Fashion Museums in Italy WH-KON-MU-FMI
The course presents the history and evolution of Italian fashion through the lens of exhibition practices and the specific nature of fashion museums and corporate archives in Italy. The discussions begin with an introduction to the history of dress-oriented museology and the methodology of material culture research. The most important curatorial concepts and architectural solutions of exhibition spaces are grounded in these findings. The student explores the development of leading trends in Italian fashion exhibitions and the visual interpretation of historical and contemporary phenomena. The analysis is based on both classic collections of craftsmanship and applied arts, as well as the latest corporate museums (including Museo Salvatore Ferragamo, Armani/Silos, Gucci Garden), which are strongly connected with building brand identities and the myth of "Made in Italy". The student acquires knowledge about the evolution of fashion design presentation in Italy – from traditional historical approaches to the latest immersive forms of spatial narrative. Participants learn about the specific characteristics of the most important Italian collections and the challenges associated with the conservation and curatorship of artefacts. The discourse surrounding fashion as heritage, which is inextricably linked to the development of Italian cities, forms a key element of the classes. The programme addresses the emergence of flagship exhibition institutions (from Florence to Milan) and their role in cultural diplomacy. The most significant exhibitions, curatorial strategies, and groundbreaking methods of dress narrative are discussed. Students are able to utilise this information to understand the impact of museum institutions on shaping the discourse that treats fashion and design as fully-fledged elements of cultural heritage.
(in Polish) Dyscyplina naukowa, do której odnoszą się efekty uczenia się
(in Polish) Grupa przedmiotów ogólnouczenianych
Course coordinators
(in Polish) Opis nakładu pracy studenta w ECTS
Subject level
Learning outcome code/codes
Type of subject
Preliminary Requirements
Learning outcomes
H1A_W01 The student possesses foundational knowledge of culture, fashion, and the associated museology within contemporary Italy, along with their thematic and methodological specificity – exploring the history and culture of Italian fashion museums against the background of European culture.
H1A_W10 The student possesses foundational knowledge of Italian cultural institutions (museums, galleries, contemporary art spaces) and an awareness of contemporary cultural life – familiarising themselves with fashion-related cultural venues and effectively linking them to the themes of the module.
H1A_U01 The student is able to locate, analyse, evaluate, select, and utilise information regarding Italian culture and fashion using a variety of sources and methods – demonstrating the ability to retrieve data on Italian fashion, museology, and culture drawing upon primary sources and secondary literature.
Assessment criteria
Active class participation: 20%
Moodle test: 60%
Attendance (max. 2 absences per semester): 20%
ASSESSMENT CRITERIA
Grade 5 (BDB): The student demonstrates excellent knowledge of issues relating to Italian culture, history, and museology; is able to accurately identify and name designers, fashion houses, and the institutions dedicated to them based on visual material. They know the most important city landmarks and are able to place them in their historical context.
Grade 4 (DB): The student demonstrates good knowledge of issues relating to Italian culture, history, and fashion; is able to identify and name designers, fashion houses, creators, and museums based on visual material with only minor errors. They know most of the landmarks and are able to place them in their historical context with only minor errors.
Grade 3 (DST): The student possesses basic knowledge of issues in the fields of Italian culture, museology, and fashion; has inconsistent knowledge regarding chronology, and struggles to identify and name designers, fashion houses, and creators based on visual material.
Additional information
Additional information (registration calendar, class conductors, localization and schedules of classes), might be available in the USOSweb system: