Romana Andò
ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR OF "SOCIOLOGY OF COMMUNICATION AND FASHION" AND "AUDIENCE THEORY AND ANALYSIS" AT SAPIENZA UNIVERSITY OF ROME
Romana is the head of the international Master Programme in Fashion Studies at Sapienza University of Rome, where she teaches “Fashion Branding and Consumer Experience” and "Fashion and Gender". Since 2023, she has been the scientific coordinator of the PNRR research project "Fashion Cultural Heritage: Memories, Museums, Experiences" on fashion musicalisation in Italy. She authored many articles in international and national scientific journals and book chapters. Among her publications are YouTube Content Creators (Egea 2017) and Audience for Fashion. Consuming fashion in the media and with the media (Egea 2022). She also translated into Italian Thinking Through Fashion (A. Rocamora, A. Smelik)
Anna Breit
PHOTOGRAPHER
Anna works across fashion photography and artistic projects, focusing on people and relationships, particularly those within families and among friends. She shoots exclusively on film and often uses a bright, powerful flash, retouching her photos very little. In 2020, she published her first photography book, “Teens (in their rooms)”, which attracted international attention. Anna Breit has taken part in various exhibitions at OstLicht Vienna, the Sheriff Gallery in Paris, the Museum der Arbeit in Hamburg and the 71A Gallery in London. Her work has been published in international magazines such as KUNST Magazine (New York), Artnet, Vogue Italia and Kaltblut Magazin (Berlin). Anna Breit is represented by the OstLicht gallery.
Photo by Elodie Grethen
Gloria Maria Cappelletti
LECTURER AND ADVISOR ON NEW TECH FOR FASHION, NABA; EDITOR-IN-CHIEF, RED-EYE METAZINE, AND AI CONTRIBUTOR, D LA REPUBBLICA
Gloria Maria serves as Editor-in-Chief and Creative Director of RED-EYE Magazine, where she drives groundbreaking research into XR aesthetics, AI, and Web3 for fashion and luxury. She authors the column Visioni Artificiali for d La Repubblica. Currently, as Executive Advisor and Partner at Circular Fashion System by lablaco, she advances sustainable innovation in fashion.
At NABA, Nuova Accademia di Belle Arti, she teaches Semiotics of Art and Phenomenology of Media: History and Theory of New Media in the Fashion Marketing Management program. Within the Fashion Digital Marketing curriculum, she leads Phenomenology of Contemporary Arts and Phenomenology of Style, examining the intersections of art, culture, and emerging technologies. Her influence extends to Fashion & Textile Design, where she guides students in Project Methodology of Visual Communication. Additionally, she teaches Phenomenology of Styles in the Master Footwear Design program.
Ivana Conte
CREATIVE & ACADEMIC DIRECTOR OF ILA, ROME AND LONDON
Ivana’s 25 years of international experience paved the way for setting up iLA - International Luxury Academy with a vision to change the future of fashion education and to foster talent growth through a human-centred, holistic approach to learning.
Her career spans roles ranging from Creative Director and Brand Manager to Founder of her own successful women's wear brand. With an education in fashion at schools in Milan and London, she cut her own clothes as a creative entrepreneur. Alongside her industry roles, Ivana has carved a career in fashion education. She's lectured, mentored students, designed academic programs, and managed fashion schools in London and Italy, including Regent’s University, Accademia del Costume & Moda in Rome, and Istituto Marangoni in Florence, in the role of Director of Education.
Christina Dörfler
ARTIST AND PROFESSOR AT KMD-HERBSTSTRASSE, VIENNA
Christina studied Art Education and Textiles, with a focus on fashion design and textiles, at the University of Applied Arts Vienna and currently teaches Art and Fashion Design at KMD-Herbststrasse, Vienna. Through her ongoing interdisciplinary art project “Excuse my Dust Series”, she experiments with various unorthodox dyeing techniques that involve corrosive materials, natural pigments, and sustainable surface treatments. Her work is a quest for alternative forms of collective gathering, producing and sustainable creating.
https://www.christina-doerfler.art/
Photo by Koen Smet
Paolo Franzo
RESEARCHER IN FASHION DESIGN AT THE DEPARTMENT OF ARCHITECTURE OF THE UNIVERSITY OF FLORENCE
Paolo Franzo, PhD, is an Assistant Professor in Fashion Design at the Department of Architecture of the University of Florence. His research focuses on ecological and digital transitions in fashion, with particular attention to innovative materials and the use of artificial intelligence in creative processes. He has been a visiting scholar at the University of Lisbon, the École Supérieure des Beaux-Arts de Bordeaux, and the Academy of Arts, Architecture and Design in Prague; he has also served as an adjunct professor at the University of Bologna and the University of Arts Linz.
