Brera Accademia di Belle Arti, better known as “Brera Academy,” considers fashion as a fine art. While fashion has become a mega-successful commercial business over the years, it remains an intricate craft entrenched in its traditions but also adaptable through evolution. So it makes sense that a fine arts academy also teaches it. Brera Accademia di Belle Arti serves as one of the best fashion schools in Milan, precisely because it considers it as the fine art that it is. Here, you can learn more about the craft and the industry, all while polishing your own artistry.
Source: Brera Accademia di Belle Arti/ Cosmo Laera
History of Brera Academy
Brera Academy is perhaps the oldest
fashion school in Milan. It was founded in 1776 by Maria Theresa of Austria, who set up the institution to push for education during the Age of Enlightenment. As a result, the academy was clustered in various other educational institutions that dealt in different subjects like science, philosophy, law, and more. They were all housed in Palazzo Brera, where the school remains today. In its early years, Brera Academy only taught visual arts, including painting, sculpture, decorative arts, and graphic art. Over time, it eventually included fashion design too.
What Does Brera Academy Look Like?
As already mentioned, Brera Academy has remained inside
Milan’s Palazzo Brera on Via Brera. Italian architect Francesco Maria Richini designed the building in the Milanese Baroque style, evoking a grandiose appeal that the city was known for at the time. Hence, the campus has several old-world elements that can also serve as inspiration for its creative students. The school doesn't even look like a contemporary higher educational institution, with studios, ateliers, and classrooms that have been around for centuries. Don't worry! While its settings aren't modern, the facilities and equipment themselves are new and current.
Source: Brera Accademia di Belle Arti
The Brera Academy Student Body
Thanks to how big Brera Academy is, it has a fairly big student body. The school welcomes around 4,500 to 5,000 enrollees per year, including those returning to complete their multi-year courses. With that said, the academy's international student body is smaller. It changes year to year but is rarely above 20% of the entire student body. So why can't Brera Academy draw in as many international students as other
European fashion schools? It's mostly because the school almost exclusively teaches in Italian. It may have a few English-speaking professors and instructors, but for the most part, the school's staff comprises Italian-speaking locals and natives.
Brera Academy's Best Programs and Courses
Brera Academy only has one fashion program–Fashion Design. Considering that the school is best known as an arts college, it truly only focuses on the craft. Nevertheless, it's still an extensive and fairly intricate course that teaches you various techniques in fashion design. From traditional to modern, you'll be trained in different methods of design. It also aids you in learning all about the design process, from the conception of the design to the final construction of the garment. Overall, Brera Academy aims to produce designers who are more in touch with fashion's artistry instead of just focusing on the industry.
Source: Brera Accademia di Belle Arti
Brera Academy’s Prerequisites
Since its fashion course is an undergraduate program, you only really need a high school diploma to apply to Brera Academy. Do take note, however, that it has to be a First Level Academic Diploma and it will help if you have fairly high grades. You should also curate a portfolio of works related to the field. They can either be designs you've made over the years or even artworks that convey your unique creativity and specific point of view. As for international students, it will help if you speak and understand Italian and have a certain level of English proficiency.
Where is Brera Academy in The City?
Palazzo Brera, which has housed Brera Academy since it was founded in the 18th century, is located on Via Brera. It's right at the center of
central Milan neighborhoods, not to mention the heart of the city too. Both the campus and the area are fairly near the city's famous attractions, including the iconic Duomo di Milano. And since the place is fairly quiet, this is also one of the best places to stay in Milan. Young students can live a fairly peaceful life here, not to mention
rent a luxury apartment in Milan too.
Source: Brera Accademia di Belle Arti
Learn all about the craft of fashion in Brera Accademia di Belle Arti, one of the best fashion schools in Milan. Here, they will teach you everything you need to know about designing clothes, from conception to construction and everything in between.
