LANIFICIO DI SORDEVOLO | BRIEF LAUNCH | MASTER FABRICS INNOVATION DESIGN

Our MA in Fabrics Innovation Design students have recently launched a new Industry Project in collaboration with Lanificio di Sordevolo, a leading excellence within the Italian textile landscape, beginning the programme with an immersive visit directly at the company. This experience provided a valuable opportunity to engage first-hand with production processes, materials and the know-how that define quality and innovation in the contemporary textile sector.

To further broaden this experience, the programme continued with visits to Tintoria Finissaggio 2000 and Magnolab, where students explored advanced finishing techniques and innovative approaches to material development, gaining a deeper understanding of the textile supply chain in its entirety.

The project, titled “The Wardrobe of an Icon – Designing a Wardrobe Starting from Fabric” and led by Project Leader Giampiero Arcese, stems from a central reflection: within the fashion system, fabric is not merely a support, but the starting point of the entire creative process. It is through its characteristics — texture, weight, structure and pattern — that a project takes shape, evolving into a visual and cultural language.

This perspective finds a perfect expression in the renowned collaboration between Hubert de Givenchy and Audrey Hepburn, where the choice of fabrics and the precision of silhouettes contributed to the creation of an iconic and timeless image. A dialogue between material and identity that continues to stand as a reference point in contemporary fashion, anticipating an approach in which clothing becomes an integral part of a public persona’s narrative.

Within this framework, the project invites students to design the wardrobe of a character — real or imagined — starting precisely from fabric as the origin of the creative process. Through textile design, visual research and stylistic development, students are asked to build a coherent system of garments capable of translating the character’s identity into a contemporary visual language.

The wardrobe is thus conceived as a true narrative device: a system in which fabrics, colours, patterns and silhouettes work together to define a recognisable identity, capable of communicating not only a style, but also an imaginary, a lifestyle and a precise cultural positioning.

The proposed research directions span across iconic figures of contemporary culture, offering students the opportunity to engage with diverse aesthetic and identity-driven languages. Among the references: David Bowie, a symbol of transformation and experimentation; Lady Gaga, an emblem of performative and theatrical fashion; Zendaya, representing a sophisticated dialogue between fashion history and contemporaneity; Timothée Chalamet, embodying a new masculine aesthetic; and Rihanna, a key figure in the fusion of fashion, music and entrepreneurship.

This Industry Project represents an important opportunity for students to engage with an advanced design approach, where research, experimentation and industry converge. The collaboration with Lanificio di Sordevolo further strengthens the value of this experience, offering direct access to technical expertise and an industrial vision—essential elements in shaping designers capable of interpreting the role of fabric within the contemporary fashion system in a conscious and innovative way.

Experiences such as this naturally convey what makes the educational path at Accademia Costume & Moda truly distinctive. Through concrete projects, dialogue with companies and international brands, and the development of a contemporary design vision, students are guided along a path that combines research, methodology and a direct connection with the industry.