He regularly collaborates with international research groups and currently coordinates the scientific activities of the European project IDEAL, which focuses on digital transition in the cultural and creative industries. He is among the promoters of the international conference Prosperity Fashion and serves on the editorial board of the journal Fashion Highlight.
Adi Gil
THREEASFOUR’S FOUNDER / CREATIVE DIRECTOR / FASHION DESIGNER, AND PROFESSOR AT PARSONS SCHOOL OF DESIGN, NEW YORK
For Gabriel Asfour, Angela Donhauser, and Adi Gil – founders of threeASFOUR – fashion has never been simply a way of dressing, but a way of seeing the world. Hailing from Lebanon, U.S.S.R, and Israel, this ‘United Nations of fashion’ combines cutting-edge technologies with couture craftsmanship to promote international, intercultural, and interspecies unity. From the primordial topologies of glaciers to the nano-vibrations of the quantum realm, threeASFOUR’s signature codes – curvilinear shapes, fractal structures, formal biomimicry – draw inspiration from the natural geometries that connect the architecture of the individual human body to its universal, cosmic contexts. By using innovative production methods – 3D printing, digital fashion, and virtual environments – threeASFOUR inhabits the confluence of timeless, transcendent themes and future-facing innovation. The spirit of community motivates threeASFOUR’s dedication to ongoing collaboration. Partnerships with artists and performers nurture mutually inspiring projects, including collaborations with Björk, Yoko Ono, Lady Gaga, Rihanna, Mariah Carey, Matthew Barney, Billy Porter, Joey King, Japanese Breakfast, and Solange. Gathering textiles from vintage denim and retro scarves, shuttlecocks, repurposed canvas paintings, and dead-stock kimono fabrics from Osaka warehouses, threeASFOUR is committed to sustainability and to a vision of, and for, the world.
Jens Laugesen
CREATIVE DIRECTOR / FASHION DESIGNER / METAVERSE WEB3 CONSULTANT AND PROFESSOR AT THE UAL - LONDON COLLEGE OF FASHION
Born and raised in Denmark, Jens moved to Paris in 1987, where he worked as a stylist with the visionary photographer Gunnar Larsen and studied haute couture design at the Chambre Syndicale de la Couture Parisienne. His international experience includes collaborations with fashion and design brands, blending Nordic vision with French theory and fashion expertise. Laugesen’s eponymous brand has received recognition at Dover Street Market and the V&A, and has been exhibited in international museums such as the FIT Museum in New York, the UCAD Musée de la Mode in Paris and the Designmuseum Denmark. Adapting to the digital shift, he works with Virtual Touch as creative director and has joined the advisory board of the Metaverse Fashion Council, delivering high-profile presentations on digital fashion and generative AI. He is currently the creative director and founder of the holistic consultancy firm KONSENSx Brand Advisory.
Diego Manfreda
FASHION AND PERFUME DESIGNER, COURSE LEADER OF THE BA IN FASHION DESIGN AT THE ROME CAMPUS OF NABA, NUOVA ACCADEMIA DI BELLE ARTI
In 2007, he founded 5PREVIEW, an independent Italian-Swedish streetwear couture brand. In 2010, he began a collaboration with the Motelsalieri project and designer Fabio Quaranta for 10 seasons. Fascinated by the avant-garde and influenced by multiple artistic fields, he creates transversal content across design, art and music. Throughout his career, he has had the opportunity to work with many companies, both as a creative and designer, such as Nike, Weekday, Cheap Monday, Komakino, ID, MACRO Museo d’Arte Contemporanea Roma, MAXXI Museo Nazionale delle Arti del XXI Secolo, Contemporary Cluster, Marie Claire, Nero Magazine, and Sounds Familiar.
