Studying fashion and design in Italy is very exciting as it hosts some of the most famous fashion and design brands. In addition to exposure to famous brands such as Ferragamo, Gucci, Novecento Italiano, Arte Povera, Emilio Pucci, Giorgio Armani, Prada, Dolce & Gabbana, Versace, Fendi, MIFUR (International Leather and Fur Fair), Salone del Mobile (Milan Furniture Fair), and Milan Unica, you can also gain enough experience in the field of fashion and design attending prestigious international events and fairs as (International Italian High-Level Textile Fair), Homi (International Home Show), Pitti Immagine and Milan Fashion Week fashion shows. There are also beautiful unmissable exhibits, such as the Palazzo Pitti Costume Gallery in Florence or the Triennale Design Museum in Milan.

Recommended article: Study Fashion and Design in Milan

Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, Studying Fashion and Design in Italy

Why Study Fashion and Design in Italy?

Italy has educational institutions, academies and universities that provide up to 90% employment with fashion and design schools in different cities. In addition to fashion and design schools, various art workshops, summer courses, short and long-term courses offer many alternatives to students who want to study fashion and design in Italy. Fashion and design students will learn basic and technical knowledge about textiles, design and illustration, as well as exhibition and presentation techniques, how to design patterns on the computer, how garments and accessories are designed, produced and marketed.

In addition, you will be able to improve your English language skills and learn the Italian language thanks to the higher number of international students and social environment.

If you want to continue your studies by choosing Italian departments or if you want to learn Italian as a preliminary preparation, do not be late to apply for our Italian language course.

Recommended article: ” Residence Permit in Italy

Universities Offering Fashion and Design Education in Italy

Studying fashion and design in Italy is possible both in Italian and in English. Universities, academies and art schools providing undergraduate and graduate education are as follows:

You can also take a look at our article about “Italy’s Art Education”

  • IED (Istituto Europeo di Design) | Studying Fashion and Design in Italy

IED - Milano, Studying Fashion and Design in Italy

IED (European Design Institute) was founded in 1966 in Italy by Francesco Morelli, is a private design school that provides education in the fields of fashion, design, visual communication and management. It is an academic institution that actively provides education in Italy, in the cities of Milan, Florence, Rome, Venice, Turin and Cagliari, as well as in Brazil and Spain.

For detailed information, you can check our article about “Life in Rome“.

  • Polymoda | Studying Fashion and Design in Italy

Polimoda, a fashion school in Florence, the capital of Tuscany, Italy that was founded in 1986. Collaborating with famous brands such as Prada, Christian Dior, Chanel, Céline, Montblanc and Alexander McQueen, the school hosted the IFFTI Conference (International Foundation of Fashion Technology Institutes) in 2015, where six historical sites in Florence were taken over for research, fashion curation and art direction.

  • Istituto Marangoni

Studying Fashion and Design in Italy, (Istituto Marangoni)

With its deep-rooted tradition since 1935, Marangoni Academy of Arts is shown as number 1st in Italy and 8th the best fashion school in the world. Headquartered in Milan, the school has many international campuses in cities such as Florence, London, Paris, Miami, Shanghai, Shenzhen and Mumbai. Short-term courses, undergraduate courses and graduate courses are taught under the name of fashion, art, design and executive courses within the academy.

For detailed information, you can review our topic about “Marangoni Art Academy”.

  • NABA | Studying Fashion and Design in Italy

naba, Studying Fashion and Design in Italy

The Nuova Accademia di Belle Arti (NABA) has a unique success rate of 90% employment in the first year after graduation. The largest private art academy in Italy, NABA was founded in 1980 and currently has campuses in Milan and Rome. With its modern technology, it provides its students with a large number of specialised workspaces and laboratories.

For more detailed information, take a look at our page about “NABA”.

  • Milan Fashion Institute

Milan Fashion Institute was established with the cooperation of Bocconi University , Cattolica University and Politecnico di Milano universities. Students who want to study fashion and design in Italy , often prefer Milan Fashion Institute for a 1-year master’s degree as the language of instruction is English. In particular, the school offers a very high job opportunity and thanks to its strong ties to the Italian and international fashion industry (based on both employment and internship agreement), students have a 97.7% probability of finding a job within 16 months of graduation.
Since its inception, Milano Fashion Institute has been known for its interdisciplinary academic programs and exceptional faculty on a global scale. These professors, who are university professors of the Founding and Supporting Partners and managers of successful businesses, work together to integrate management, design, and communication in order to guide young professionals who are among the most skilled in their field and valued by the Fashion and Luxury System.

  • Domus Academy | Studying Fashion and Design in Italy

Domus Academy , which can be accepted as a living laboratory, provides a one-year graduate education for those who want to study fashion and design . It offers a “learning by design” methodology to specialize in different design courses. Founded in 1982, Domus Academy is known as the first postgraduate design school in Italy. Apart from this, it has agreements with brands such as Antonio Berardi, Damir Doma, DiLiborio, Fondazione Gianfranco Ferrè, Frankie Morello, Interware, Janet & Janet, Krizia, Napapijri, Stefanel, Timberland, Tommy Hilfiger and Trussardi.

  • Accademia Italiana

Accademia Italiana, Studying Fashion and Design in Italy

Established in 1984, Accademia Italiana offers undergraduate and postgraduate education in English and in Italian in Florence and Rome. It is ambitious in educational fields such as fashion, design, furniture, fabric, graphic design, photography, interior design, product design, accessory design and contemporary media programs.

