Art, Fashion & Design Students Explore Florence

Our Art, Fashion & Design students recently embarked on an incredible educational trip to Florence, Italy, to gather inspiration for their final major project. Over three days, they explored the city's rich artistic and fashion heritage, visiting iconic landmarks such as the Salvatore Ferragamo Museum, Uffizi Gallery, Gucci Museum and the grand Pitti Palace.

During the trip, our students engaged in primary research and sketching, while our Fashion Business students conducted shop and gallery reports. The group also explored digital immersive spaces within the galleries, gaining insight into sustainability and the use of local artisan materials—key themes that align with contemporary fashion and design practices.

Reflecting on the experience, Art, Fashion & Design Tutor Natalie Sturman shared:
"Florence is the perfect blend of art and fashion. The museums curated the concepts alongside outcomes in a harmonious manner. The students are working on the theme of 'Hidden' for their FMP and found lots of inspiration from the museums and around the city. It was great to see the students make new friends and strengthen their bonds. They showed a good level of resilience during strict security checks at the museums. They especially enjoyed the immersive spaces within the museums blending the modern with the classical. Sustainability was a key feature throughout with high-end artisan approaches on display. Overall, it was a successful trip."

For many of our students, this was their first international study trip, offering a valuable opportunity to experience Florence's rich cultural landscape firsthand.

Art, Fashion & Design student Benjamin Colletti expressed his excitement, saying:
"I really enjoyed the trip. It is the first time I have done a college trip abroad, and I was excited and looking forward to it since it was first announced. We had the opportunity to experience and engage all senses in the rich history of fashion and the city. The amount of first-hand primary research and the amount of 'references' for the final outcome is very helpful. Although I might not choose the Florence/Italy theme, there are some bits where I can draw some inspiration from. My favourite part was sharing the trip with lots of people and having the opportunity to get to know each other."

Fashion student, Grace Neal also found the trip eye-opening, adding:
"I really enjoyed the trip to Italy as it gave me a new perspective on fashion. The quality of fashion in Italy is exceptional and it was fascinating to see how different it is from the UK. I found it particularly useful for my studies as I could compare the way the fashion industry operates in both countries, including how they advertise and sell products.

My favourite part of the trip was visiting the Gucci Museum. I was captivated by how everything was presented, especially the handbag room, which was completely covered in mirrors—something I had never seen before. I also loved exploring the high-end stores like Dior, where the layout and staff were incredibly polite and professional, which was a contrast to some of the other shops we visited."

This unforgettable experience has given our students fresh perspectives, valuable research and a wealth of inspiration for their final projects.

We can't wait to see how they bring their ideas to life, drawing from everything they discovered in Florence.