Galina Mihaleva
ARTIST, FASHION AND WEARABLE TECHNOLOGY DESIGNER AND ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR AT HERBERGER INSTITUTE FOR DESIGN AND THE ARTS, ARIZONA STATE UNIVERSITY
Galina is the founder of Future Fashion LOOM.01. Mihaleva’s artistic practice and academic research focus primarily on the dialogue between the body and clothing. Her research into the development of smart garments and fabrics is therefore multidisciplinary and collaborative, integrating technology, media art, textile design, live performance, the humanities – including historians and linguists – materials science and bio-design. Before joining ASU – Arizona State University, Galina taught at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore, at the School of Art, Design and Media. Her artistic works have been exhibited at the Art, Science Museum, the National Museum, and the MAD Museum in Singapore; the Nelson Museum in New Zealand; and the Textile Museum in Belgium.
Yuima Nakazato
FASHION DESIGNER
Born in 1985, Yuima Nakazato graduated from the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Antwerp in 2008. In 2015, Yuima founded YUIMA NAKAZATO Co., Ltd. And in 2016, he was officially selected as a guest designer for Paris Fashion Week. Since then, he has continued to present his collections at Paris Fashion Week, offering a vision that blends advanced technology with craftsmanship. YUIMA NAKAZATO aims to bring bespoke clothing to a wider audience.
Szymon Owsiański
ART HISTORIAN, ASSISTANT PROFESSOR AT THE FACULTY OF DESIGN ARTS, BYDGOSZCZ UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY
Dr Szymon Owsiański, art historian (PhD), museologist, researcher of the relationship between fashion and art at Bydgoszcz University of Technology (Poland), and participant in international research projects, among others, at the Sorbonne and the University of Bologna as the associate on the “Transfashional” project. He is co-editor of the book “Critical Fashion”, published by Bydgoszcz University of Technology in 2026.
Karisia Paponi
FASHION DESIGNER
Karisia is a fashion designer who graduated from the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Antwerp, Belgium. In 2017, she launched Kharis Aglai, a brand reflecting her interest in sustainable design, with the aim of creating a “limited edition collection” using precious end-of-line fabrics, embroidery, and patchwork techniques. At the same time, she has been involved in teaching. From 2013 to 2017, she taught at Polimoda in Florence. Since 2015, she has taught Accessory Design at the Academy of Fine Arts in Macerata and currently teaches Fashion Design at the Academy of Fine Arts in Catanzaro.
Els Petit-Carapiet
CO-FOUNDER & BUSINESS / ARTISTIC DIRECTOR, FASHIONCLASH
FASHIONCLASH supports emerging talent and fosters dialogue between fashion, science, art, and social innovation. The annual Festival in Maastricht, now in its 18th edition (November 2026), stands as one of the organisation's most celebrated achievements. Previously, Els founded the label Elsewerk (2006–2013), through which she worked as a designer, curator, and creative production lead on numerous fashion projects, exhibitions, and international showcases, including Amsterdam Fashion Week and the Museum für Angewandte Kunst (Frankfurt/Germany). Elsewerk’s womenswear collections were sold through designer boutiques worldwide.
Els Petit-Carapiet is a cultural business leader, curator, and social entrepreneur working at the intersection of fashion, culture, and society, who serves on the boards of several social foundations focused on embodied learning and bringing young people from diverse backgrounds together.
Ute Ploier
DESIGNER AND PROFESSOR AT FASHION & TECHNOLOGY, UNIVERSITY OF ARTS LINZ
Ute studied fashion design at Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design in London and at the University of Applied Arts in Vienna under the guidance of Raf Simons, Viktor & Rolf, and Jean-Charles de Castelbajac. Since 2003, her eponymous brand has focused on menswear and has won numerous awards, including the Prix Hommes at the renowned Hyères Festival of Fashion and Photography in France.
She has adopted a more transdisciplinary approach to design, integrating the interfaces between fashion, media, space, and technology.
Since 2015, she has served as artistic director of “Fashion & Technology,” a bachelor’s and master’s degree program at the University of Art and Design in Linz, which aims to find new solutions in fashion through a sustainable combination of tradition and technology.
