ISTITUTO SECOLI - WE TEACH FASHION
The first Fashion Academy in Italy, founded in 1934, has trained four generations of fashion makers, who are now key players in Italian and international brands, skilled hands and capable minds, able to create and design garments that are studied and refined in every smallest detail.
Istituto Secoli trains talent with comprehensive preparation spanning from fashion design to pattern making, from prototyping to garment construction, all the way to creating a collection.
The two souls, education and business services, share the same mission and vision, reinforcing each other in a virtuous circle. This balance ensures the excellence of courses and services, consolidating the Institute’s credibility and authority with institutional stakeholders and the fashion industry.
Passion is the driving force that fuels the continuous pursuit of quality and innovation, making Istituto Secoli a reference point in the sector.
A FAMILY STORY, A UNIQUE HERITAGE
Matteo Secoli
President of Istituto Secoli
I learned about the Institute starting from the secretariat, in 2001. Over the years I have handled administration, marketing, communication, business development, academic organization and internationalization. In 2007 I joined the Board of Directors, taking on responsibility for Commercial Direction, Marketing and Communication. In practice, I went through almost every room of the Institute before reaching the Presidency.
I graduated in Economics and Business from Bocconi with a thesis on strategic marketing in fashion. Subsequent organizational consulting experiences at several major companies in the sector allowed me to observe closely how creative talent becomes product, business and work.
Since 2019 I have been President of Istituto Secoli. I oversaw the international project in Guangzhou, the opening of the Novara campus and the journey that led the Institute, in 2023, to enter the AFAM system recognized by MUR.
Since 2022 I have also been President of Piattaforma Sistema Formativo Moda ETS and in 2026 I was re-elected for a new term. It is a role that allows me to work with Italy’s leading fashion schools, academies and institutions to give more strength to education and, above all, to its young talents. I am also Vice President of ANTIA – National Association of Professional Technicians in the Fashion System.
Giorgio Secoli
Administrator – Director of Organizational Consulting and Novara Campus
My journey at Istituto Secoli began in 2009, after several years spent in the world of theater as an actor, director and production manager. I graduated with honors in Disciplines of Art, Music and Performance and subsequently specialized in the analysis of production processes and work organization for the fashion sector. Two seemingly distant worlds, in which I discovered how important the same things are: people, timing, method and the ability to work together.
Within the Institute I direct the Organizational Consulting Department and, since 2014, I teach and coordinate the course in Time, Methods and Organization Analysis, an area that has strategic value for us. The work done directly with companies has allowed me over the years to deeply understand their processes, organization, expertise and needs, bringing this experience also into the training of our students.
From this knowledge of the sector two activities that I particularly care about were also born. Since 2022 I have directed the Istituto Secoli campus in Novara, developed in partnership with major fashion brands to train the technical profiles most in demand by the supply chain. I am also responsible for the Placement Office, one of the Institute’s strengths.
For me, doing placement does not simply mean connecting a student with a company. It means knowing the preparation, aptitudes and potential of our students and, at the same time, truly understanding what a company is looking for, how it is organized and which person can best fit within it. It is from the meeting of this knowledge that the best matches are born.
Istituto Secoli is a family story that began in 1934 with grandfather Carlo. Today the third generation continues to lead the Institute, preserving the values that have made us who we are and looking forward, every day, with the same passion for education and fashion.