BRUNELLO CUCINELLI INDUSTRY PROJECT | MID REVISION | MASTER IN CREATIVE KNITWEAR DESIGN

For our MA in Creative Knitwear Design students, the Industry Project developed in collaboration with Brunello Cucinelli continues to evolve, having recently reached a key new milestone: the Mid Revision. A central moment within the project, where research, experimentation and creative development come together to be presented, discussed and evaluated in direct dialogue with the professional world.

Following the launch of the brief “Shades of Heritage”, inaugurated in Solomeo — the symbolic and cultural heart of the brand — the project now enters a more advanced phase, where ideas begin to take concrete form. On this occasion, it was the team from Brunello Cucinelli who visited the students at Modateca Deanna, the home of the Master’s programme, further strengthening the direct connection between education and industry.

Coordinated by Project Leader Simona Barbieri, with the support of assistant Chiara Borghi, the project invites students to engage deeply with the brand’s DNA, reinterpreting its codes through a contemporary and personal lens. Knitwear thus becomes a complex field of design research, where material, construction and technical experimentation merge to generate new expressive possibilities.

During the Mid Revision, students presented the development of their individual projects, showcasing the evolution of their research, the refinement of their sources of inspiration, and the first design translations in terms of textures, volumes and techniques. This direct exchange provided precise and highly valuable feedback, essential for refining the coherence between concept and formal development.

Particular attention was given to the ability to interpret heritage as a dynamic process — not a simple reference to the past, but a conscious and contemporary reinterpretation of the brand’s codes. Students were encouraged to work through subtraction, precision and balance, transforming historical elements into essential signs, where the quality of materials and garment construction take centre stage.

The dialogue with the Brunello Cucinelli team also offered an important opportunity to explore themes related to sustainability, the use of noble fibres, and the relationship between technological innovation and artisanal savoir-faire. This exchange enabled students to better understand how product value is built through an integrated vision, capable of combining aesthetics, ethics and function.

The Mid Revision thus confirms itself not only as a checkpoint, but as a true moment of design growth — a key stage in which ideas are tested, strengthened and guided towards greater awareness, in preparation for the final phase of the project.

Our sincere thanks to the team at Brunello Cucinelli for visiting our students and for sharing their expertise, vision and sensitivity, contributing in a meaningful way to their professional development.