Photo by Philipp Horak
Branko Popović
CO-FOUNDER & ARTISTIC DIRECTOR AT FASHIONCLASH, LECTURER AT INSTITUTE OF PERFORMING ARTS, MAASTRICHT
Born in former Yugoslavia in 1983, he immigrated to the Netherlands and settled in Maastricht. From 2005 to 2017, he ran his studio BRANKOPOPOVIC, focusing on menswear, costume design, and performing arts projects. He runs BRANKOPOPOVICBLOG, which covers arts, culture, and lifestyle, and contributes to magazines.
As co-director and co-founder of FASHIONCLASH Foundation—an award-winning multimedia showcase and platform for fashion culture—he has co-created over 300 projects. FASHIONCLASH is widely recognised for supporting emerging talent and fostering dialogue between fashion, science, art, and social innovation.
Branko Popović is a multidisciplinary artistic director, curator, and creative entrepreneur working at the intersection of fashion, performing arts, and society and sits on the advisory committee for the Council for Culture, advising the Dutch Ministry of Education, Culture and Science.
Miro Roman
ARCHITECT, CODER, AND SCHOLAR
Dr Roman is an Assistant Professor at studio2, UIBK Innsbruck, where he founded the research platform House of Coded Objects and the design studio Studio0more. He is also a senior lecturer at Meteora and the Chair for Digital Architectonics at ETH Zurich. With Silvio Vujičić, he created the AI fashion designer SOLL and the brand E.A. 1/1 A.I. He is a co-author of A Play Among Books and the developer of the Xenotheka library and Ask.Alice_ch3n81 search engine. As an architect, coder, and scholar, he explores the intersection of artificial intelligence, big data, and information technologies with architecture, art, and fashion. Roman treats computation as a form of literacy, designing and writing with clouds, images, indexes, and algorithms.
Giulia Tomasello
INTERACTION DESIGNER AND LECTURER AT NABA, ROME
Giulia Tomasello is an interaction designer and educator committed to female intimate care and its innovation. Co-founder of ALMA Futura, a research studio where design, science and anthropology combine to co-create tools for a cultural and radical change in women’s bodies. In 2018, she won the S+T+Arts Prize, a European award for projects that represent “Innovative Alliances between Technology and Artistic Practices”, with the Future Flora project. Her multidisciplinary work has also won other awards at the European and international levels, such as the World Omosiroi Japanese Award in 2020. Coded Bodies is her educational platform focusing on open-source practices in wearable technology, smart materials, and bio-textiles. Since 2017, she has taught in several Italian and European universities. She currently teaches Design Methods in IED Milano and Social Design in NABA Roma.
Elisa van Joolen
ARTIST AND HEAD OF THE BA FASHION DEPARTMENT AT THE GERRIT RIETVELD ACADEMIE, AMSTERDAM
Elisa holds an MFA from Parsons New York and has been an artist-in-residence at Iaspis Stockholm and the Jan van Eyck Academie. She is a member of Warehouse | A Place for Clothes in Context and co-art director of “Our Rags Magazine”, a publication in which the pages themselves are garments.
Her artistic work explores the relational aspects of clothing and subverts processes of value production. Her projects respond to specific social contexts and often emphasise collaboration and participation. She has exhibited internationally, including at the Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam, Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen, New York Fashion Week, the Brazilian Design Biennial, Het Nieuwe Instituut, OCAT Shenzhen and the West Bund Art Centre Shanghai.
https://www.elisavanjoolen.com/
Photo by Nikola Lamburov
Silvio Vujičić
VISUAL ARTIST AND FASHION DESIGNER, ART DIRECTOR OF THE E.A.1/1 S.V. FASHION BRAND
E.A. 1/1 S.V. is an avant-garde fashion brand founded in 2002, known for linking fashion to relevant themes in contemporary culture, such as masculinity, religion, politics, and art. It utilises unconventional and chemically treated fabrics, creating new luxury textiles that were not originally intended for high fashion. By exploring one possible future for fashion design and going beyond individual creativity and intelligence, the brand launched Soll in 2020—a designer powered by artificial intelligence. The brand is known for its unconventional approach to presenting seasonal collections outside of fashion weeks or similar events, in private apartments, under bridges, and in backyards adapted for the purpose.
