One of the leading fashion and
design schools in Italy, the Accademia Italiana (www.accademiaitaliana.com) was established in Florence in 1984.
Headquartered in the historic Palazzo Temple-Leader facing Palazzo Pitti, it
also has a campus in Rome and cooperates with some of the most prestigious
universities around the world. On April 26, some of the most inspiring creative
minds in fashion, art and design will be in Florence for the Accademia
Italiana’s annual event, dedicated to the theme Anima e Corpo (‘Body and
Soul’), which will also feature an award ceremony. Among the renowned figures
and brands receiving the Accademia Italiana’s Pyramid of Excellence award this
year are contemporary Italian artist, Michelangelo Pistoletto; Anna Molinari of
Blumarine; luxury leather label Bottega Veneta; furniture company Poltrona
Frau; lingerie company La Perla; fashion hosiery stylist Emilio Cavallini; and
entrepreneur and photographer Francesca Lavazza of the Lavazza Artistic
Calendar. In anticipation of this glamorous evening for fashion and design
leaders, during which Florence mayor Matteo Renzi will give an official salute
to students and guests, TF sat down with Vincenzo Giubba, founder of the
Accademia Italiana.
The Accademia Italiana is a leader in Italy for
fashion training. What made you start it? How has it evolved into such a
success?
As an architect by profession, I have a passion for
the arts. It became clear in the 1980s that Italy and the Made in Italy label
were becoming known around the world for quality, style and elegance. Yet at
the time there was no institute of higher learning for the fashion industry in
Florence. Other than artisan and informal settings, there were not many places
to study fashion. I thought the sector needed more structured, serious training
that would provide a technical and cultural base for a professional career in
fashion and design. It was an important step for Florence, which at the time
had a very strong connection with fashion and an important international
dimension. In fact, half of our students are Italian and the other half come
from elsewhere in the world. We have many students who come from the United States
to spend a semester with us, while others pursue longer-term studies.
What kinds of courses does the Accademia Italiana
offer?
We offer bachelors’ degree programs and some masters’
programs, ranging from fashion and costume design to furniture and product
design, as well as jewelry design, graphics and photography.
What do your graduates usually do after their studies?
We estimate that approximately 90 percent find jobs
within one year of graduating. We are very active on this front, helping them
find internships and jobs after their studies. Our collaborations with some of
Italy and the world’s top furniture brands and fashions houses are useful in
this sense. For example, our alumni have worked for labels both here and
abroad, among them Gucci, D&G, Vivienne Westwood, Calvin Klein Jeans, Donna
Karan and Miu Miu, as well as for such internationally renowned photographers
as Oliviero Toscani or furniture companies, such as Poltrona Frau. Some of our
alumni have also become entrepreneurs.
The Pyramid of Excellence award
is given to a handful of leaders in the fashion and design worlds every year.
How did the award come to be?
Our end-of-year events-the
fashion show and the design and photography exhibits-are an important showcase
for our students’ work. We thought that an award would be a great way to have
the students’ work seen by these important figures. Now it has become an
essential point of contact between our students and the representatives of the
business leaders who attend. Many job offers have resulted from these events.
What advice would you give recent
graduates looking to break into the fashion world after their studies?
To find the creative stimulus
they need, they must move around as much as possible and have as many
experiences as they can with different companies and in different parts of the
world.
