Educational Visits – IULM University – Milan

The Gian Paolo Barbieri Foundation Meets Students from the Ferrari Fashion School

A group of students from the Master’s program in Fashion Photography and Fashion Styling at the Ferrari Fashion School took part in an educational visit to the Fondazione Gian Paolo Barbieri ETS, accompanied by their instructors, as part of a learning experience aimed at deepening their understanding of visual language in fashion and its evolution.

The visit was conceived as a moment of exchange between contemporary education and cultural heritage, in line with the Foundation’s mission to transmit Italian photographic culture to younger generations. In this context, students had the opportunity to engage with an approach to photography rooted in strong artistic authorship, analog practices, and a direct relationship with image-making.

Special attention was given to the work of Gian Paolo Barbieri, as key figure in the history of fashion photography whose practice represents a fundamental reference point for those studying fashion image-making and styling today. Analyzing his method allowed students to reflect on the role of art direction, the importance of aesthetic coherence, and the construction of a distinctive visual identity.

A central moment of the visit was access to the archive, where students were able to observe original materials and gain insight into the dynamics of the creative process—from the conceptual development of an image to its final realization. For students of Fashion Photography and Styling, this experience provided concrete tools to interpret images not only as aesthetic outcomes, but as the result of research, narrative, and the coordination of multiple creative roles.

The visit proved to be a valuable opportunity for growth, connecting theory and practice while encouraging students to develop a more conscious understanding of their future role within the fashion industry, fostering both critical thinking and a personal creative vision.