Focus on fashion schools: ACCADEMIA DELLA MODA, where tradition meets the future

Fashion designer Lidia Riccio (photo by Enrico Pascarella, model Roberta Riccio, makeup by Mua Indiana Santander)

Second stage of the journey to discover the best Italian fashion schools. Today we speak about ACCADEMIA DELLA MODA, where the sartorial tradition is closely connected to innovation and work reality.

I had the opportunity to know the expertise and seriousness of ACCADEMIA DELLA MODA during the Fashion Graduate Italia 2017, where the school presented its wide educational assortment and the interesting graduate collections of its best students.

ACCADEMIA DELLA MODA at Fashion Graduate Italia 2017

ACCADEMIA DELLA MODA was founded in the 60s by the intuition of Domenico Lettieri, important master tailor from Naples who wanted to connect the reality of the Mediterranean sartorial tradition to young generations of creatives, relaunghing the importance of tailoring craftsmanship. In over 40 years of activity the school has become the reference point for fashion education in South Italy and, from 2017, also one of the most renowned academies of Milan.

New designer and tailors at ACCADEMIA DELLA MODA

The most interesting things I discovered about the school are its wide range of courses in each field of design, the clearness of programs and subjects and the collateral activities to help and support students.

ACCADEMIA DELLA MODA offers different 3-years Bachelor Degree courses and 1st level Master courses, all officially recognized and authorized by MIUR (Ministry of Education, University and Research), and a lot of short courses (recognized by Regione Campania). Besides the Fashion Design courses, about I will speak in this article, there are also Degree and Master courses dedicated to GRAPHIC DESIGN AND VISUAL COMMUNICATION and DESIGN AND INTERIOR ARCHITECTURE.

Graphic Design and Fashion Communication

About fashion, there are many possible pathways for students.

FASHION DESIGN Bachelor Degree (both in Naples and Milan headquarters), is a 3-year course that provides a high-level preparation training full-skilled professional figures.
The young aspiring designers who want to enrol to this course will be able to develop the complete design process of a collection from the phase of research to the realization of prototypes, having also a technical and cultural preparation about all the fields concerning fashion world, through subjects like marketing and management, history of fashion, graphic design and fashion communication.
The purpose of the course is to create a new generation of designers able to work in every field of fashion industry or being competitive self-entrepreneurs.

Fashion sketches realized by the students of ACCADEMIA DELLA MODA (Daniele Giampietro, Alessandra D’Orsi and Gisella Barca)

The 12-months Master Degree courses (only in Naples at the moment), are three:

ACCESSORY DESIGN is a specific course focused on jewelry design. Students learn all about the use of precious and innovative materials, the traditional techniques and the newest trends of jewel design and production.

INTERNATIONAL MARKETING AND COMMUNICATION OF ITALIAN STYLE is a course unique of its kind, because focused on all the necessary knowledge to become an expert of marketing and communication to promote the Italian idea of luxury through the study of subjects like web design, net marketing, advertising and design management.

TECHNICAL DRAWING FOR FASHION is the most specific Master course because it’s based on the training of professionals who can work in industry in close connection with the fashion designers, providing technical and tailoring skills.

Very interesting are also the short-term professional courses recognized by Regione Campania and available in the Naples and Milan headquarters:

FASHION DESIGN AND PRODUCT COORDINATOR is a 9-months course that prepares responsibles of collection and productive lines of clothing, fabrics and accessories, able to follow and support the entire productive chain.

FASHION DESIGN CAD OPERATOR is a 5-months course thought to implement the designer’s skills with technical knowledges about the industrial use of CAD system (photo retouch, vectorial graphic and 3-D CAD).

HOSTESS AND FASHION MODEL lasts 8-months and is dedicated to who want to pursue a career as actress, model and showgirl offering a complete preparation ranging from make-up, hairstyling, fashion show choreography, diction and posture.

INDUSTRIAL PATTERN MAKER has a duration of 16 months to better train one of the most requested professional figure. The student will be able to transform geometrical lines into 3-D shapes modifying paper patterns adapting them to the idea of the designer.

CAD system laboratory

INDUSTRAIL PATTERN MAKER CAD OPERATOR is a 5-months specific and technical course dedeicated to designers and pattern makers who want to improve their skills with the most modern software of industrial CAD.

