Fashion Schools and Programs in Italy

Fashion Studies in Italy

2009 Fashion Show in Milan, Source

Italy is one of the world's reference points for fashion: Milan hosts Milan Fashion Week and many luxury brands, and Florence has a long tradition of crafts such as leather and textiles. Fashion schools there range from academies that award degrees recognised by the state to private schools offering one-year courses, semesters and summer programmes in English. Our directory lists six schools in Italy for this subject, three in Milan and three in Florence.

How fashion degrees work in Italy

Fashion design is taught mainly within AFAM (Alta Formazione Artistica e Musicale), Italy's higher education sector for fine arts, music and dance. According to Universitaly, the Ministry of University and Research's portal, AFAM counts 144 institutions, and its academies of fine arts teach design and applied arts such as set design, graphic design, fashion design and photography. Private institutions can also be authorised to issue legally recognised degrees.

AFAM programmes award academic diplomas at two levels: a three-year first level and a two-year second level, both equivalent to university degrees. Credits are counted in CFA (academic training credits) rather than university CFU. Many schools also run first-level academic master's programmes of about one year, and many offer courses that lead to the school's own diploma or certificate rather than a state-recognised degree. Check which kind of qualification a course leads to before enrolling.

Where to study fashion in Italy

Milan. NABA, Nuova Accademia di Belle Arti, is a private academy founded in Milan in 1980 and accredited by the Ministry of University and Research (MUR) in 1981; it later opened a campus in Rome. It offers three-year Bachelor of Arts programmes, including fashion design, and its first-level and second-level academic degrees are recognised by the MUR and equivalent to university degrees. NABA began teaching degree programmes in English in the 1990s. Accademia del Lusso, founded in 2005, teaches in English in Milan and Rome and runs courses legally recognised by the MUR within the AFAM sector. Its catalogue includes a three-year bachelor's degree in Fashion Design, one-year master's courses such as Sustainable Fashion Design, and a 10-week course on the Made in Italy and luxury goods industry. Istituto Marangoni was founded in Milan in 1935 as the Istituto Artistico dell'Abbigliamento Marangoni and now runs two Milan schools, Milano Fashion and Milano Design (opened in 2014). Its fashion courses cover Fashion Design, Fashion Communication & Image and Fashion Business, from illustration and pattern making to the finished garment.

Florence. Istituto Marangoni also has a School of Fashion, Art & Design in Florence. Florence University of the Arts (FUA), which has run study abroad programmes since 1997, groups its fashion teaching in the FAST School of Fashion and Accessory Studies and Technology: fashion design and technology, accessory design, fashion merchandising, and fashion communication and publishing. Students also gain practice at FLY Fashion Loves You, a retail store run as part of the school's community projects. Accademia Riaci, in Florence since 1983, offers fashion design among its majors in one-year courses (leading to the school's diploma) and semester courses (leading to a certificate of attendance), taught with an English interpreter. The Accademia Europea di Firenze is also listed in our directory.

Admission and language

Entry requirements depend on the school and the level. For degree courses, foreign students usually need a secondary school diploma for a bachelor's degree and a first degree for a master's. Accademia del Lusso, for example, asks for a Declaration of Value or a Certificate of Comparability from CIMEA, Italy's centre for the recognition of qualifications, and proof of English (or Italian); a portfolio is welcome but not compulsory. Universitaly reminds applicants that language requirements depend on the language of the course.

Non-EU students who need a visa for a first-level or second-level academic diploma pre-register through Universitaly. For 2026-27, visa applications must be filed with the Italian consulate by 30 November 2026 at the latest.

Careers

Fashion graduates work as designers, pattern makers, product developers, stylists, buyers and merchandisers, brand and marketing managers, and in fashion communication and photography. Italian schools stress links with the industry through projects, fashion weeks and internships, and a portfolio built during the course is central when applying for jobs.

Frequently asked questions

Can I study fashion in English in Italy?

Yes. Several schools teach in English, including Accademia del Lusso in Milan and Rome, NABA, which has offered English-taught degree programmes since the 1990s, and FUA in Florence.

Are Italian fashion school diplomas recognised degrees?

First-level and second-level academic diplomas from AFAM institutions are equivalent to university degrees. Other courses, such as many one-year or semester programmes, lead to the school's own diploma or certificate.

How long does a fashion degree take in Italy?

A first-level academic diploma (bachelor's level) takes three years, and a second-level diploma (master's level) two more years. First-level academic master's programmes usually last about one year.

Should I study fashion in Milan or Florence?

Milan is the centre of Italy's fashion industry and has most degree-awarding fashion schools in our directory; Florence suits students interested in craft, accessories and study abroad programmes. Both cities have schools that teach in English.