Made-in-Italy: Identities, Cultures, and Globalization in Italian Fashion and Design

By analyzing a Made-in-Italy brand, students outline its history, its mission, and its values. What turned it into an international phenomenon and/or what promoted its international appeal? What is its role in both the Italian and American markets? By choosing one of the brand’s products or by way of comparing and contrasting similar brands and/or products, students understand possible idiosyncrasies and investigate the dynamic interactions among brand image, product evaluation and experience, and Italy’s cultural representation.

Katte Lubega: Gucci Gang: A Summary of Hip-Pop and Fashion’s Remarkable Relationship

Clara McMillan: Italian and American Designers: Age Disparity in Sustainable Fashion

Alex Renkis: Italian-American Fashion: Why Do Designers Seek the Coveted “Made in Italy” Tagline?

Justin Shultz: Diesel: Style, Sustainability, and Innovation

Valerie Val: The Story Behind Gucci: How the Brand Came to Be

Yanni Zhang: The Loudest Silence. Bottega Veneta and Daniel Lee’s awakening of the Sleeping Giant

Claire Yan: Gucci: A History & Globalization

Fashion Sustainability: Local to Global Practices and Possibilities

Students gained inspiration  by researching and presenting a sustainable fashion designer or company.  Next, they developed a sustainable fashion design outreach product, which included a business plan, company overviews, capsule collections, and a blog musing on personal connections to sustainability. Individual approaches included developing a company based on personal experiences and connections, sustainable supply chain strategies, ideal fabric types and aesthetic qualities, price range, and ideal consumer profiles.

Emily Irigoyen: Fair Wear

Davi Lennen: Leave No Trace

Lydia Young: Inclusive Fashion

Zeus (Mohammad) Zohair: Weave. Planting the Future