90857 - Archives Enhancement for Fashion

Learning outcomes

By the end of the course students will have acquired knowledge and skills concerning the organisation of exhibitions and events whose main objective is to enhance the value of the fashion heritage. They will thus be able to understand and organise the different phases in the development of a planned show whose objective is the cultural promotion of objects and documents held in public and private archives.

Course contents

The primary purpose of the course is to delve into the strategies and tools for the enhancement of Fashion Heritage, paying particular attention to the various planning and organisational phases of an exhibition event to be understood as an effective tool for the communication, promotion and enhancement of the historical and cultural heritage preserved in the various archives of the fashion sector.

LECTURES

Classes with a theoretical approach will explore the following macro-themes:

• Corporate archives and museums: historical memory as a strategic resource in brand identity building processes;
• Fashion Heritage Marketing: innovative communication and promotion tools for fashion archives;
• Project management and elements of curatorship: designing, organising and planning fashion exhibitions and events.

Moreover, students will have the unique opportunity to learn from industry experts. They will share their insights and experiences, providing a practical perspective on the course content.

 

WORKSHOP ACTIVITIES

Students will be guided through practical activities that bridge the gap between theory and practice. They will be provided with a brief to develop a fashion exhibition concept, starting with the research and selection of archive pieces. These activities will be conducted under the guidance of the lecturer, running in parallel with traditional teaching. This structure ensures that students receive the necessary support to apply and reinforce the skills unique to curatorial activity in the field of Fashion Heritage.

Readings/Bibliography

ATTENDING STUDENTS

Those attending are expected to study:

• a selection of the slides (in a condensed version) presented in class and other materials (videos, articles, interviews, documentaries, etc.) that the lecturer will upload at the end of the course on the Virtual platform (in the 'Required Materials List' section);

• Roberto Baglioni and Fabio Del Giudice (2012), L'impresa dell'archivio. Organizzazione, gestione e conservazione dell'archivio d'impresa, Edizioni Polistampa, Firenze. (Only the chapter edited by Alessandra Arezzi Boza pp. 145-157, available on the Virtual platform, in the section 'List of required materials')

• Angelo Rivezzo, Antonella Garofano and Maria Rosaria Napolitano (2016), Time is the Mirror of Eternity. Heritage marketing strategies and tools in Italian long-lived enterprises, in 'Cultural Capital. Studies on the Value of Cultural Heritage', vol. 13, pp. 497-523. (The article is available on the "Virtuale" online platform, in the "Required Materials List" section)

• Vittorio Linfante and Massimo Zanella (2023), The Design of Italian Textiles. From Art Deco to the Contemporary. Il tessuto stampato, Marsilio Arte, Venice. (only the text on archives by Chiara Pompa pp. 231-233)

In addition to studying the texts listed above, attending students will be asked to prepare a project work, i.e. the concept and virtual tour of an exhibition aimed at enhancing the heritage preserved in public and private fashion archives. During the first lessons, the necessary indications for developing the project work will be provided, and several project tasks will be assigned (brief mapping of fashion archives and museums; brief mapping of virtual tours of fashion exhibitions; analysis of 5 fashion exhibitions by filling in the fields of a form pre-set by the lecturer) preparatory to the elaboration of the project work mentioned above. Both the performance of the tasks and the elaboration of the project work will contribute to determining the final grade with the outcome of an oral test.

Pay attention: Further bibliographical information will be provided at the beginning of the course. Slides and other in-depth materials will be available in the 'Compulsory Materials List' section of the "Virtuale" online portal.

 

NON-ATTENDING STUDENTS

Those NOT attending are expected to study:

• a selection of the slides (in a condensed version) presented in class and other materials (videos, documentaries) that the lecturer will upload at the end of the course onto the Virtual platform (in the 'Compulsory materials list' section).
• Federica Fornaciari (2022), Archiving Fashion. Evoluzioni di inizio millennio, Mondadori, Milan.
• Roberto Baglioni and Fabio Del Giudice (2012), L'impresa dell'archivio. Organizzazione, gestione e conservazione dell'archivio d'impresa, Edizioni Polistampa, Firenze. (Only the chapter edited by Alessandra Arezzi Boza pp. 145-157, available on the Virtual platform, in the section ‘List of required materials’)
• Angelo Rivezzo, Antonella Garofano and Maria Rosaria Napolitano (2016), Time is the Mirror of Eternity. Heritage marketing strategies and tools in Italian long-lived enterprises, in 'Cultural Capital. Studies on the Value of Cultural Heritage', vol. 13, pp. 497-523. (The article is available on the Virtual platform, in the section "List of required materials")
• Marco Montemaggi, Heritage Marketing. La storia dell'impresa italiana come vantaggio competitivo, Franco Angeli, Milano 2017 (only chapter 2 of the first part and chapters 1, 2 and 3 of the second part);

Developing an individual project to be agreed upon with the lecturer during office hours is also optional. The project must be sent to chiara.pompa2@unibo.it no later than one week before the date of the exam call in which you intend to take the exam and must be presented orally. Preparing the project will replace the study of one of the examination texts.

Teaching methods

Lezioni frontali e attività laboratoriali

Assessment methods

For attending students, the grade will be determined by:

• assessing the constancy and quality of participation in the workshop activities, during which several project tasks will be assigned, to which a maximum of 5 points may be attributed. The tasks will be assigned during the classes are to be considered preparatory to the preparation of the project work and will mainly consist of 1) brief mapping of national and international business archives and museums; 2) brief mapping of virtual tours of business archives and museums; 3) analysis of 5 fashion exhibitions, by filling in the fields of a form pre-set by the lecturer.
• the evaluation of the project work (developed individually or in groups), to which a maximum of 15 points may be attributed. For further information on the development of the project work, please consult the materials uploaded in the 'project work' section on the 'Virtual' platform. Please note that detailed instructions for developing the project work will be provided during the lessons, and the lecturer will be available to students during the weekly reception appointments (optional) to assess the project's progress. The project work must be handed in as indicated on 'Virtual'. The evaluation of the project will be communicated directly during the examination, taking into consideration the originality of the project, the content of the short critical texts, the selection and cataloguing of the archive pieces enhanced through the exhibition, the graphic aspect of the work, the overall executive care as well as the clarity of expression and the property of language.
• the outcome of an oral interview on the texts and materials indicated in the bibliography, to which a maximum of 11 points may be attributed. The assessment criteria for the oral test are given below at the end of this section.

For non-attending students, the mark will be determined by:

• the outcome of an oral interview on the texts and materials indicated in the bibliography, the evaluation of which will be carried out according to the criteria set out below;
• The individual project assessment (optional and to be agreed upon with the teacher) may be awarded the following marks: 0 insufficient, 1 sufficient, 2 fair, 3 good, 4 excellent. Preparing the project will replace the study of one of the examination texts and will contribute to determining the final mark.

Assessment criteria for the oral examination (valid for both attending and non-attending students)

In the oral interview, evidence must be given of understanding and assimilating the notions in the examination texts and materials.

In addition to the degree of preparation, the understanding of critical notions or concepts and the ability to adequately interpret them and apply them critically in the analysis of the various case studies or topics discussed during the interview will be assessed. Particular attention will be paid to language property and clarity of presentation, which will contribute to determining the final grade. Formative deficits, inappropriate language, and inability to orientate oneself within the disciplinary framework and bibliographical materials will be assessed negatively.

Teaching tools

Slideshows containing text and images

Projection of short videos

Office hours

See the website of Chiara Pompa