Porta Venezia Design District · April 2026

UNIFORM

Uniform as an identity, creative, and performative expression in the contemporary neighborhood. A garment that tells the story of Milan's urban experience.

DesignerAndrea Bartoletti

InstitutionSecoli Milano

DateApril 2026

UNIFORM & VISUAL PROJECT

The outfit that tells the story of a district. Designers from Istituto Secoli interpret the soul of Porta Venezia — historic and monumental, yet rebellious and contemporary. An iconic, gender-neutral and sustainable uniform created for the District's staff, where fashion becomes a symbol of identity and community.

Creative DirectionArthur Arbesser - Domenico Civita

Designed byAndrea Bartoletti

InstitutionIstituto Secoli

DatesApril 21–24 · Teatro Elfo Puccini · April 21–26

Thanks toElfo Puccini, Zerow

02 — Storyboard

The Journey

The storyboard recounts the entire creative process that led to the creation of UNIFORM: from the briefing meetings with Porta Venezia Design District, to the development sessions with the teachers of Istituto Secoli, up to the technical construction of the garment in the atelier.

A visual diary of the project — conversations, reviews, digital sketches, and patterns — documenting the dialogue between territory, institution, and designer.

Ch. 01

PVDD Briefing

The first meeting with Porta Venezia Design District. The presentation of the brief, listening to the territory, defining the theme: Uniform as the neighborhood's identity code.

Brief presentation

Working session

Ch. 02

Secoli Review

Critique sessions with Istituto Secoli teachers. Review of sketches, refinement of the concept, discussion on visual references gathered in the neighborhood.

Sketch review

Research boards

Samples and palette

Ch. 03

Digital Development

Video call with district partners and digital development of sketches. Presentation of progress, real-time feedback, and integration of observations into the design process.

Video call with PVDD and Istituto Secoli

Remote meeting

Drawing on iPad

Ch. 04

In the Atelier

The construction phase: pattern making, cutting, sewing. The transfer of the digital project onto matter — canvas, threads, shapes — up to the first muslin (toile).

Handmade pattern

Technical pattern making

02 — Sketch Development

From Drawing
to Digital

The digital sketch on iPad accompanies the entire design phase, allowing for real-time exploration of color variants and defining construction details before moving to the muslin.

The color palette — military green, lilac, powder pink, burgundy, camel — was developed in close dialogue with the territory and its inspirations: Liberty architecture, the neon lights of Bar Basso, the neighborhood markets.

03 — Process

From Idea
to Muslin

The pattern making follows a rigorous process: construction of the handmade pattern, fitting adjustments, first muslin in natural fabric. Every detail — the envelope pockets, the modular hood, the side straps — is studied and verified on the mannequin before proceeding.

The creative journey integrates visual research of the neighborhood, moodboard construction, and technical experimentation in a continuous flow between ideation and realization.

01Pattern

02Pattern Making

03First Muslin

04Fitting

04 — Tech Pack

The PVDD
Jacket

Oversized workwear-constructed jacket with an integrated hood and a shirt collar. The deliberately wide silhouette converses with the volumes of Liberty architecture, while the pocket system — triangular envelope on the chest, cargo at the waist — refers to the practical use of the contemporary uniform.

Features

Modular hood
Shirt collar
Triangular envelope pockets
Waist cargo pockets
Side straps
Bottom rivets

Materials

Cotton canvas
Snap buttons
Drawstring cord
Metal rivets
Istituto Secoli logo
PVDD District logo

05 — Color Variants

The Colorways

Military Green

The main colorway of the project. Military green dialogues with the lilac collar and powder pink envelope pockets — a chromatic tension between functional and sensitive.

CW-01 · Green + Lilac + Pink

Dark Burgundy

Intense and nocturnal palette. Deep burgundy with lilac contrast evokes the evening energy of the neighborhood — the neon lights of Bar Basso, the rosy lights of Porta Venezia's venues.

CW-02 · Burgundy + Lilac

Natural Camel

Warm and neutral tones that recall the stone facades of Milanese Liberty style. Camel with lilac and pink recalls the elegant everyday life of the neighborhood during daytime.

CW-03 · Camel + Lilac + Pink

Solid Purple

The boldest version of the palette. Saturated purple with orange accents creates maximum chromatic tension — a garment that stands out in the urban space as a performative object.

CW-04 · Purple + Orange

Green + Orange

High visual impact variant. Bright orange on the pockets and side tabs transforms the military green into an urban signal, visible and recognizable in the fabric of the city.

CW-05 · Green + Orange

Earth Brown

Organic and earthy palette. Brown with lilac evokes the material surfaces of the neighborhood's historical architectures — a garment that blends in and reveals itself in the urban landscape.

CW-06 · Earth Brown + Lilac

Off White

The absolute version — a garment reduced to its pure form. White without chromatic contrast enhances the structural construction: the pockets, the hood, the oversized silhouette read like architecture.

CW-07 · Off White · Single color

UNIFORM

The Neighborhood
as a Uniform