Date

17 November 2022

Talk with Danielle Kwateng, journalist, editor, entrepreneur, Executive Editor at Teen Vogue and mentor of The IED Master in Creative Direction For Fashion

The Master in Creative Direction for Fashion, the program for fashion design enthusiasts with a critical creative vision.

Unleash your creativity and impact the future of a fashion house, developing design projects and seeing your ideas come to life from concept to catwalk.
Take charge and lead brands to success with your creative vision and analytical mindset. From fashion shows and product design to the careful cultivation of artist and celebrity relationships, study the art of Creative Direction in the land that has brought about some of the most cherished names in Italian fashion, such as Gucci, Pucci, and Ferragamo.

The Master in Creative Direction for Fashion has been created to help students develop a strategic and innovative approach to the world of fashion design, applying structured methodologies to produce stunning creative pitches that convincingly express their ideas.
Students will study the intrinsic links between fashion, art, and communication,  analyzing the evolution of a professional figure and the market of reference through lectures, labs, and projects. Students will also have the opportunity to immerse themselves in prestigious company visits, coming into direct contact with a variety of professional figures from the local fashion scene.

Have a look to Danielle Kwateng insight on Fashion.

I 'm Danielle Kwateng, and I'm an executive editor at Teen Vogue.
 

In the contemporary and future fashion industry, what does it mean to study Creative Direction?

I love that question because I think it's a really diverse time to get into fashion. So creative direction can mean everything. It means music, it means art, it means culture, it means even food, things that you're passionate about, that you have interest in. But also, as a future and contemporary creative director, you also need to be thinking about your audience, meaning your consumers. What are they interested in? Where are you finding them? Social media like this, is a great way to connect with people that will be subscribing to your brand. So I think right now it's all about being plugged in to the world, being connected, but also being deeply passionate about a diverse array of things.
 

What are the benefits of studying in Florence for international fashion students?

I think there are three great reasons to study in Florence for international fashion students. First, the Renaissance architecture. It's beautiful, inspiring and I think it's a great way to get those creative juices going, just to walk around and appreciate it in Florence. The second reason is the textile industry. It's a huge influence and it's a good way to understand the nuts and bolts of fashion. And then the third reason, it's Europe. There's so much to do and see, but I think Florence, just being on the map, is a great place to learn from other people. It's an international city in itself.  So I think it's always helpful to learn from other international people, and Florence is where that's at.

How do you envision the future of fashion in relation to the contents of the course as a leader in the fashion industry and a mentor at the IED Florence?

IED mentorship programme is amazing for a lot of reasons, but I think all of it makes sense because there's no better way to learn about fashion than from people that are in the business. So me, who's been a journalist for several years now,my perspective is all about the consumers, what people are buying, why they're buying it, and how it connects to fashion and a bigger global evolution of like, mankind essentially. And so as students, you can learn from me in terms of how to be plugged in, right? Why do we do what we do? Why do we wear certain fabrics? How important it is to be green right now, how important it is to be socially conscious. All those things are really important to designing and being your creative Director right now. And so that's my perspective as an industry leader and a mentor.

This course is just a sort of amalgamation of all those things. It allows us all to be connected in a beautiful way. I'm so excited to be a mentor next year. I'm excited to work with you all, and I can't wait to see you eventually in Florence.

You may be interested in:

18 December 2025

New April intake for Master’s Programs in Italy

Starting April 2026, IED launches new Fashion Masters in English. An international, hands-on path designed to build the skills demanded by the global fashion industry.

28 February 2025

The second edition of The Glitch Camp 2025 opens for registrations 

From 7 to 13 April, the first free urban camping during the Milano Design Week for students from all over the world will be held once again  

IED-master-early-bird

26 December 2024

Enrolment facilitations for Master's Programs in Italy

Facilitation on early enrolment for Master's Programs in Milan, Rome, Turin, Florence and at the Accademia di Belle Arti Aldo Galli Como.

16 April 2024

IED collaborates with Livetrend for the Master in Fashion Trend Forecasting

Students from the Master's Program in Fashion Trend Forecasting, guided by the coordinator Alberto Caselli Manzini and with the mentorship of Elizabeth Bowring will collaborate with Livetrend

09 April 2024

IED Monograph: James Ferragamo

Giacomo/James Ferragamo is currently Chief Transformation & Sustainability Officer and serves on the Boards of Directors of the Salvatore Ferragamo Group.

03 April 2024

IED Monograph: Laudomia Pucci

Laudomia Pucci, President Emilio Pucci Heritage joined IED Monograph.

29 February 2024

IED Project Week with 24Bottles

The Project Week is back, a week of creative design where theory meets practice in a continuous flow of ideas, allowing undergraduate students to fully immerse themselves in the real world of business and creativity.

27 November 2023

IED Monograph: Giacomo Santucci

Giacomo Santucci is a fashion professional with a recent past as President of the Camera Buyer Italia and a huge experience as Chief Operating Officer at Dolce & Gabbana, President & Ceo at Gucci and Prada.

08 November 2023

IED Monograph: Graziela Sousa

Graziela Sousa is a Fashion Design Professor at the Faculty of Architecture, University of Lisbon, and Special Projects coordinator at ModaLisboa Association - Lisboa Fashion Week.