Polimoda Fashion School

Summary

Polimoda is a private fashion school in Florence, capital of Tuscany, Italy. The school was originally founded by Shirley Goodman, the former Executive Vice President Emeritus at Fashion Institute of Technology New York and Don Emilio Pucci, founder of the famous Florentine brand Emilio Pucci. The management includes Ferruccio Ferragamo as the President, Massimiliano Giornetti as the Director and Linda Loppa as the Advisor of Strategy and Vision.

History

Stemming from an initiative designed and funded by the Municipalities of Florence and Prato, the Province of Florence, Centro di Firenze per la Moda Italiana, Associazione degli Industriali della Provincia di Firenze and Unione Industriale Pratese, in collaboration with the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) of the State University of New York, Polimoda was established in 1986.

New York, 1986. FIT representative Shirley Goodman and City of Florence representative Marquis Emilio Pucci signed the founding agreement of the “Politecnico Internazionale della Moda”. Since then the school has grown in every way, becoming stronger, bigger, more influential, more cutting-edge and more independent.

And while Polimoda has never lost sight of its roots, it has also understood that you have to anticipate the future rather than chase it. With this in mind, in 2006 Polimoda brought in Ferruccio Ferragamo, former vice chairman and leading light of Italian fashion, as Chairman, together with Linda Loppa, currently Strategy and Vision Consultant and former Director of the school.

This marked the start of a new era for the institute and 2011 saw the opening of the Villa Favard campus, now the headquarters of Polimoda. In 2021 Massimiliano Giornetti was appointed Director. Formerly Creative Director of Salvatore Ferragamo and head of the Fashion Design department at Polimoda, he is a Polimoda alumnus and believes in the school’s international vocation, its bond with the city of Florence and the development of relations with the most important businesses in the sector.

In 2024, Polimoda opened a new building at Manifattura Tabacchi, bringing together the many disciplines from across the school and creating a single creative hub where business and design students can collaborate and learn together. This building consolidates the Polimoda Manifattura Campus and sets a precedent for the future development of the school.

From the executive team to the faculty, the institute is led by qualified and expert figures with exceptional professional backgrounds that are widely respected all over the world. An outstanding team committed to supporting the learning and growth of the students, aided by the contribution of the Members’ Assembly and the Board of Directors, which gather together representatives of local bodies and institutions, as well as important figures from the fashion industry.

Ferruccio Ferragamo has been President of Polimoda since 2006. Now chairman of Ferragamo Finanziaria, having led Salvatore Ferragamo for many years, he is an enlightened entrepreneur and an ambassador of Made in Italy across the world. In these years his in-depth knowledge of the international luxury industry, together with the commitment and support of his work group, have enabled him to increase the size, prestige and authoritativeness of the institute, making it one of the most important centers of excellence for fashion in Italy and the world.

Courses

The Master in Costume Design diverges from traditional design programs by positioning costume design as a sophisticated narrative art form. This course employs a research-driven methodology to provide students with a holistic understanding of costume design’s interconnected elements. Students develop skills in historical research, character analysis, technical design, and storytelling through visual interpretation. They cultivate the rare ability to transform narrative insights into compelling visual representations that authentically capture character and era. The course focuses on imparting comprehensive costume design knowledge, including historical context, research methodologies, technical skills, and narrative interpretation. The goal is to create graduates with an independent vision, capable of crafting costumes that are not just garments, but powerful storytelling tools that communicate complex character and cultural narratives.

Polimoda’s Atelier Design program bridges the gap between atelier designers and fashion designers, offering a fresh perspective on the intricate world of pattern making and garment construction, and underlining the crucial and symbiotic relationship between the two professional figures. Atelier Design incorporates elements such as pattern making, sketching, draping, tailoring, as well as theoretical study of fabrics and their relation to the body. It is a technical immersion into the world of structuring and making garments according to the body and design. The course covers the spectrum from technical skills (pattern making, draping) to creative skills (illustration), as well as theoretical knowledge (fashion history) and practical industry skills (production techniques, project coordination).

