Accademia Costume & Moda takes part in FORMA 2026

On 8 and 9 May 2026, Accademia Costume & Moda will be among the key participants in FORMA 2026, the festival of creativity bringing together fashion academies from Rome and the Lazio region, hosted at the Centro Congressi La Nuvola.

Now in its second edition, FORMA confirms itself as a leading event for education and creativity within the fashion system, bringing together academic institutions, students, industry professionals and the public in an immersive experience dedicated to innovation, emerging talent and the dialogue between fashion and the contemporary arts. The 2026 theme, “Contemporary Identity: clothing, communities and belonging”, invites reflection on the role of clothing as a language of identity, a symbol of belonging and a means of cultural expression.

For this edition, Accademia Costume & Moda will present a project that combines exhibition, experimentation and activation, reflecting the plurality of visions, practices and languages that animate the ACM community.

The installation will feature a selection of fabrics, sketches, books, portfolios, mannequins displaying garments, costumes and accessories, alongside video content designed to showcase life at the Academy, its educational journey and the students’ creative work.

In dialogue with FORMA’s concept, ACM’s participation will be enriched by a series of initiatives inspired by the concept of subculture as a space for expression and recognition: installations, videos, shooting areas, live photographic sets, concerts, and a dedicated newsstand showcasing magazines conceived and created by students will contribute to creating a dynamic and immersive environment, capable of connecting fashion, imagery, sound and community.

Registrations for the talks are already open: . The full programme will be announced in the coming days; however, several guests have already been introduced during the press conference, including Maria Grazia Chiuri, Creative Director of Fendi; Sofia Balestra; Francesca Ragazzi; Ellen Hodakova Larsson, Swedish designer and founder of the brand Hodakova; and Olivier Theyskens, the designer who has led maisons such as Rochas, Nina Ricci and Theory.

Among the main new features of this edition is the expansion of the venue through the use of the lower floor beneath the Auditorium, which will host the Speaker Corner: an area dedicated to meetings, presentations and performances. On 8 May, Niccolò Filippucci, fresh from winning Sanremo Giovani, will appear, while on 9 May Lea Gavino, singer-songwriter and actress, will take part.

The event’s media partners will be Rai Radio 2 and Rai News 24, with RaiNews.it acting as content partner.

FORMA is promoted by the Department for Major Events, Sport, Tourism and Fashion of Roma Capitale and by the Department for Economic Development of the Regione Lazio, with the aim of strengthening Rome’s role as a centre of excellence in fashion and design education, fostering synergies between institutions, territories and new generations of creatives.

The event is part of the Rome Smart Tourism project, funded by the Ministero del Turismo under the scheme dedicated to municipalities with cultural, historical, artistic and landscape heritage hosting sites recognised by UNESCO as World Heritage Sites.