  • ISAD Design School | Studying Fashion and Design in Italy

ISAD – Istituto Superiore di Architettura e Design, founded in Milan in 1980 by a group of architects, has a philosophy aimed at sharing architectural ideas and practices and creating professional designers. A truly Italian school, ISAD is accredited as ” The Milanese School of Interior Design “.

  • Florence Design Academy

Florence Design Academy

Florence Design Academy, one of the most famous design universities of Italy, provides education in interior design, graphic design and industrial design. The academy, which teaches only in English, also offers free Italian language courses to its students. It offers academic programs with durations of 1 year, 2 years and 3 years to students of all ages who do not have a design education and who have not worked on design before, as well as graduate level education.

  • Scuola Politecnica di Design | Studying Fashion and Design in Italy

Scuola Politecnica di Design

Scuola Politecnica di Design (SPD) was founded in Milan in 1954. It is the first postgraduate education school in Italy to provide education in the field of design. Polytechnic School of Design; It is an educational institution with links to famous companies such as Microsoft, IKEA, Volkswagen, Audi, Lamborghini, Volkswagen, Alfa Romeo, Heineken and many more. In addition, the courses given at the university are carried out jointly with IULM University and students can also access all on campus facilities of IULM University such as the library and canteen.

For more detailed information, you can check our article about “Scuola Politecnica di Design”.

  • Haute Future Fashion Academy

Established in 2010 in Milan, in the capital of fashion and design, Haute Future Fashion Academy (HFFA) is a high-level educational institution dedicated to High-End Luxury Fashion, Haute Couture and concept design sectors. It aims to produce new designs in an international vision to shed light on the future, to improve workmanship and to promote the branding of ‘Made in Italy’ more.

  • Poli Design | Studying Fashion and Design in Italy

Poli Design is located in Milan, a universally recognised international centre. Poli Design, founded by Politecnico di Milano, is ranked 1st in Italy, 3rd in Europe and 6th in the world in the Arts & Design Department and operates in the field of design.

You can also review the topic about “Italian Universities in the Top 500 in World Ranking”.

What does a Fashion and Design Graduate Do?

Graduates of the Department of Fashion and Design can make fashion designs by applying seasonal trends or perhaps start a new trend by creating their own fashion style. In addition, they can work as stylists, visual designers, brand managers, bloggers, fashion editors in private institutions or they can give education if they want to progress on the academic path.

The diploma you will receive after your education in Italy will be valid abroad. For this reason, you will have various options in different countries as you can work in your own country. However, as in every department, the important point here is to improve yourself. Only you will determine the limits of your creativity and talent with the education you receive in this educational institutions located in Milan, the capital of fashion, or other valuable Italian universities.

You can also visit our page dedicated to ” Art, Music and Dance Education in Italy “.

Milano Fashion Institute

Studying Fashion and Design in Italy – Tuition Expenses

State universities in Italy charge tuition fees between 150 € and 3500 €, but there are private universities rather than state universities for students who want to study fashion and design in Italy. For this reason, tuition fees may vary among universities. The university fees we have listed below are given for students without EU citizenship. People with EU citizenship usually pay a price lower than the specified fee.

  • The tuition in IED varies between 8,800 € and 17,200 € per year for Italian and EU citizens, depending on income level. For non-European students, there is a tuition fee is 17,200 € per year.
  • Tuition fee in Polimo is 15.000 € per year.
  • The annual tuition fee of Istituto Marangoni is €23,700 for EU citizens. for those who are not EU citizen, it is 27.100 €.
  • The annual university fee for NABA is 18,200 €.
  • Annual university fees for Domus Academy are 20,900 euros for EU citizens and 29,000 euros for non-EU citizens.
  • At Accademia Italiana, tuition fees are paid per semester. It is 8,400 euros for spring, 3,500 euros for summer and 8,400 euros for autumn.
  • ISAD Design School tuition fees are between €9,400 and €10,980 per year for EU citizens, and between €10,400 and €11,730 per year for non-EU citizens.
  • Florence Design Academy education cost is 7.500 € per year.
  • Scuola Politecnica di Design one-year courses cost between 11,400 € and 11,800 € and the fee for master’s programs is between 16,400 € and 21,900 €.
  • Haute Future Fashion Academy tuition fee is 12.000 € for one-year education and 27.500 € for 3-year courses.
  • Poli Design education cost is 13,000 euros per year.

For more detailed information on the subject, you can get information from our article “University Fees and Scholarships in Italy”.

Fashion and Design Department Scholarship Opportunities in Italy

Another issue that is important to study fashion and design in Italy is scholarship opportunities. The university, region and state provide scholarship opportunities in the region where every student locates. The main criterion for applying is the annual income of the student and his/her family. Students can apply for a scholarship after calculating their annual family income.

In addition, universities also have scholarships and food subsidies based on success. Moreover, students who want to receive additional income can work part-time, usually limited to 20 hours.

Additionally, do not forget to check our article about “Scholarship Opportunities in Italy“.

Fashion and Design Department Accommodation Opportunities in Italy

İtalya'da öğrenci olarak konaklamak, yurt imkânları

Another issue that students who are researching to study fashion and design in Italy are curious about is accommodation options. Mostly Italian universities have dormitories or their own student houses. Moreover, they will offer you options such as rooms, studio or normal apartments, houses, private dormitories, residences and hotels in various specifications with the companies, agencies and real estate agents they have agreed with.

For more detailed information, see our article about “Accommodation in Italy“.

The opportunities offered by Italian universities, regions and the state have recently increased the number of interested students who want to study in Italy. Students can prefer our Pava Education consultation service to have a smoother process during the application process. If you want to get more detailed information and start your application process, you can fill out the application form or enter the necessary information on the contact page.