IIFM Milano inaugurates its new headquarters in the heart of Milan
Just a few steps from Via Montenapoleone and the Duomo, IIFM – Milano officially opens its new campus in Viale Bianca Maria, within an elegant historic building completely renovated in 2025.
A place where heritage and contemporaneity meet to shape an exclusive campus, immersed in the most authentic and international atmosphere of the world’s fashion and design capital.
With its inner courtyard, period details, and spaces designed for maximum comfort and creative connection, the new campus marks a key milestone in the Institute’s development, strengthening its presence in the beating heart of Milan’s fashion system.
To delve deeper into the vision behind this important milestone, the editorial team of IIFM Milano met with Professor Nicola Guerini, Dean and General Director of the Institute.
Professor Guerini, why did you choose this particular area for IIFM Milano’s new campus?
Milan is the center of creativity and fashion business. Being just a few meters from Via Montenapoleone, in one of the city’s most prestigious and safest districts, means positioning ourselves exactly where fashion lives, breathes, and transforms every day. We wanted a place that would reflect our identity: international, contemporary, yet deeply rooted in Italian culture.
This district also holds a symbolic value: the phenomenon of Milanese fashion was born here.
Yes. It was precisely in this area that Giorgio Armani opened his first studio, along with many other designers who were then emerging and who would later define the language of Italian fashion.
Here, the fashion phenomenon was born: in the streets between San Babila, Montenapoleone, and Corso Venezia, the aesthetic and entrepreneurial identity that made Milan a global reference took shape. Returning to this place means reconnecting with that original energy, with the genius and elegance that continue to inspire us every day.
What does this new campus represent for the Institute?
It is not just a campus, but a true hub of culture and innovation. A space designed to welcome students, faculty, and guests from all over the world, in an environment that stimulates curiosity, beauty, and the exchange of ideas. It is the home of creative thinking applied to fashion and luxury management.
What vision guided this project?
We wanted a place that could dialogue with the city — an open space, connected to the urban fabric and international networks, capable of inspiring collaborations and new forms of learning.
Education today must be experiential, immersive, and global. We believe that a student coming to us from the other side of the world should experience every day the cultural richness, inspiration, and values that can be found here. We are in the heart of Milan, an area that offers maximum safety, comfort, quality of life, and above all, the opportunity to stay connected to fashion, network, and live a truly unique educational and life experience.
How do the spaces reflect IIFM’s values?
Through the care of design — contemporary to ensure maximum comfort and capable of enhancing the roots of the past; natural light, attention to materials, and sustainability. Every environment has been designed to promote well-being, focus, and aesthetics — values that are part of our DNA — with one guiding concept: to create a space that conveys Milan’s “sense of place” while making every student feel at home.
What are your expectations for this new chapter?
Nicola Guerini: That it becomes a reference point for those who believe in modern, international, and career-oriented education. Our goal is to continue training professionals capable of combining expertise, aesthetic sensitivity, and innovative vision — right here, in the heart of Milan, where global fashion is born and continually renewed.
