Polimoda is recognized worldwide for its high-quality fashion education. Listed among the best fashion schools in the world, Polimoda prides itself on providing professional training through highly specialized working and research methodologies.
With 2,000 students, 80% of whom come from 107 countries worldwide, Polimoda is not only an educational institution, but a creative campus: a hotbed for visionaries and opinion leaders in fashion, culture, and education.Â
With its headquarters in Florence, the beating heart of Made in Italy, Polimoda embodies the DNA of Italian excellence with an international vision. Founded in 1986 through an initiative conceived and funded by the Municipalities of Florence and Prato and the Province of Florence, together with Centro di Firenze per la Moda Italiana, Fondazione CR Firenze, the Florence Chamber of Commerce, Confindustria Firenze, and local business associations, in collaboration with the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) in New York, Polimoda has been at the forefront of fashion and luxury education for 40 years.
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As of 2026, the President of Polimoda is Niccolò Ricci, CEO of the international luxury group Stefano Ricci S.p.A. and an active figure within the leading institutions of the Italian fashion system. Under his presidency, Polimoda enters a new phase in its history, shaped by an educational vision closely connected to industry, international markets, and long-term value creation.
Massimiliano Giornetti, an internationally renowned creative director, is the school’s Academic Director. An alumnus of Polimoda, Giornetti has built a solid career in the fashion industry, serving for sixteen years as Creative Director of Ferragamo, contributing to the relaunch of the iconic brand Shanghai Tang, and assuming the role of Creative Director of Drumohr in 2025. Since 2021, Giornetti has led the school consolidating its international and multicultural character, strengthening its ties with the city of Florence, and expanding its relationships with key industry players.
Since September 2026, the school’s leadership has been completed by the appointment of Laura Milani as General Manager, responsible for management and strategic development. A cultural entrepreneur, manager, and consultant with more than twenty years of experience in education, design, innovation, and the contemporary arts, she was Founder, President, and CEO of IAAD – Istituto d’Arte Applicata e Design. Active in cultural development and public policy, she has held institutional roles at leading Italian cultural organizations and has curated international exhibitions and projects.
Polimoda offers a wide range of 70 educational programs, including 2–4 year Undergraduate programs, 9-month Master programs, 1-month Short courses, as well as Online, Orientation, and Semester courses. These programs are designed to provide advanced training for major professional roles required by the industry — from managerial and strategic positions to creative development. The school maintains a strong network through continuous interaction with over 2,000 companies across fashion, luxury, publishing and art direction, a faculty composed of more than 200 industry professionals, and flexible, high-quality training that adapts to the ever-evolving needs of the fashion world. Consequently, an increasing number of alumni have secured prestigious positions at leading international brands or emerged as standout fashion designers.
In recent years, Polimoda has developed prestigious partnerships, including Gucci for the Master in Luxury Retail & Business Management, Ferragamo for the Undergraduate in Atelier Design, Fondazione Sozzani for the Undergraduate in Fashion Film & Photography, Vogue Italia for the Master in Fashion Art Direction, Pentagram for the Undergraduate in Fashion Art Direction, South by Southwest (SXSW®) for the Undergraduate in Event Management, and LVMH for specialized training in leather goods. Since 2022, the school has collaborated with the United Nations Office for Partnerships to help shape a sustainable and inclusive future for the fashion industry, and was the first academic institution to join the UN Conscious Fashion and Lifestyle Network.
Key figures in the industry, including Walter Van Beirendonck, Belgian designer and one of the Antwerp Six; Bruce Pask, Senior Editorial Director of Neiman Marcus; Stefano Filippelli, Global Vice President of Product for adidas Originals Apparel and Accessories; Paolo Cigognini, Senior Vice President of Global Communications and Media at Tom Ford; Massimo Cantini Parrini, award-winning costume designer, and many others, collaborate with the school as mentors for students across various courses and master programs.
Educational programs are further enriched by events, collaborations, and talks by international speakers, offering valuable insights and fostering dialogue on key industry issues. Notable guests have included Francesco Risso, Marco Bizzarri, Renzo Rosso, Rick Owens, Isabella Rossellini and many others.
Dedicated to nurturing talent, Polimoda organizes a rich calendar of initiatives and events highlighting the work of its most promising students. Among them, the Polimoda Graduate Show showcases the best graduate collections, while the Career Days connect graduating students with companies. Through the Talent platform, the school supports alumni with scholarships, co-working spaces, and mentorship opportunities for innovative startups and new ideas in the fashion and luxury sectors.
The institute’s locations in Florence form a true creative ecosystem, where fashion is at the center of a continuous dialogue with other disciplines. This interaction reflects the contemporary evolution of the fashion system, promoting a dynamic and interdisciplinary approach. The two campuses, located at Manifattura Tabacchi and Villa Favard, are just a short distance apart, together forming a single, integrated educational hub spanning over 15,000 square meters dedicated to fashion.
The Villa Campus, housed in the historic Villa Favard complex, serves as Polimoda’s administrative and service headquarters, as well as the heart of its fashion business courses. Here, students study marketing, communication, merchandising, retail, product management, and sustainable fashion. Beyond providing a dynamic learning environment, the campus is a vibrant cultural hub for the city of Florence. The Villa Campus also hosts the Polimoda Library, one of the most comprehensive fashion libraries in Europe.
The Manifattura Campus, spanning across 12,000 square meters as part of a major urban regeneration project, offers a one-of-a-kind facility in global fashion education. It includes numerous workshops for apparel design and garment-making, a wing dedicated to footwear, accessories, and leather goods, a full floor for knitwear and textile research, and six photography studios of various sizes.
This setup allows students to explore every facet of fashion, fostering a holistic education and encouraging cross-disciplinary collaboration that mirrors the real-world dynamics of the fashion industry. Polimoda thus reaffirms its position as the first institute in Italy, and one of the most authoritative worldwide, to offer a vision of fashion education that is as bold as it is integrated. Attracting talent from all over the world to Florence, in a multicultural and cosmopolitan environment, the institute promotes core values such as diversity, inclusivity, and sustainability, all fully embedded in its vision of continuous renewal.