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Credits: NABA Mentorship Project with Mantero Seta (ph. Matteo Gerbaudo)
NABA is an international Academy focused on arts and design: it is the largest Academy of Fine Arts in Italy, and the first one to have been recognised by the Italian Ministry of University and Research (MUR), back in 1981. As a recognised Academy, NABA offers in its two campus in Milan and Rome academic diplomas equivalent to first and second level university degrees in the fields of design, fashion design, graphics and communication, multimedia arts, new technologies, set design, visual arts, as well as PhD and Special Programmes. The Academy was founded by Ausonio Zappa in Milan in 1980 with the involvement of Guido Ballo and Tito Varisco during a first phase, later attracting to its faculty artists such as Gianni Colombo and many others, the idea being to abandon rigorous academic traditions and instead introduce new visions and languages based on contemporary artistic and professional practice. NABA was selected by the QS World University Rankings® by Subject Art & Design as the Best Academy of Fine Arts in Italy and among the top 100 universities in the world, by Frame to be included in the Masterclass Frame Guide to the 30 World’s Leading Graduate Design, Architecture and Fashion Schools, and by Domus Magazine as one of Europe’s Top 100 schools of Architecture and Design.
During the MAKING OF for Fashion Graduate Italia 2024, social media reporters Danial Saliba and Johanne Skovrup, coordinated by Luca Belotti, Fashion Design Area MAs and Masters Course Leader of NABA campus in Milan, closely followed the students of the MA in Fashion Design at NABA: Augustina Ify Ebigwei, Berrak Zeynep Okyar, and Ghazal Yazdanpanah. From the tailoring and pattern-making workshop to manipulations and prints in the textile design lab, and through fittings with faculty to finalize the garments, everything was approached with an experimental spirit aimed at authentic self-expression. This experience highlighted the students’ hard work and dedication in creating collections that reflect their diverse cultures and geographic origins, as well as their commitment to bringing forth creations imbued with responsible and mindful messages.
On the occasion of the 10th edition of Fashion Graduate Italia 2024, guided by the theme “Eyes Wide Open”, NABA, Nuova Accademia di Belle Arti, presents “Designers and Makers”, an event celebrating the emerging talents of the Master of Arts Program in Fashion Design and Textile Design from the Milan campus of the Academy. The runway will showcase the eight best collections from the MA in Fashion Design and in Textile Design, created by students Yi Chen, Giovanni Fazzini, Altea Sofia Lunetta, Alper Aslan Okçu, Berrak Zeynep Okyar, Dilara Övet, Ghazal Yazdanpanah and Liu Yufei. These projects were selected by a panel of industry professionals and the Academy’s Faculty during the “SHOWROOM. MASTER OF ARTS in FASHION DESIGN” event, held at the NABA campus during the latest Milan Fashion Week.
The collections presented on the runway represent the culmination of an intensive educational journey that integrates theoretical, artistic, and technical elements. The MA in Fashion Design is, in fact, based on the development of experimental, hands-on, and cultural projects. Over the course of two years, students learn to master various fashion languages and apply them in the creation of original clothing collections. This educational approach, which combines guidance from professional instructors with an ongoing dialogue with the contemporary fashion world, allows students to develop their own stylistic identity and critical vision of the industry.
The collections on display reflect this complexity and depth. Each one explores new forms, advanced textile techniques, and innovative materials, demonstrating a strong capacity for experimentation. The focus on fabric manipulation and the creation of unusual silhouettes is the result of continuous research, shaped by a program that encourages the development of a personal style. Each designer has worked to create garments that not only tell an aesthetic story but also embody the critical thinking developed throughout the course. Global cultural influences intertwine with experimental techniques to bring collections to life that embody contemporary, international, and forward-thinking fashion.
In line with the theme “Eyes Wide Open”, the collections presented by NABA at Fashion Graduate Italia stand out for their ability to observe the world with attention and sensitivity, opening new perspectives and dialogues in the field of design. These creations are not just aesthetic works, but true storytelling tools, capable of reflecting the world we live in while simultaneously projecting towards the future of fashion.