TAILORING LABORATORY FOR MALE GARMENT is the school’s course more connected to its heritage and to the famous Neapolitan sartorial tradition. The 16-months path will train professional tailors voted to excellence and perfectionism.

FOOTWEAR PATTERN MAKER and CAD OPERATOR are 12 or 5-months short courses that want to train professional pattern makers specialized for footwear industry, able to manage all the production phases from the sketch to the choice of materials and realization of prototypes. The CAD operator course will provide high-level technical skills in the use of CAD system for the development of industrial collections.

Footwear design course

With a job placement of 80% of graduated students, ACCADEMIA DELLA MODA offers real opportunities to enter the world of fashion and design. Particularly serious and well-conceived are the conventins for internship with companies and brands, like Anthony Morato, Les Copains and Bagatelle Group, just to mention a few.

Speaking about the talent of young designers, many ex-students of the school realized important projects and currently work for big names of fashion (Gucci, D&G, Armani or Tom Ford). For example Serena Di Marino in 2014 created a dress for Lady Gaga, while Antonio Mello in 2016 designed an outfit for the international tour of the Italian singer Laura Pausini.

Great part of the merit for the success of the school is given by the teaching staff. All lecturers in fact come from the job world, are professionals who work also for big brands bringing their experiences into the school’s programs.

Because for young aspiring designers is really important to know who will teach and train them, I want to spend some words about teachers particular worthy of mention: Rossella Catapano, fashion design teacher who worked for years near Gianni Versace; Alfonso Negri, teacher of fashion design, styling and portfolio who work for Roberto Cavalli; Giusy Sorrentino and Barbara Mazzone, teachers of pattern making, who respectively worked for Maison Valentino and Gianni Molaro Haute Couture; Giovanni Maione and Salvatore Colasanto, both architects who collaborates with Maison Scognamiglio and for the realization of the most important fashion events of Italy like the “Italian Fashion Talent Awards”, to which took part also many school’s students (do you remember Arianna Di Maio?).

Aspiring fashion students met ACCADEMIA DELLA MODA teachers at Fashion Graduate Italia 2017

Very important are the initiatives to support and promote the talent of the students, like the numerous scholarships offered by the schools and by partner companies, ranging from the 40% to the 70% of the course total price, or the plan for students Erasmus+ to facilitate the cultural exchange between the school and European fashion universities.

A 3-D creation by the students of ACCADEMIA DELLA MODA

Really impressive are also the collateral initiatives thought to enhanced the influence if the school spotlighting the talent of students. In particular, among the dozens of exhibitions, fashion shows, contests and projects, I’d like to underline some significant events launched by ACCADEMIA DELLA MODA.

Each year the school organized the exhibition “Between Art and Fashion” in the most suggestive locations in Naples, an event with an inspirational theme dedicated to students of the 1st and 2nd year courses.

“Between Art and Fashion” exhibition

At the end of the academic year the school presents the graduate collections in important locations and with the involvement of mass media, buyers and Vips, like the famous designer Rocco Barocco, special guest of the last edition.

Other interesting activity is the annual online magazine “Modaè”, edited since 2004, dedicated to professionals of the sector and fashion addicted, with trend forecasting, articles about fashion world and especially with the publication of the works of the most talented students, also rewarded with specific scholarships.

Students showcased by “Modaè” fashion magazine by ACCADEMIA DELLA MODA (Gian Matteo Iandoli, Fiorenza D’Antonio, Nicole Vitelli, Valentina Grasso and Sirian Caccese)

Because the service of orientation for aspiring students is very efficient, with presentations in the high schools, a dedicated staff and especially through the open days, if someone is interested to enrol at ACCADEMIA DELLA MODA, I suggest to visit the headquarters of the school to have an idea of the structure and have the occasion to directly speak with responsibles and professors.

Tailoring laboratory

In Naples the school has two headqaurters for a total of over 1750 square meters, with many classrooms, laboratories for tailoring and pattern making, a well-supplied biblioteque, 2 computer labs, an art gallery to showcase the student’s artworks and an office for trends and research, plus a lot of spaces dedicated to recreational moments.