PORTA VENEZIA DESIGN DISTRICT x ISTITUTO SECOLI: THE UNIFORM & VISUAL PROJECT DEBUTS AT DESIGN WEEK

A uniform that tells the story of the neighborhood through fashion and design: an iconic jacket for the District staff during Milan Design Week.

In the heart of the Porta Venezia District, where the Istituto Secoli headquarters is now located, a project is born that intertwines urban identity, visual culture, and fashion design: Uniform & Visual Project, created through the collaboration between Porta Venezia Design District and Istituto Secoli to develop a functional and recognizable uniform for the District staff during Milan Design Week.

The project stems from the District’s desire—active since 2023 with the goal of enhancing the neighborhood through a network of creative entities and cultural initiatives—to involve new generations in a practical applied design journey, capable of translating the dual soul of Porta Venezia into a “functional” garment: historic and monumental, yet rebellious and contemporary.

Under the creative direction of Arthur Arbesser—a Milan-based Viennese designer known for his work with color and patterns and cross-disciplinary collaborations between fashion, art, and design—and coordinated by the Institute’s faculty team consisting of Domenico Civita (Fashion Design Coordinator) and Francesco Baldassarre (Visual Project Coordinator), young Secoli designers developed uniform proposals and graphic designs, focusing on gender-neutral fit, durability, comfort, and practicality, consistency with the District’s identity, and clear storytelling.

The choice of materials also reinforces the project’s contemporary dimension: the fabrics for the official uniform—designed by the contest winner, Andrea Bartoletti—were provided by Zerow, a B2B marketplace specializing in textile deadstock, emphasizing an approach focused on supply chain responsibility and process quality.

The creations and the project’s narrative will be presented during Design Week in a widespread exhibition route involving the educational spaces of Istituto Secoli and the foyer of the Teatro Elfo Puccini, a key cultural landmark in the District: an open dialogue between fashion and design, created for the audience experiencing Milan’s most international week.

PROJECTS ON DISPLAY

Concepts and interpretations of the neighborhood between fashion and design

1. Andrea Bartoletti (Winning Project)

A uniform that speaks to the neighborhood, every day

2. Claudia Romeo

Two cultures, one jacket: double-faced like Porta Venezia

3. Daniele Cavallo

Milan on the move: a jacket that changes with you

4. Sasha Trettenero

Pink Sahariana: an inclusive and visible uniform

5. Cinzia Carecchio

Milanese rigor, mobile details: the uniform transforms