Master in Fashion Styling & Visual Merchandising
The Course
The Master in Fashion Styling & Visual Merchandising program blends the roles of the visual merchandiser and the fashion stylist to create a new professional profile: the visual fashion brand communicator, whose scope encompasses lookbooks, advertising campaigns, editorials, websites, social media, and multi-sensorial retail concepts.
You will learn how to convey the brand values and identity of a fashion collection through powerful image-based storytelling and visual merchandising strategies for window and in-store displays.
Who Should Apply
The program is addressed to candidates who have a first-level degree and/or professional experience in fashion design, fashion styling, visual merchandising, design, photography, architecture, or communication.
The program is also open to candidates with a background in industrial design, journalism, media, or related fields, if they are motivated by interest in the program’s topics and a strong portfolio.
All courses are taught in English. A high level of proficiency in the English language is required.
Career Paths
Graduates of this program can start their own consulting businesses or work for fashion brands, advertising agencies, media companies, and more.
Job titles include:
- Visual fashion brand communicator
- Fashion stylist
- Visual merchandiser
- Display designer
- Fashion show organizer
- Brand and communication strategist
- Entrepreneur
- Celebrity assistant
Explore the Program
The Master in Fashion Styling & Visual Merchandising program is workshop-based, supported by seminars, lectures, tutorials, and fieldwork. Industry professionals, the program leader, and project leaders will guide you via individual coaching and mentorship.
The program consists of four customizable course/workshop modules, followed by a professional experience period and a final portfolio presentation.
Graduates of Domus Academy’s Master’s Programmes earn a degree that is recognised throughout Europe and the world, receiving an Academic Master’s Degree (60 ECTS credits) accredited by the Italian Ministry of Education, Universities and Research (MIUR)*, in addition to a Domus Academy Master’s Diploma. The combination of accredited coursework and real-life professional projects gives students the opportunity to build on their academic foundation, while gaining valuable work experience directly applicable to their future careers.
* The academic Master’s Degree is awarded by NABA, Nuova Accademia di Belle Arti.
Courses
Coursework focuses on examining the history of fashion design, learning management and marketing strategies for fashion and luxury goods companies, developing skills with visualization and graphic rendering, branding your own work, and developing your professional identity.
Workshops
Guided by industry professionals and faculty project leaders, you will work with leading companies on practical projects relating to fashion styling and visual merchandising, such as creating a proposal for an advertising campaign or helping to develop an innovative, consistent fashion collection from research to realization.
Professional Experience
To gain real experience working in your field, you will choose from an internship at a company site, a work project on campus in collaboration with a company, or an entrepreneurship module. In each case, you will benefit from mentorship, an inside perspective on your field, and valuable career connections.
Companies
Several prestigious companies and design studios collaborate with the Master in Fashion Styling & Visual Merchandising program, actively participating in courses, workshops, internships, and international competitions organized by the department.
Get Inspired
Check out some projects that our students have completed with top brands.
Wellness by Slowear
In collaboration with Slowear
The Legacy
Project in Collaboration with Salvatore Ferragamo
Tarot Tales
Project in Collaboration with L’Officiel Italia
Love The Skin You Live In
Project in Collaboration with Freeda
Meet your faculty
Your Program Leader
Gianfranco Olivotto
After earning his bachelor’s degree in modern languages and literatures at the University of Catania, Gianfranco Olivotto moved to London, where he worked as a visual merchandiser for the Benetton Group. Back in Italy, he worked on projects with Dolce & Gabbana, Mantero Seta, and Juicy Couture. In 2000, Olivotto worked on the launch of Neil Barrett’s first collection and then served as head of the company’s public relations and press department until 2004.
In 2005, Olivotto co-founded a visual merchandising and branding agency that worked with fashion brands such as La Perla, Ralph Lauren, Borsalino, John Varvatos, developing the projects related to retail and visual communication. In 2012, Olivotto joined Domus Academy as Program Leader of the Master in Fashion Design and Master in Fashion Styling & Visual Merchandising.
Visiting Professors
Other visiting professors and collaborators include fashion stylists, visual merchandisers, brand strategists, journalists, designers, and entrepreneurs such as:
Fernando Alberti, Matteo Augello, Ivo Bisignano, Stefania Boleso, Paolo Borelli, Alberto Campagnolo, Gianluca Cantaro (L’Officiel Italia), Alberto Cavalli (Fondazione Coloni), Sergio Colantuoni, Lucio Colapietro (L’Officiel Azerbajan), Ildo Damiano (Grazia Italia), Edoardo Fano, Paolo Ferrarini, Valentina Galbiati (10 Corso Como), Michela Gattermayer, Paolo Giachi, Matteo Greco (The Greatest Magazine), Diletta Grella, Francesco Guerra, Simone Guidarelli, Felice Limosani, Caterina Lunghi, Sara Maino (Vogue Italia), Jessica Michault, Antonio Moscogiuri (C.a.p.74024), Anna Maria Negri, Grazia Parisi, Danilo di Pasquale, Damon Pittman, Fausto Puglisi, Simona Quadri (Vudafieri Saverino), Carlo Rivetti (Stone Island), Serena Sala, Scott Schumann (The Sartorialist), Marina Spadafora, Annamaria Tartaglia (The Brand Sitter), Gaia Trussardi (Trussardi), Riccardo Vannetti.
Alumni
Fees
Each one-year Academic Master’s program (60 ECTS) at Domus Academy involves the following costs, in addition to a € 540 Academic Master’s Degree Fee, which must be paid within one month before the course start date. The Academic Master’s diploma is recognized by MIUR and awarded by NABA.
Matriculation Fee: € 540
See the Tuition Fees page for more information.
EU & Switzerland Students
€ 20900
| Fee | Description |
| € 3000 | Pre-Enrollment |
| € 17900 | Tuition |
Non - EU students
€ 29000
| Fee | Description |
| € 3000 | Pre-Enrollment |
| € 26000 | Tuition |
Scholarships
Domus Academy is proud to support talented students with scholarship opportunities. Watch this space to discover the latest calls for scholarships launched in collaboration with leading brands, design studios, and publishers.