Fashion and memories with Mani Tese

Florence, June 4th, 2025

A wardrobe can tell stories, values, traditions. And when it comes together with student creativity and sustainability, it can become something really powerful.

Thus is born the new collaboration between Accademia Italiana and Mani Tese, a company that has always been committed to giving new life to objects through reuse and circular economy. The aim of the association is to give access to unique materials at affordable prices and to participate in activities focused on sustainability, conscious consumption and social commitment. 

Mani Tese has made available a series of second-hand wedding dresses, which have become the perfect basis for experimenting with new design ideas through creative upcycling. This is the origin of the "Motherhood" workshop held on the occasion of Mother’s Day, aimed at exploring the traditions related to motherhood and how these are reflected in today’s fashion design.

Divided into groups, the students worked on a symbolic garment, a wedding dress, to reinterpret it in a contemporary way, through an upcycling process and draping techniques.

A mix of teamwork, personal research and experimentation, where each piece becomes an opportunity to tell a new story - more sustainable, more inclusive, more human.