Some clothes dress a body. Others build a world.
The Master of Arts in Costume & Alta Moda – Couture Design begins where two major Italian traditions meet: Costume Design for performance and Haute Couture.
A two-year programme for those who want to go beyond designing a garment and learn how to build identities, characters and collections through research, visual culture, design, experimentation and advanced tailoring skills.
Throughout the two years, you learn to move between Couture and Costume Design, between interpreting the codes of a fashion house and analysing a script, between historical research and contemporary imagery. You study materials, explore volumes and surfaces, and work with tailoring techniques, pattern cutting, illustration and digital tools. Above all, you turn ideas into real projects.
Because designing for Haute Couture and designing for the stage both begin with the same question: who does this garment need to become?
The programme connects design culture with professional practice through workshops, Industry Projects, internships, work experience and opportunities to engage directly with designers, costume designers, ateliers, fashion houses, companies and performance productions.
You can choose to build your future in Fashion Design, Costume Design, or in the space where the two disciplines meet.
By the end of the programme, you will have developed your own design vision, advanced technical skills and a professional portfolio to support your entry into the worlds of Haute Couture, fashion houses, ateliers and productions for film, television, theatre, opera and ballet.
You may also continue your academic journey by progressing to a PhD programme, subject to the relevant entry requirements.
Build worlds. Not just clothes.
Haute Couture and Costume share the same design culture: starting from research to build an identity.
It may be the identity of a collection.
It may be the identity of a character.
In both cases, every choice matters.
During the programme, you learn how to turn historical references, images, texts, materials and ideas into a complete design project. You move from research to concept, from drawing to material, from pattern cutting to realisation, through to the final presentation.
You work between tailoring tradition and innovation, between narrative requirements and brand identity. You develop Fashion Design and Costume Design techniques, learn to use both analogue and digital tools, and understand how to work with the different professionals involved in a fashion house, atelier or performance production.
Industry engagement is part of the learning experience: briefs, workshops, Industry Projects and professional experiences allow you to test your method and begin building your own identity as a designer.
A runway. An atelier. A theatre. A film set.
The Master of Arts in Costume & Alta Moda – Couture Design prepares you to work across the different contexts in which a garment becomes design, narrative and identity.
The skills developed throughout the programme allow you to follow the full creative process: from historical, iconographic and visual research to concept development, from drawing and material selection through to garment construction and final presentation.
You may work within fashion houses, fashion brands, design studios, Couture ateliers, theatrical and film costume workshops, audiovisual productions and the performing arts, or develop your own independent professional path.
Potential roles include:
If you want to design a garment as part of a collection and, the next moment, imagine how that same garment could tell the story of a character, this programme is for you.
The Master of Arts in Costume & Alta Moda – Couture Design is designed for students, graduates and professionals who want to deepen their knowledge of Costume Design, Haute Couture and Fashion Design through advanced, project-based and multidisciplinary study.
To apply, you must hold a First-Level Academic Diploma, a Bachelor’s degree, or another qualification awarded in Italy or abroad and recognised as suitable under current regulations.
Candidates with a relevant academic background may access the programme directly. If your previous studies are in another field, your application will be assessed by the Programme Board to evaluate whether your preparation and motivation are suitable for the course.
Discover what you’ll be studying.
Bachelor Degree meeting the entry requirements of the course, or another qualification obtained abroad and recognised as suitable by Accademia Costume & Moda, in accordance with current legislation and international agreements;
Minimum B2 level of language proficiency.
The Orientation Office can help you find out about entry requirements, deadlines, scholarships and the admissions process.
Ask the ACM AI assistant anything you want to know about tuition fees, admissions, career paths and scholarships. It will reply in real time.
It is a two-year academic programme combining Costume Design and Fashion Design for Haute Couture. The programme brings together historical and visual research, concept development, material studies, pattern cutting, tailoring techniques, illustration and design, preparing professionals to create fashion collections and costumes for fashion houses, ateliers, film, television, theatre, opera and ballet.
Fashion Design develops garments and collections in relation to a designer’s creative vision, a brand’s identity and its audience. Costume Design builds the visual identity of a character through a script, narrative context, historical period and production requirements. The Master of Arts brings these two approaches together and explores the skills they share: research, drawing, materials, silhouette, tailoring techniques and realisation.
The programme is designed for applicants who hold a First-Level Academic Diploma, a Bachelor’s degree or another recognised equivalent qualification and who want to specialise in Costume Design, Haute Couture, or both. Applicants from academic backgrounds that are not directly related to the programme may still apply, subject to assessment by the Programme Board.
The study plan includes Fashion History, Art and Costume History, Fashion Design, Costume for Performance, Embellishment, Computer Graphics, Visual Arts, Make-up and Theatrical Mask. The programme also covers communication, the market, production organisation and costs, and integrates workshops, Industry Projects, professional activities and a final project.
Yes. The programme combines academic and design-based learning with workshops, Industry Projects, internships, work experience, seminars and extracurricular projects. These experiences allow you to work with professional briefs and methodologies, engage with companies, ateliers and productions, and develop projects that also contribute to your portfolio.
The programme prepares graduates for a wide range of roles across Fashion Design, Haute Couture and Costume Design, including Fashion Designer, Haute Couture Fashion Designer, Costume Designer, Assistant Costume Designer, Fashion Researcher, Costume Researcher, Textile Designer, Embellishment Designer, Fashion Illustrator and Couture Product Developer. These skills can be applied within fashion houses, brands, ateliers, design studios, theatre and film costume workshops and productions for film, theatre, opera, ballet and television, as well as in freelance practice.
Yes. This is one of the key features of the programme. The course is designed to connect the languages and skills of Haute Couture and Costume Design. During your studies, you can explore both areas and gradually build a professional identity focused more strongly on fashion, performance, or the intersection between the two.
Yes. Throughout the two years, you develop individual and group projects, workshops, Industry Projects and professional experiences that contribute to your portfolio. The Final Project also becomes a key moment in bringing together your personal research and the skills developed during the programme.
