Learned in Italy: The Legacy of "Made in Italy" in Early Twenty-First Century Fashion Industry

The paper introduces the concept of ‘Learned in Italy’ and explores its cultural meanings in relation to the recent development of Italian fashion industry. In Italy, fashion has been one of the greatest experiments of modernity and one the most important events since the end of the World War II. In a few decades, it has grown in terms of identity, cultural impact, export volumes, and business, becoming a highly regarded aspect of the Italian culture. Modelled on the ‘Made in Italy’ label, ‘Learned in Italy’ focuses on the process of learning fashion, but, unlike the former, it has been the object of very little discussion and academic work. This paper presents some reflections under development at IUAV University of Venice on the peculiarities of learning fashion in the Italian context, taking into account academic-based experiences and in-company training. The perspective of ‘Learned in Italy’ makes it possible to explore immaterial aspects of fashion production, considering the human and relational factors of Made in Italy, from the local and regional scale.