SPECIALISATION
Fashion Design

DEPARTMENT
Design and Applied Arts

INSTITUTION
NABA, Nuova Accademia di Belle Arti - Milan Campus

ACCREDITED BY
Italian Ministry of Education and Research

TITLE AWARDED
Second Level Academic Degree

CFA
120

LANGUAGE OF TUITION
Italian or English

COURSE DURATION
Two years

The Master of Arts in Fashion Design is a two-year intensive course based on the development of experimental and cultural projects, and workshops focused on the design of fashion, with specific attention to innovation and technology, sustainability and certifications in relation to the future challenges and strategies within the Italian and international 4.0 textile scenario.

Over the course, the students learn how to understand the ideas and tools of the fashion language, in order to apply them to the design and creation of apparel collections.

Thanks to the close relation to important Italian fashion brands, the course offers the students complete training that includes professional contents such as guided visits to companies, foundations and archives; meetings with technical and professional figures; projects focused on the discovery of techniques, machines and artisanal as well as industrial procedures.

With the goal of a professional career, the guidance of professors who work in the industry as well as the hybridization of theoretical, artistic, and technical elements allow the students to develop their own style and way of thinking, which are then expressed in very personal and characterized portfolios.

The Master of Arts in Fashion Design targets future fashion designers who see fashion as an expressive language capable of interpreting the contemporary era as well as future global challenges in an original, innovative, technological, sustainable, and responsible manner. The key elements for success in this training path are: a mindset open to current issues; knowledge in the artisanal and industrial culture of the Italian Fashion System; strong passion, curiosity and dedication.

A basic knowledge of tailoring techniques (from pattern making to sewing), fashion sketching, textiles, and graphic design is strongly recommended for the admission to the course.

For admission procedures, please refer to the Academic Regulations.

The course aims to develop:

• The ability of showing and presenting ideas to efficiently convey information and ideas, supporting the own project suggestions with suitable explanations and criteria.

• The ability of researching, analysing and assessing complex issues related to fashion design with an innovative, technological and sustainable approach.

• The ability to experiment with the design and creation of projects, in order to convey personal and original ideas.

• The ability to mindfully develop and carry out a project with a professional method, suited to the fashion industry.

• The ability to use suitable techniques and languages to the social-historical-cultural context analysed.

• The ability to carry out team projects, in a comparative environment, empowered by mutual exchanges in a professional context.

During the course, the students are engaged in different kinds of activities, according to the specific learning objectives. The activities may include:

• Front lectures

• Debates, presentations, peer assessment

• Use of tutorials, videos or other media tools

• Classroom presentations

• Exercises and revisions

• Laboratories

• Seminars and workshops with industry professionals or representatives

• Intensive seminars on specific topics

• Individual or group projects

• Individual study or research

• Field trips within the relevant professional field

• Individual sessions and tutoring

The achievement of the learning objectives is generally assessed at the end of the term, although intermediate evaluation may occur. Assessment methods vary according to the learning objectives being assessed, and may include:

• Oral exams

• Written exams

• Practical demonstrations

• Graded exercises

• Graded revisions

• Papers

• Comprehensive projects

• Presentations

Over the two years, the students gradually gain knowledge and skills, mainly and widely using the tools available for them in the tailoring and textile labs, as well as the training opportunities offered by the many collaborations with important brands of the Italian fashion system.

In their first year, the students are guided into the research and exploration of their personal style with courses focused on the design of fashion collections, experimentation, and prototyping in a traditional and/or intuitive manner, as well as with an in-depth analysis of cultural contents as related to style, history of art and costume, and to style phenomenology.

In the second year, the goal is to further define and guide the students' vision towards final projects supported by multimedia visual tools, that will show their ability to manage research, design, prototyping, and visual representation in a consistent, independent, and professional way.

The course develops a number of activities in collaboration with the Italian fashion and textile industry (such as guided tours of companies, foundations, and archives; meetings with technical and professional figures; specific projects), that enable the students to get to know jobs, techniques, machines, and procedures in the field of garments manufacture.

Optional courses, meetings with theorists and professionals in the field, experiences with companies and institutions allow the students to integrate the cultural and design knowledge of fashion-related fields, such as sustainability, digital world, visual communication, and multimedia.

Successful Fashion Design graduates have all the theoretical, technical and design tools to start a career in several fashion fields, including:

• Fashion designer

• Innovative fashion designer

• Sustainable fashion designer

• Brand director

• Creative director

• Merchandiser

• Fashion visual merchandiser

• Trend researcher and developer

• Image consultant

• Costume designer

Fashion Design graduates can apply for doctorate study courses in all fields of fashion design, styling, and communication

At the end of the course, successful students will be able to:

• Discuss visual languages that come from other industries, and their contaminations into fashion.

• Evaluate theoretical and visual information to start fashion projects with suitable expressive tools to the contemporary context.

• Evaluate the fashion phenomenon as an articulated visual language, being aware of personal skills and style, interpreting and translating ideas into high-quality projects.

At the end of the course, successful students will be able to:

• Interpret the innovative, creative and technical aspects of fashion in order to successfully apply personal skills to innovative and sustainable productions.

• Translate their own project in products and papers, consistently selecting materials and creation techniques.

• Develop collections within different scopes, consistently representing it and completing it with bills of materials and technical data sheets.

• Represent the artistic and technical side of projects, using a personal, original point of view

In compliance with the Qualifications Framework for the European Higher Education Area - QF for the EHEA, at the end of the first study cycle, students will have developed the following skills:

Knowledge and understanding: graduates must have knowledge and understanding in a field of study that builds upon their general secondary education, and must typically be at a level that, whilst supported by advanced textbooks, includes some aspects that will be informed by knowledge of the forefront of their field of study.

Applying knowledge and understanding: graduates must be able to apply their knowledge and understanding in a manner that indicates a professional approach to their work, and have competences typically demonstrated through devising and sustaining arguments and solving problems within their field of study.

Making judgements: graduates must have the ability to gather and interpret relevant data (usually within their field of study) to inform independent judgments that include reflection on relevant social, scientific or ethical issues.

Communication skills: graduates must be able to communicate information, ideas, problems and solutions to both specialist and non-specialist audiences.

Learning skills: graduates must have developed those learning skills that are necessary for them to continue to undertake further study with a high degree of autonomy.

At the end of the course, successful students will be able to:

• Search for references to their projects, and develop ideas based on them.

• Identify and apply methods and techniques that support the creation of complex projects in terms of design and representation

• Use a wide variety of research channels to create supporting tools to the project, such as moodboards, lifestyle, materials and prototypes.