them together to create amazing outfits.
Through a research of the latest trends, you will be able to create a mood board to explain your concept.
Then you will proceed with the study of the different shapes and volumes according to the fabrics you will use, to end up with a finished, well-presented portfolio for your collection.
Master Course: Their most complete Italian professional program for you who wants to go deep & discover all important fashion skills and knowledge for a solid base and rich work portfolio.
The duration for their master course is 4 months and the price is 11.400 € .
Online Fashion Courses:
- Fashion Styling
- Fashion Branding
- Fashion Design
- Fashion Career
- Fashion Media
Other courses include:
- Certified Image Stylist course: Price starting from 1800 €
- Menswear Fashion Design Course: Price: € 2.000 -€ 5.900
- Accessories Design: Price: € 2.000 -€ 5.900
Find out more about other courses and their duration.
Raffles Milano | Istituto Moda e Design
- Visit their website
The fashion design course at this schools provides an atmosphere in the classroom that encourages students to express their individuality and explore new territories and contexts, including venturing beyond the pale. In their Fashion Design Program, they will cover:
- Trend anticipating
- The fashion system
- Art and costume history
- Pattern making
- Fabrics and raw materials
- Clothing design
- Product development
- Fashion drawing
- Collage collection
- Marketing and research
Tuition for European Union, EFTA and International Students:
- Enrollment fee: 3,000 euros
- Tuition fee: 18,000 euros
Alma Mater Studiorum – Università di Bologna
The second cycle degree course in Fashion Studies is an innovative program developed by the University of Bologna and totally delivered in English.
As the title of the course unveils, it focuses on various academic platforms, based on the tradition of cultural studies and entangled with economics disciplines.
Located in one of the main fashion districts of Italy, Rimini, Fashion Studies enables a full-scale knowledge on the basic subjects concerning the fashion field (communication, semiotics, photography, aesthetics, design etc.) alongside the operational approach of company management.
Haute Future Fashion Academy
Haute Future Fashion Academy is an innovative reality high-level training in the field of High End Luxury Fashion, Haute Couture and Design Concept.
It was founded in 2010 with the aim of forming a new generation of Creative Directors and Strategic Manager and provide a concrete answer to the question of figures professional increasingly diversified and specialized.
Through an avant-garde approach, HFFA intends to redesign the training in an international vision and projected into the future, aimed at recovery of craftsmanship and greater promotion of Made in Italy.
anual craft skills, combined with a search for expressive and artistic qualities, have returned to prominence thanks to a renewed interest in the practical aspects of “creating fashion”.
This is why it is so important to provide students with the cultural tools and design skills that will prepare them for the world of work and enable them to make a successful impact at the highest levels of the Fashion System.
The HFFA Campus is situated in the historic centre of Milan and occupies a strategic position, full of style offices and boutiques, just a stone’s throw away from the Duomo and via Montenapoleone.
Sapienza University of Rome
The Masters Programme in Fashion (LM-65) prepares students for high-level responsibilities in the world of fashion, as well as its relations with figurative arts, communications and entertainment, or for independent careers in the fashion industry and a wide range of related fields.
Students acquire skills and specialist knowledge related to the development of the fashion industry, both historically and as an on-going trend, with special attention to cultural, symbolic and economic/financial factors, as well as the entrepreneurial and management skills necessary to work in this field.
The Master programme uses interdisciplinary teachings involving scholars from several disciplines, including humanities, social sciences, marketing, and technical and management disciplines. Strong professional connections in the field of fashion provide students with insight into today’s world of fashion.
The Master is organized in 4 semesters (2 years) and provides students with mandatory and optional courses. Program details. The tuition fee for this program is €1000 per year.
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