FUA FAST: Fashion & Accessories Studies & Technology

header fast

The School of Fashion and Accessory Studies at FUA-AUF:

The School of Fashion and Accessory Studies and Technology (FAST) is structured in departments covering the fields of design, retail, merchandising, and culture related to the fashion industry. Each offers courses at the beginning, intermediate, and advanced levels and cover a wide range of topics in the school's specific fields.

Please visit the FAST website for more information on academic programs and news related to the School.

FAST VISION

Vision FAST sustains the local Florentine traditions of straw, leather and knit production and promotes an economy of sustainability using local materials and resources.
FAST is an integration project within local culture and is supported by local, green-mapped small businesses, which interact and share their expertise, cultural love, and craftsmanship with our international students.
The vision of FAST does not seek to evoke nor to cling to a glorious past, but unites old modes and practices with technology for the following purpose: to preserve traditions and trade techniques while constructing a contemporary, forward-looking future for the present and coming generations who will continue to create in Florence.

FAST MISSION

To bridge the widening gap between design and manual skills in fashion and accessories
To have the objective of integrating the current cultural trends in Florence.
To offer students a hands-on experience that allows them to acquire a real knowledge of the materials, teaches them how to create fashion, and explores the concept of beauty based on local resources.
A laboratory experience is provided and during this practice the fresh eyes of students and the seasoned expertise of instructors from the artisanal, professional and academic fields will result in exciting proposals in the spheres of fashion and accessories.
FAST's goal is to explore and implement environmentally intelligent practices by preserving the local microcosm and traditional techniques and by fostering the search for alternative approaches to production processes that generate less environmental waste and damage.

FAST VALUES

Cultural and technical support from local green-mapped small businesses, which support our international students by sharing their expertise and cultural lore.
An international teaching staff whose backgrounds include professional and academic experiences in the fashion industry and currently practicing artisans.
Cutting edge and equipped lab facilities in the completely renovated space at Palazzo della Giostra where students will create hands on assignments, as well as a Renaissance Ballroom for fashion shows and projects at Palazzo Bombicci Pontelli Guicciardini Strozzi.
A challenging and varied academic curriculum composed of lectures, workshops, and laboratories.
Structured programs for students who aim towards professional development and future careers in the industry.
Opportunities for exposure and integration in the local community through fashion projects, shows, and events.

Please note: An asset of the program is the opportunity to showcase student work at the FLY CEMI, the non-profit retail store of FAST, alongside professional emerging designers based in Italy. All works produced by students will be featured with garment specifications, photographed, and published for promotion on school websites. Garments will undergo a selection process for in-store and classroom placement. Furthermore, FAST experiential learning and internship students will then utilize these items to create window displays and other special installations throughout the season. For this reason, it is not possible for students to take garments, accessories, and the like home upon course completion. In the event that a garment is sold, all profits will go toward scholarship funds for future FAST students.

2012 fast fashion students class florence

Students present their design projects at FAST's end of the semester fashion show at a historic Florentine palace.

2012 fast fashion students class florence-3

Dedicated labs offer spaces equipped to fully immerse students in the artisanal, handcrafted world of Florentine fashion.

2012 fast fashion students class florence-4

The importance of quality materials and practiced precision are a priority for any starting point for fashion students.

2012 fast fashion students class florence-11

Students witness their designs evolve into living forms through craft and construction in laboratory courses.