Prada and Valentino will adopt a school

The third edition of the "Adopt a School" project promoted by the Altagamma Foundation has gained new and significant names, including Prada and Valentino, as well as Stone Island and Santoni. The initiative, created to enhance the training and manufacturing of Made in Italy excellence, now involves 33 companies and 38 institutions, having also obtained the sponsorship of the European Commission. The memorandum of understanding signed with the Ministry of Education and Merit emphasizes the commitment to promote educational cooperation between schools and high-end manufacturing. The initiative includes activities ranging from macro-planning for the school year to micro-planning, with company visits, classroom lessons, internships, and mentorship. This collaboration is formalized through specific agreements outlining the involvement of classes, contacts, content, and commitments of schools, companies, and students.

The numbers from the third edition testify to the extensive scope of the Adopt a School initiative, also highlighting the urgency with which the fashion industry, especially luxury, is seeking new hiring models for its specialized manufacturing personnel – a rather hot topic that has led several brands to verticalize the training and hiring mechanism by establishing internal academies. In addition to Prada and Valentino, other brands already involved in previous editions of the initiative, such as Bottega Veneta, Brioni, Bulgari, Fendi, Ferragamo, Gucci, Loro Piana, Moncler, Poltrona Frau, and Zegna, have entered partnerships with more than one institute, presumably demonstrating the effectiveness of the direct connection between technical-professional institutes and manufacturing. Currently, 38 schools in eleven Italian regions are involved, with the goal of activating more than 120 classes and involving over 2,500 students in the next three years. Altagamma President Matteo Lunelli also told MF Fashion:

«This is a strategic challenge for the entire high-end sector that can be a driving force for our economy, within a global market that grew by 8/10% in 2023. To seize this opportunity, we will always need new talents in craftsmanship, a scarcity felt for years».