The opening of the 2026/2027 Academic Year was celebrated at MIND Milano Innovation District in the presence of Luca de Meo, CEO of Kering, and Sabina Belli, President of Kering Italia and Head of Kering Accademia per le Eccellenze, together with students, Kering’s Houses and educational institutions from across the network.
Kering Accademia per le Eccellenze has launched its first academic year, enrolling more than 1,500 students in over 40 programmes delivered by the Group’s Houses and seven partner schools across six Italian regions.
The network offers approximately 62,000 training hours and more than 22,400 internship hours, supported by over 400 master artisans and professionals.
Throughout the opening day, the story of luxury craftsmanship was explored through three thematic sessions:
– “The Dream”, highlighting jewelry expertise from the Pomellato Virtuosi Jewelry Academy.
– “The Heritage”, focused on the value of the Gucci Archive and the announcement of a new partnership with the Botticino Restoration School to support the preservation of textile heritage.
– “The Materials”, exploring leather, yarns and the bamboo flame-treatment technique used for the Gucci Bamboo 1947 bag.
The Accademia consolidates and strengthens the training initiatives already developed by Kering’s Houses – including Bottega Veneta, Brioni, Gucci, Pomellato and Kering Eyewear – with seven partner schools: ACOF, AFOL, Galdus, HModa Academy, ITS Cosmo, Istituto Modartech and MITA. Across six Italian regions, the programme offers approximately 62,000 hours of training and more than 22,400 hours of internships, with the contribution of over 400 master artisans and professionals.
The educational path builds on the knowledge and traditions of Italian manufacturing excellence while preparing students to address the evolving needs of the sector. Alongside training in apparel, menswear tailoring, leather goods and jewelry, students benefit from dedicated modules covering technology, artificial intelligence, new materials and sustainability. This approach enables them to master traditional techniques and quality standards while exploring new applications through contemporary creative and design practices.
“With the start of its first Academic Year, Kering Accademia per le Eccellenze enters its most authentic dimension: that of its students, their talents and the future they will help build,” said Luca de Meo, CEO of Kering. “Excellence cannot simply be preserved; it must be nurtured, challenged and opened to new ideas. Our ambition is to provide young people with an education that enables them to understand the strength of Italian savoir-faire while supporting its evolution within an industry that is constantly changing.”
“The value of the Academy lies in its ability to connect different educational experiences and foster an ongoing dialogue between Houses, schools and local communities,” added Sabina Belli, President of Kering Italia and Head of Kering Accademia per le Eccellenze. “Placing the unique ‘intelligence of the hands’ at the heart of our ecosystem means creating a dialogue between artisanal mastery, creativity, materials research and technological innovation, while equipping new generations with the tools to navigate the transformations shaping the luxury sector.”
With the launch of its programs, Kering Accademia per le Eccellenze turns its network of collaborations into a shared commitment among Houses, schools and local communities: making these professions more attractive to younger generations and ensuring the continuity of the professional heritage that distinguishes Italian luxury craftsmanship.
Fibre2Fashion News Desk
