SANTONI INDUSTRY PROJECT | MASTER IN ACCESSORIES DESIGN

Our Master in Accessories Design students have completed the Industry Project developed in collaboration with Santoni, an international excellence in Made in Italy and a leading name in luxury footwear.

Entitled “Preserving Excellence – Craftsmanship, Culture and Future ”, the project was led by Project Leader Luigi Mulas Debois, with the support of Assistant Paolo Rinaldi, and gave students the opportunity to engage directly with Santoni’s heritage, DNA and distinctive identity codes.

The project began at the brand’s headquarters in Corridonia, in the Marche region, where students visited the production facilities and observed the different stages involved in crafting a shoe up close. It was an immersive experience that allowed them to engage with materials, artisanal techniques, production processes and a culture of attention to detail, gaining a deeper understanding of how every design decision is connected to a heritage of knowledge, expertise and craftsmanship.

Bringing Research to Life

From this experience, a months-long process of research, experimentation, testing and development began. Students explored Santoni’s codes, investigated materials and techniques, experimented with new design possibilities and progressively developed their proposals, learning how to translate research into a tangible product that remained coherent with the brand’s identity.

Throughout the process, creativity and methodology constantly came together: from the initial research and experimentation with leathers and artisanal techniques through to the development of the capsule collection.

The Final Presentation

The project culminated in the Final Presentation, the concluding stage of the Industry Project, during which students presented the outcomes of their research and design development to the Santoni Team, with some members attending in person and others joining online. Present in person:
– Fabrizio Faccenda, Head Women Shoes Designer;
– Sara Rocci, Responsabile Ufficio Stile Donna;
– Lucia Zallocco, Recruiting, Onboarding and Training.

Joining online:
– Giovanni Nardella, Head Shoes Designer;
– Enrica Ponzellini, Chief Brand and Image Officer.

Building on the theme of craftsmanship and artisanal techniques, students developed a capsule collection of womenswear and menswear footwear, comprising five women’s styles and five men’s styles. The project challenged them to reinterpret Santoni’s codes through a contemporary perspective, while maintaining a constant dialogue with the brand’s heritage and the demands of today’s market.

The Final Presentation therefore marked the culmination of a complete design process: an opportunity for students to test their ideas, receive feedback from industry professionals and engage with the standards and dynamics of the fashion industry.

Studying Accessories Design at Accademia Costume & Moda

This is the value of Industry Projects at Accademia Costume & Moda: taking learning beyond the classroom and into the professional world, transforming knowledge into experience. Through real briefs, partner companies, industry professionals and review sessions, students learn to engage with concrete constraints, objectives, processes and languages, while developing independence, methodology and design skills.

Because at ACM, learning also means doing, engaging and putting your ideas to the test. A project with a company such as Santoni becomes an opportunity to transform an understanding of the product and knowledge of craftsmanship into a new vision for the future.

Our heartfelt thanks to the entire Santoni Team for their invaluable support and continued commitment to our students.