Max Mara Industry Project | Fashion Archive & Heritage

In an atmosphere brimming with creativity and innovation, the students of the Fashion Archive Specialization course have recently completed a captivating Industry Projectin collaboration with Max Mara’s Business Archive and Library (BAI). This corporate gem, born back in 2003, was conceived to collect, preserve, and celebrate the rich historical heritage accumulated from the fabulous 1950s to the present day.

The aim of this exhilarating project? To nourish the creative spirit through immersive experiences, leveraging the treasures safeguarded within the BAI, particularly the gems of the Vintage Archive and the Library. Employing the revolutionary design thinking methodology, students were tasked with conceiving an unparalleled user experience for designers, shaping every detail, from the exhibition layout to the substance of the content. Each team identified a “high concept,” a brilliant idea that brought the experience to life, from the exhibition setup to promotion, creating a perfect blend of the physical and virtual realms. The design phase embraced the creation of engaging concepts and stories, the search for vintage pieces and materials to incorporate into the projects, and the development of promotional tools to capture attention and interest.

With passion and dedication, each team presented a project that transformed the BAI spaces into an extraordinary experience seamlessly intertwined with the digital narrative.

Throughout the project, students had the opportunity to explore the BAI through a guided tour led by Laura Lusuardi, Max Mara’s Fashion Coordinator, and Federica Fornaciari, the Head of Max Mara’s Library and Archive. This allowed each group to connect with the valuable materials in the BAI Max Mara and its Digital Archive, as well as gain a deep understanding of the specific needs of designer teams for various projects and product categories, thanks to their enlightening collaboration with the Max Mara Archive Team.

This captivating journey culminated at our Milan Campus with the final project presentations to Laura Lusardi and Federica Fornaciari. We want to express our heartfelt gratitude to the entire BAI Max Mara team for this incredible learning and growth opportunity.