Photo Credit: Italia é Moda
Italia é Moda Brings the Excellence of Italian Fashion and Costume History to Philadelphia at its Sole Stop in the United States
Following its recent run in Montreal, the free exhibition showcases historic costumes, contemporary fashion, emerging designers, and interactive installations at Drexel University from September 14 to 26
September 13, 2026
PHILADELPHIA, PA — The Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation presents Italia è Moda, an international touring exhibition celebrating the creativity, research, craftsmanship, and tradition behind Made in Italy. Part of the second edition of Italian Fashion Days in the World, the project arrives in Philadelphia following its recent run in Montreal for its sole stop in the United States. The exhibition will be on view in the Grand Hall of Drexel University’s Main Building (3141 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104) from September 14 to 26 and is free and open to the public.
Curated by architect, applied arts historian, and multidisciplinary curator Clara Tosi Pamphili, Italia è Moda transforms Drexel’s Grand Hall into a theatrical stage conceived as an open wardrobe. Garments, accessories, and iconic objects are arranged around daywear, sportswear, and eveningwear. Displayed without mannequins, the pieces invite visitors to become the protagonists of their own stories. The exhibition brings together established fashion houses, master artisans, and emerging designers with examples from Italy’s apparel, leather goods, footwear, eyewear, jewelry, cosmetics, and textiles sectors.
“Bringing Italia è Moda to Philadelphia, especially in an academic setting like Drexel University, allows us to present Made in Italy as a cultural message as well as an economic force,” said Tosi Pamphili. “We hope students and visitors will look beyond the objects on display to discover the young designers, master artisans, traditions, and places behind them. From a fragrance inspired by a Tuscan garden to a tuxedo shaped by centuries of Italian tailoring, each piece offers a window into Italy’s creativity and
cultural heritage. Philadelphia’s deep connections to art, history, and cinema make it an ideal place to share that story.”
Designed as a living archive centered on contemporary storytelling, the exhibition invites visitors to “read” its clothing and accessories as documents of Italian creativity, innovation, and heritage. Video screens trace the creative processes behind the participating companies and associations, while two Nova Arca installations allow visitors to browse the complete exhibition catalog through an AI-supported chatbot interface and access cultural, technical, and commercial information about individual objects.
The exhibition also presents Grand Tour: A Journey through the Academies of Arts and Crafts, a documentary exploring Italian arts and crafts education.
Among the exhibition’s highlights are two authentic costumes from Federico Fellini’s Casanova, designed by Danilo Donati and crafted by Sartoria Farani. The male costume, worn by Donald Sutherland in the title role, includes a black moiré jacket and waistcoat, black satin trousers, and a black-and-silver lace jabot. The women’s costume is made from silk taffeta and features a lead-gray sequined stomacher.
Donati earned the 1977 Academy Award for Best Costume Design for the film. Donati and Sartoria Farani helped establish costume design as a space for artistic experimentation
through work with filmmakers including Pier Paolo Pasolini, Federico Fellini, and Franco Zeffirelli. Selected for their lasting influence on contemporary fashion, including the work of Alexander McQueen, the Casanova costumes demonstrate how Italian creativity moves fluidly between fashion, cinema, and theatrical design.
Italia è Moda also introduces Philadelphia audiences to three young designers selected by Camera Nazionale della Moda Italiana as representative voices of Italy’s new generation. Francesco Murano, a 2025 LVMH Prize finalist whose designs have been worn by Beyoncé, represents contemporary haute couture. Orefice approaches streetwear through experimentation with technical materials. Moja Rowa, founded by former Vivienne Westwood senior designer Yelena Mojarova, brings that experience to a contemporary brand designed and manufactured in Italy.
Italy’s menswear traditions are represented by Gaetano Aloisio and Peluso. The Gaetano Aloisio tuxedo combines silk peak lapels inspired by the 1930s with hand-molded horsehair canvas construction that adapts to the wearer’s physique. Each tuxedo requires more than 70 hours of craftsmanship. Peluso exemplifies Neapolitan tailoring through lightweight construction, spalla a camicia shoulders, generously cut lapels, and hand-finished details.
Beyond apparel, visitors will encounter leather goods from Bric’s, Gruppo Florence, and SAPAF; footwear by Santoni, GIO* Milano, Spernanzoni, and Wladi Rigato; eyewear from Lozza, Rudy Project, and Pier Martino; beauty products from Davines, KIKO Milano, and Giardini di Toscana; and jewelry from Foè, Gieffe, I Fonditori, and Oroscultura. Together, the objects reveal the wider ecosystem behind an Italian fashion industry comprising approximately 62,000 companies and more than half a million workers, with micro-enterprises accounting for nearly 80 percent of its businesses.
The exhibition also demonstrates how Italian makers combine traditional craftsmanship with technical and environmental innovation. Displays range from intricate tatting, bobbin lace, macramé, crochet, and embroidery by Sara Sfregola to polymer-coated technical yarns used in fields ranging from interior design to spacesuit manufacturing. Wladi Rigato avoids overproduction and sources materials from Italian tanning districts, while Giardini di Toscana uses annual carbon-footprint measurements to guide its emissions-reduction efforts and support the protection of local forests.
During the exhibition’s run, Drexel will present an evening of complementary lectures on Wednesday, September 23, in the A.J. Drexel Picture Gallery on the third floor of the Main Building. From 6 to 7 p.m., Villanova University Professor Luca Cottini will present Genealogies and Models of Italian Fashion and Speaking Details: The Accessories of Italian Fashion, tracing the industry’s development from the Renaissance through the dolce vita and exploring how accessories and storytelling shape influential fashion brands. From 7 to 8 p.m., Drexel University Professor Clare Sauro, curator and director of the Robert and Penny Fox Historic Costume Collection, will examine how American consumers embraced Italian fashion through Fox Collection works by designers including Elsa Schiaparelli and Salvatore Ferragamo.
Italia è Moda is curated by Clara Tosi Pamphili, who specializes in Italian craftsmanship and the preservation of fashion and costume archives. She is the founder and president of A.I. Artisanal Intelligence, which researches and promotes exceptional artisanal practices across creative industries. In addition to curating exhibitions, producing publications, and teaching, she has organized an Albert Watson photography exhibition in Rome and coordinated Vanessa Beecroft’s VB93 at Cinecittà and VB94 at Palazzo Abatellis in Palermo.
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ABOUT ITALIA É MODA
Launched in 2025, Italia è Moda is an initiative of the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation and is part of a broader cultural and economic diplomacy strategy promoting Italian creativity through the country’s diplomatic and cultural network. Participating trade associations include Camera Nazionale della Moda Italiana, Confindustria Moda, ANFAO, CAM - Confindustria Accessori Moda, CNA Federmoda, CNA Orafi, Confartigianato Imprese, Cosmetica Italia, Federorafi, and Altagamma. The 2026 edition began in Montreal in August as part of the M.A.D. Festival, with support from the Embassy of Italy in Ottawa, the Consulate General of Italy in Montreal, the Italian Cultural Institute of Montreal, and the Italian Trade Agency’s Montreal office.
Designer: Francesco Murano
Designer: Moja Rowa
