its-arcademy-entrance

WELCOME

ITS Arcademy, Museum of Art in Fashion, is much more than just a fashion museum.

It’s a place where art and fashion come together. A celebration of creativity and the stories that inspire it.

Before we begin our journey in the Open Box, here’s a short introduction.

Arcademy: an unusual name, but that "r" is not a mistake. The word is a neologism combining Ark, Archive, and Academy. Ark, because we travel the world collecting the finest expressions of creativity; Archive, because we safeguard, preserve, and catalogue them; Academy, because we pass them on to new generations of creatives through learning experiences.

This stunning space has been completely renovated and reimagined. It once housed the Cassa di Risparmio di Trieste, the city’s main bank. Today, it’s home to Fondazione CRTrieste, our long-standing partner and to whom we are deeply grateful for having granted us use of several floors of this historic building, designed by architect Enrico Nordio, in 1891 and inaugurated in 1894.

ITS Arcademy is the constantly evolving outcome of a journey that began over twenty years ago with ITS Contest, an international fashion competition created to discover and support the most outstanding creative achievements. Through ITS Contest, we have collected more than 15,000 projects from 80 countries, selecting over 700 finalists. This extraordinary heritage represents the beating heart of ITS Arcademy, and is safeguarded by Fondazione ITS.

Our aim is not only to collect, protect, and document the story of contemporary fashion in its freest, most artistic expressions. We also want to inspire, surprise, and help you rediscover your own creativity. At the end of this journey - short but, we hope, intense - we want to inspire you to create. And as soon as you step into the Open Box, the starting point of your visit, you’ll see why.

But first, with the windows behind you, let’s take a look at the museum map in front of you: how is Arcademy laid out?

WHAT IS THE STRUCTURE OF ITS ARCADEMY

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It covers an area of 1,400 square metres, divided into exhibition spaces, conservation areas, and educational and recreational rooms.

Our stops today will be:

  • The OPEN BOX
  • ITS STORY
  • The MANIFESTO, which leads to the LIBRARY
  • The GALLERY
  • The WUNDERKAMMER
  • And the ARCHIVE

Behind you, outside the windows of our shop, you may have had a first glimpse of our archive: the life-size cutouts of garments from the ITS Arcademy collection. On the window, you’ll also find the silhouettes of those cutouts as a reference, with a QR code. Scan it if you’d like to learn more about these pieces after your visit.

NEXT ROOM

Now, take a look at the countdown on your left, near the entrance to the OPEN BOX. Please wait for it to end before entering. If only a few seconds are left, press STOP NOW and step inside.

Otherwise wait another moment while we tell you more about the video you’re about to watch. Directed by our creative director, Fabio Bressan, it sums up the philosophical meaning of ITS Arcademy. By the end of your visit, we hope you’ll agree with us that creativity is perhaps the single most vital and essential human quality.

Daphne Guinness—fashion icon, philanthropist, and member of the ITS Arcademy Advisory Board—will guide you through this idea.

Let’s step inside and listen. After the video, carry on down the corridor and stop at the five screens on your left, where you’ll find Audioguide 2.