Master of Arts in Textile Design - IED Firenze

Language

English

Start date

October 2026

Frequency

Full time

Fruition

On campus

Duration

2 Years

Credits

120 CFA / ECTS

Course Coordination

Umberto Sannino

How can textile design contribute to eco-social renewal?

As awareness grows of how the fashion system is impacting the environment and society, people working in the industry will need to be combining technical skills with cultural knowledge and cutting-edge critical thinking.

The Master of Arts in Textile Design. Eco-Threads: Materials and Circularity looks at how deeply the fashion and textile ecosystem has evolved, with people increasingly focused on using sustainable resources and selecting innovative production systems to generate positive changes in society and the environment. This approach fits into the vision of DesignXCommons, where design is regarded to integrate the commons and regenerate the planet.

Using an interdisciplinary approach, this programme delves into the environmental and ethical impact of textile design along with the implications of new production and communication technologies, as a basis for building strategic projects and making a positive contribution to broader environmental and social ecosystems where fashion is situated. Experimenting with advanced technologies such as 3D printing and artificial intelligence, along with use of sustainable materials, manufacturing process optimisation and low-impact product innovation provides an opportunity to bring together circularity and innovation into textile design applications for fashion styling, interior design, product development and also furniture design. With a view to proactively contributing to technological social, and cultural development in the textile industry, this course will provide students with the opportunity to co-design with professionals, companies, institutions and leading industrial districts as a way to gain hands-on experience with ethical and inclusive design practices, while also learning how to bring in and raise awareness on complex issues of special importance.

Career roles that can be pursued with the degree programme in Textile Design. Eco-Threads: Materials and Circularity will be able to bring technical and critical-design skills towards eco-social renewal as they take on such roles as Sustainable Textile Designer, Sustainable Fashion Designer, Project Specialist in Sustainability and also Sustainable Fashion Communication Manager, developing marketing and communication strategies to promote eco-design practices. Yet more, they will be able to work as Innovation Specialists for research and development of innovative sustainable industrial solutions, or as Ethical Compliance Managers for the fashion industry. Continuing in Ph.D. trajectories at Italian and foreign universities will also be an option.

 

Faculty

Course Leader

Umberto Sannino

Francesco Toselli

Product Designer

Cristiana Arangino

Fashion Designer

Giulia Perin

Textile Designer

Matteo Bardi

co-Owner Mattori Studio

Giovanni Gazzillo

Visual Designer

Valeria La Salvia

Lecturer    

Evelina Marconi

Professor

What people say

Textile Design. Eco-Threads: Materials and Circularity

Course Coordinator describes the goal, the methodology and the professional opportunities of the Master of Arts in Textile Design.

Umberto Sannino

DesignXCommons

Krista Yankova

Krista, student from Bulgaria, talks about her experience during the Master of Arts in Florence

Krista Yankova

Alumna IED

Ruby Michel, student from Oklahoma, talks about her experience during the Master of Arts in Florence.

Ruby Michel Barryman

Alumna IED

Josè, student from Portugal, talks about his experience during the Master of Arts in Florence

Josè Miguel

Alumnus IED

News

13 May 2026

TALKAK transforms the Koopera storefront into a space for memory and sustainable fashion

From May 11 to June 16, a selection of designs from the TALKAK collection, developed by students from the Official Degree in Fashion Design at IED Kunsthal Bilbao, will be displayed in the window of Koopera Store in Bilbao’s Old Town.

11 May 2026

Design tells its story at the Turin International Book Fair with EDICOLA IED

From 14 to 18 May, a newsstand of creativity presents the first two issues of Notes on Plural Intelligences alongside a selection of the best Italian and international magazines, accompanied by a programme of talks and workshops exploring themes of design, publishing and contemporary communication

11 May 2026

Silvia Brandi brings the second season of IED MUSES Talks to a close

The Italian architect and cultural manager shared her vision on sustainability, design and rural revitalisation in the episode that concludes the second edition of the IED’s inspirational talks series.

08 May 2026

Diego Bicet, IED Barcelona alumnus, nominated for the Work Forward Awards ’26

A graduate in Interior Design, he is in the running to win with “Hope, un camino a la esperanza”, a project envisioning a workshop-school for refugees in the heart of Barcelona.

07 May 2026

IED.60 Public Program - May: between Plural Intelligences and the culture of design

The programme of IED events open to both the internal and external communities continues in may; it was launched to mark the 60th anniversary as a collective reflection on the role of design.

06 May 2026

IED at the “Lápiz de Acero” Award in Colombia

IED joins Lápiz de Acero 2026 in Bogotá, supporting emerging talent and the future of design.

04 May 2026

IED Barcelona finalist in The Circularity Masterclass by Zalando

Nicole Ray Kochergin is one of the 12 students selected from more than 100 international submissions competing to win the circular design challenge organised by one of Europe’s largest online fashion platforms.

28 April 2026

Abitare con cura: IED and Sex & the City rethink collective and collaborative housing in Turin

27 April 2026

TALKAK: fashion, historical memory and upcycling at Fashion Revolution Week Euskadi

IED Kunsthal Bilbao has presented the upcycling collection TALKAK within the framework of Fashion Revolution Week Euskadi, reaffirming its commitment to a more sustainable, critical, and contextually engaged approach to fashion.

Don't miss it

Lecture and Panel discussion

19 May 2026 - 19 May 2026

Florence

Ettore Sottsass: Design as Storytelling

As part of the exhibition Io sono un architetto. Ettore Sottsass, organized by Fondazione Pistoia Musei (Palazzo Buontalenti, until July 26), IED presents a special event dedicated to one of the most influential figures in Italian and international design.

Lecture and Panel discussion

22 May 2026 - 22 May 2026

Rome

Twins: Conversations on the Duality between Identity, Transformation and Contemporary Imaginaries

Four lectures and a final talk exploring how brands, organizations and individuals navigate change and redefine their identity across physical, symbolic and digital dimensions.

Lecture and Panel discussion

26 May 2026 - 26 May 2026

Florence

Andrea Batilla: reading Fashion today

A talk with Andrea Batilla, expert in communication and marketing strategies and brand storytelling, offering a critical reading of fashion shows and the ongoing transformations within the contemporary fashion system.