Fashion in Florence

FUA

FUA is an international institute of higher learning located in the heart of Florence, Italy. FUA was established in 1997 and hosts over 3,000 students every year. FUA offers studies throughout the year in the following academic divisions:

APICIUS - International School of Hospitality

DIVA - School of Digital Imaging and Visual Arts

FAST - School of Fashion and Accessory Studies and Technology

IDEAS - School of Interior Design, Environmental Architecture and Sustainability

ISB - International School of Business

J School - School of Journalism, Communication and Publishing

SAS - School of Arts and Sciences

SQUOLA - Center for Italian and Cultural Studies

1) Fashion, Media, and Culture | Mon-Thurs | 9-11:30

3 semester credits.  This course examines the context in which the Italian fashion system was born.  Topics begin from the evolution of fashion from the post-WWII period to the present and address the role and influence of media and culture on factors such as economic and social status, the arts, and other issues that influenced fashion.  Students explore fashion's connection to identity, body, politics, gender, ethnicity, sexuality, class, and how fashion and media are interrelated with these aspects of culture.

2) Consumer Behavior and Retail Strategies | Mon-Thurs | 9-11:30

3 semester credits.  This course will prepare students to work, run, and manage a retail shop successfully and provides theoretical insights into customer expectations and service delivery.  Throughout the course, standard elements of a retail shop will be analyzed and focus on retail management will be given.  This class will strengthen decision-making skills regarding expense planning, suppliers, store layout, and promotional strategies.  Under the supervision of seasoned professionals, students will spend a portion of the course operating the school retail spaces (fashion retail store, restaurant, pastry shop) that are open to the local community.  Here, theoretical knowledge, shop floor management skills, and ability to perform head office functions will all be developed in the context of retail.  In order to offer a comprehensive view of retail management, experiential learning activities are scheduled in varying types of retailers, each of them characterized by different competitors, products sold, customers, and style of service required.  This class includes experiential learning with CEMI.

3) Fashion Design Studio 1 | Mon-Thurs | 12-2:30

3 semester credits.  This course is an introduction to creative design development and fashion design, offering students an overview of the contemporary visual culture and language related to fashion.  Topics include design processes, rendering techniques, research, storyboard creation, color, fabric selection, design innovation, and the 2D to 3D development of creative ideas.  Students will gain practice in these areas through projects while being introduced to fashion illustration.  Students prepare for future apparel design projects by researching the design development process, textiles, materials, and industry practices.  This class included experiential learning with CEMI.

4) Fashion Retail Management | Mon-Thurs | 12-2:30

3 semester credits.  This course addresses the procedures involved in managing a fashion retail enterprise and the decision-making inherent in successful merchandising for smaller-scale stores.  Knowledge will be required through lab practice gained by running a real enterprise in which students and professionals exchange their knowledge and propose successful solutions to be applied.  Coursework includes site visits to well-known Italian luxury brands in Florence such as Ferragamo, Gucci, and Cavalli (companies may change according to availability), and special guest lectures from local prominent emerging designers.

5) Visual Merchandise and Display | Mon-Thurs | 3-5:30

3 semester credits.  This course examines the creative yield of visual merchandising and its importance to the retail and fashion industries.  Students develop skills in the evaluation and implementation of visual merchandising concepts.  Retail space management is a crucial topic of the course including the external of the store and the collaboration with architects and retail managers.  Key elements are also principles and elements of design, lighting, props, mannequins and window display.  Integration with the fashion, art, and overall environment of Florence is an integral part of the course.  Students will be engaged in site and museum visits.  Related terminology will complete the course.