A treasure hunt through Milan’s iconic fashion landmarks, an immersive role-playing experience and an inspiring conversation with Christian Foddis from Ferragamo: Ferrari Fashion School’s Welcome Days 2026 turned the beginning of the academic year into an opportunity for discovery, collaboration and meaningful connections.
To welcome the new students enrolled in its four BA (Hons) programmes in Fashion Design, Fashion Styling and Communication, Fashion Business and Digital Marketing, and Fashion Business and Psychology, Ferrari Fashion School organised a series of unconventional activities in Milan, designed to bring together students from different disciplines, cultures and backgrounds.
The goal? To start building, from day one, a community where everyone feels part of something bigger, even when far from home, thanks to the organization of two lecturers: Marilù Liuzzi and Vincenzo Pernice.
A Treasure Hunt Through Milan’s Fashion Landmarks
The Welcome Days began with a treasure hunt through some of Milan’s most iconic fashion locations, turning the city into a space for exploration and connection.
Working in multidisciplinary teams, students tackled challenges and followed clues while discovering Milan and getting to know their new classmates. They were accompanied by students from previous years, who acted as mentors, sharing their experiences and helping newcomers establish their first connections within the Ferrari Fashion School community.
An opportunity to break down barriers between programmes and academic years from the very beginning, encouraging curiosity, collaboration and a sense of belonging.
Inside a Fashion Magazine: An Immersive Role-Playing Experience
How does a fashion magazine’s editorial team work? How does an editorial project grow?
To find out, new students took part in a LARP (Live Action Role-Playing) experience, an immersive role-playing activity in which each participant stepped into a professional role within a fashion magazine’s editorial team.
The experience encouraged collaboration, communication and decision-making, demonstrating how creativity, styling, communication, business and psychology represent different yet complementary perspectives within the fashion industry.
Christian Foddis Meets the Students: Creativity, Leadership and the Future of Luxury
One of the highlights of Welcome Days 2026 was a special guest talk with Christian Foddis, Chief Retail Officer & President Asia Pacific Assistant at Ferragamo, who shared insights from his international career across companies including Ferragamo, Ermenegildo Zegna, Valentino and Marzotto Group.
A central theme of the conversation was his personal motto, “Treasure Imperfection”, which reflects two essential ideas: the value of Italian craftsmanship, where imperfection becomes an expression of authenticity, and the understanding that the most interesting professional journeys rarely follow a straight line. Unexpected changes and departures from initial plans can become valuable opportunities for personal and professional growth.
The discussion explored some of the major transformations shaping the fashion and luxury industries, from international expansion strategies and the evolution of retail to the relationship between creativity and business performance.
Among the key takeaways was the importance of creativity even in business and management roles, alongside the ability to communicate and collaborate with people from different professional functions, cultures and backgrounds. These are essential skills in an industry where creative vision and business strategy must constantly work together.
Foddis also highlighted the value of gaining first-hand experience on the shop floor, even during university studies, to understand customer behaviour and expectations. This knowledge is valuable not only for students pursuing careers in fashion business and retail, but also for future designers, stylists and communication professionals.
Drawing on his extensive experience in Asia, he discussed China’s central role in the global luxury market, as well as emerging growth opportunities in countries such as Mexico and Brazil.
The conversation also addressed the challenges facing an industry where a very small proportion of customers, approximately 2%, can account for nearly half of revenue, highlighting the importance of personal relationships, customer understanding and the ability to navigate constantly evolving markets.
An International Community, Even Far From Home
From exploring Milan through a treasure hunt to stepping into the roles of a fashion magazine’s editorial team and engaging with an international luxury industry leader, the Welcome Days introduced students to some of the values at the heart of Ferrari Fashion School: curiosity, collaboration and openness to different perspectives.
The invitation to embrace imperfection and welcome the unexpected, shared by Christian Foddis, also reflects an educational approach that encourages students to challenge themselves, experiment and find their own paths, including through mistakes.
Above all, the Welcome Days offered an opportunity to build relationships across programmes, academic years and nationalities.
Because studying fashion in Milan is not just about joining a school. It is about finding a place where you can experiment, grow and feel at home, even when far from home.
