Barbara Luciana Giovanna Sordi

After graduating in Fashion Design in Milano, she has worked as Fashion designer and illustrator, both in Milan and London. She has started a new adventure in education ten years ago, fueled by the passion of supporting new talents.

What is your favorite travel memory?

Definitely the visits to our school in Belgrade, which I consider a very promising city in the fashion panorama. It is a very good chance to get in touch with students and professors, exchanging our professional experiences, aiming to a common growth and getting to a better expression of students talents.

How have you changed/grown since working for your current company?

I started as a tutor in Fashion Design with a class made of very few students. Very soon, thanks to my experience, I’ve been in involved in more and more classes. Besides that, I had the chance to take part of extra activities, such as contests and final fashion shows.

I have been the Art director of the latest 4 fashion shows of my school, being in charge of the whole process (from concept to outfits selection, from laboratories' supervision to fittings and casting). From 2015, I’ve been nominated for Academic Director of Accademia del Lusso Milano, which involves programs's definition for Post-graduated courses (3 years and Masters), tutors supervision and scouting.

What is the best story you've heard from a return student?

As I’ve been teaching Fashion Design and Collection planning for many years, and I'm still doing that for final projects and special contests, one of the best story is that of a very talented student who has started her own women's wear line. It is peculiar, as she graduated in Fashion Styling and never ever thought she could start her own line, until I told her she might have given a go to her passion.

If you could go on any program that your company offers, which one would you choose and why?

I would for sure go for a Master in Styling and Communication. This would give me the opportunity to deepen my knowledge, which has been mainly gained through working experiences, and acquire more and more skills. Thanks to the professional experience of tutors involved in the course, I will have the great chance to learn useful tips and tricks employed in Communication.

What makes your company unique? When were you especially proud of your team?

My school is a very familiar and cool place, where people know each other by name. Everyone has the great opportunity to grow professionally, if deserved of course. This means that you can enter as a receptionist and end up to be a Responsible of the Academic office. Or enter as a tutor and become an Academic Director, as in my personal experience. I’m always proud of my team as I can see the passion they put in making the school a cozy place for students.

What do you believe to be the biggest factor in being a successful company?

In order to be successful, a company has to dare and be forwarding. For a school, this means to be updated with programs that can prepare for new professions and new technologies. As a Fashion school, it is also fundamental to support everything that is new and visionary in order to forecast and never recall.