Niccolò Ricci is the new President of Polimoda. The appointment was approved today by the Members’ Assembly, meeting at the Villa Favard campus in Florence, following approval of the new Board of Directors composition. His three-year term will take effect upon formal acceptance at the first meeting of the newly appointed Board and coincides with Polimoda’s 40th anniversary.
The institute was founded in 1986 on the initiative of the Municipalities of Florence and Prato and the Province of Florence, together with Fondazione CR Firenze, the Centro di Firenze per la Moda Italiana, the Florence Chamber of Commerce, Confindustria Firenze and local business associations, in collaboration with the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) in New York.
Since 2007, Niccolò Ricci has served as CEO of Stefano Ricci S.p.A. An international luxury group, the company expanded under his leadership following his early involvement in the development of its industrial plan, new market expansion and oversight of retail operations.
“I would like to thank Polimoda’s institutions and fellows, starting with Mayor Sara Funaro, for nominating me for this role, and to the outgoing President, Ferruccio Ferragamo, for the important work he carried out through the years,” said Niccolò Ricci. “As a Florentine working in the fashion industry, my aim is to strengthen the leadership Polimoda has built over its first 40 years. Educating young people is an investment the entire production system must make to secure the future of a sector that is strategic for the whole country. My commitment will be to help narrow the gap between academic training and professional practice for the next generation of fashion leaders.”
Niccolò Ricci succeeds Ferruccio Ferragamo, who was appointed President of Polimoda in 2006, on the occasion of the school’s 20th anniversary, and has led the institution for two decades. His tenure marked a period of significant growth and consolidation, strengthening Polimoda’s identity and international positioning. Today, the school is recognized among the leading fashion institutions worldwide. Under Ferragamo’s leadership, Polimoda opened its campus at Villa Favard in 2011 and its campus at Manifattura Tabacchi in 2020.
With the appointment of Niccolò Ricci as President, Polimoda enters a new phase, grounded in institutional continuity and a forward-looking vision.
The new presidency will focus on consolidating Polimoda’s position as an Italian center of excellence in international fashion education. The school reaffirms its role as both an educational institution and a cultural hub, based in Italy with a cosmopolitan outlook and an innovative approach to fashion education. Key objectives include strengthening dialogue with the fashion industry, training professionals for the decades ahead, expanding academic programs into new areas, and reinforcing relationships with local institutions and international universities.
At the same time as the appointment of the new President, Polimoda’s Board of Directors was renewed, with representatives from the fellow institutions: Giacomo Cortesi, Francesca Pinzauti, Giovanni Santi, Niccolò Stefani for the Municipality of Florence; Ilaria Raveggi for the Municipality of Scandicci; Eva Desiderio for the Metropolitan City of Florence; Leonardo Lascialfari and Alberto Scaccioni for the Florence Center for Italian Fashion; Giacomo Cioni and Maria Beatrice Piemontese for the Chamber of Commerce of Florence; Niccolò Ricci for Confindustria Florence; Micaela le Divelec Lemmi, Francesco Rossi Ferrini and Laudomia Pucci for Fondazione CR Firenze; Raffaello Napoleone for FIT.
The Assembly has also decided that, once the procedures for the necessary statutory amendments are completed, the school will benefit from the contribution of two Vice Presidents – one of whom will serve as Deputy President – identified by the Members as Laudomia Pucci (Deputy) and Giacomo Cioni.
POLIMODA
Polimoda is internationally recognized for its independent approach and innovative vision in fashion education.
Founded in Florence in 1986, it is today regarded as one of the leading fashion schools worldwide. The school combines design expertise with the production know-how of Made in Italy, within a cosmopolitan perspective. Its academic portfolio includes more than 70 undergraduate and postgraduate programs designed to prepare the industry’s key professional profiles, from creative roles to managerial and strategic positions.
Polimoda is distinguished by a strong hands-on approach, supported by a network of over 2,000 companies across fashion, luxury, publishing and art direction that actively collaborate with the school. A faculty of more than 200 professionals drawn from the industry, two campuses totaling over 12,000 square meters of laboratories, and Europe’s largest fashion library ensure rigorous, experiential and constantly evolving education, reflected in a 90% placement rate within six months of graduation.
With approximately 2,000 students, 80% of whom come from 107 countries worldwide, Polimoda represents an international cultural force at the heart of Florence.