The Undergraduate in Digital Strategy for Fashion focuses on the understanding of the luxury fashion industry and its key platforms in digitisation, fine-tuning the experience between physical and digital fashion and researching fashion brands that are taking the first steps into the metaverse and Web3, while contributing to new platform-based business models. The program shapes Digital Marketing Managers’ ability to coordinate digital marketing areas: from social networks to native advertising, from SEO to Web Analytics and Content and from CRM to E-commerce. Today, brands focus on authentic and behavioral data-driven storytelling, aiming towards long-term growth and transparency regarding their purpose-driven business strategy. This professional must learn to have an ethics-driven approach to Data Governance in order to encourage solid knowledge of protection laws and the appropriate use of collected granular data and information. This unique and hands-on learning experience includes field trips, a midterm and a mandatory final project.

Fashion Design Management is a new program devised to train designers who double as entrepreneurs. Courses are run by teachers from the industry with hands-on materials. Fashion Design Management students also have access to monthly guest lectures taught by visionaries, an immense library and computer and design labs. During the three-year program, intensive review sessions with auditors from the industry are organised for the students. The course is completed with an internship in a fashion company at the end of the third year. Based on the student’s personal abilities and acquired skills, the course qualifies graduates for jobs in fashion design and management as Creative Directors, Fashion Designers, Fashion Coordinators, Collection Managers, Design Managers, Trend Forecasters, Merchandisers, Product Managers, as well as for a career heading up new industry-driven designer brands with an entrepreneurial attitude.

Undertaking the Master in Creative Direction is how you become a Creative Director. The program is based on three main areas: Design, trend and cultural research resulting in a fully visualised concept; Brand, market analysis resulting in brand identity strategy and Communications, the creation of written, visual and motion content delivered by a team. This intensive specialization program gives students access to internship opportunities. It is run by teachers and guests from the industry who are dedicated to reviewing one-to-one student progress. The final project is a concept book that will be featured in a design installation at Villa Favard in front of a jury. A full-tuition scholarship, offered in partnership with the TSH Talent Foundation, is available for this Master’s. Visit the Scholarships page for eligibility criteria and required documents. Creative Director Felipe Oliveira Baptista is a celebrated fashion designer whose career includes positions as the Artistic Director at Kenzo and Creative Director at Lacoste.

The Master in Costume Design diverges from traditional design programs by positioning costume design as a sophisticated narrative art form. This course employs a research-driven methodology to provide students with a holistic understanding of costume design’s interconnected elements. Students develop skills in historical research, character analysis, technical design, and storytelling through visual interpretation. They cultivate the rare ability to transform narrative insights into compelling visual representations that authentically capture character and era.Through an integrated approach of scholarly research and creative practice, the faculty nurture visionary costume designers who can navigate artistic and technical domains. The goal is to create graduates with an independent vision, capable of crafting costumes that are powerful storytelling tools.

The Master in Fashion Trend Forecasting is an innovative program for sharp and intuitive minds. Welcome to the life of Trend Forecasters. This person is a master of the future who is constantly moving, researching and finding the golden thread between politics, economics, technology, art, music, and, of course, fashion. The program explores four main areas: Research, the analysis of data and phenomena; Link, the personal associations, inspirations and moods; Concept, the formulation of trends, counter-trends and sub-trends and Release, the application to product development, strategic marketing and communication purposes with presentation materials. This intensive specialization program is run by resident teachers from the industry and includes international guest lecturers, workshops in Paris or London as well as field trips to the Pitti trade fairs in Florence and Milan Fashion Week.

Job Integration Rate

Polimoda, a prestigious fashion school located in Florence, Italy, boasts a strong track record of graduate employment. According to a 2019 Hypebeast article, the institution reported a 91% job placement rate for its graduates. The school’s emphasis on practical training and industry connections contributes to its high placement rate. Polimoda offers a range of programs, including undergraduate and master’s degrees in fashion design, business, and event management.

Students benefit from mentorship by industry professionals and have opportunities for internships with leading fashion companies . These experiences enhance students’ employability and facilitate their transition into the workforce. Furthermore, Polimoda’s global reputation and strategic partnerships with renowned fashion brands play a pivotal role in its graduates’ career success. The institution’s collaborations with companies like Salvatore Ferragamo and Tod’s provide students with valuable industry exposure and networking opportunities.

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