From 22 to 25 January 2025, the Italian Institute of Culture in Paris will host the second stop of the exhibition Tailoring School. A Journey into Education, a project born from the collaboration between Triennale Milano and Kiton, curated by Luca Stoppini, scientific consultant for the fashion department of Triennale. After debuting in Milan during Men's Fashion Week, the exhibition arrives in the French capital with the support of the Fédération de la Haute Couture et de la Mode, offering a comparison between tradition and innovation in the world of tailoring.
A Craft Learned by Hand
Triennale Milano and Kiton have a clear objective: to promote Italian tailoring not only as an art but as a living profession, built on technique, discipline, and passion. The Kiton High Tailoring School, active since 2000, is the heart of this journey. Here, students do not just study theory: each learns to cut, sew, and finish a garment with the precision of someone who knows that every hand stitch makes a difference.
Bringing this experience to Paris means comparing two worlds: Neapolitan tailoring and the great French tradition. The fashion schools involved add new insights and opportunities for exchange, giving young people the chance to work alongside master artisans.
A Living Workshop, Not Just an Exhibition
This is not just a display with showcases and exhibitors. Visitors will be able to see experienced tailors and apprentices at work: hands running over fine fabrics, scissors tracing perfect lines, stitches made with the precision of times past. The installation faithfully reproduces a classroom of the Kiton High Tailoring School, with workbenches, original tools, and archival materials telling the story of twenty-five years of training.
Videos and documentaries complete the journey, showing the Kiton method and the stories of those who have turned this experience into a career.
Neapolitan Tailoring: Learning by Observing
In Naples, becoming a tailor means observing those who are already masters for years. At the Kiton school in Arzano, twenty-five students start a three-year programme each year, where theory is learned by hand, not from books. Those who pass the selection know that they are working seriously: starting with the basics, like threading a needle, all the way to the finest details of a handmade jacket.
At the end of the course, the students not only know the craft but already have their future in their hands: they can join Kiton, collaborate with major fashion houses, or open their own atelier.
Voices from Tailoring
"Education is one of the themes closest to Triennale’s heart, which has been working for years to pass on knowledge, values, and new opportunities to future generations. We are aware that every project, if well executed, carries lessons and new visions: for this reason, Triennale focuses on the training of virtuous paths that can be taken as examples abroad. We are proud to continue the dialogue with an extraordinary activity like Kiton’s High Tailoring School, capable of giving voice to and uniting the dreams and aspirations of young people with the concreteness of a profession, doing so through the synergy with an important institution like the Fédération de la Haute Couture et de la Mode. Contributing to making Italian excellence known abroad is a great source of satisfaction for us." – Stefano Boeri, President of Triennale Milano. "With Kiton, we tell a knowledge that has been passed down for generations and is now opening up to new perspectives."
Carla Morogallo, General Director of Triennale, highlights the importance of this meeting between two fashion capitals: "One of the aspects Triennale has focused on for some time is building projects and suggesting ideas that are useful for the training path of younger generations, with particular attention to craftsmanship. In the fashion sector, the demand for artisan work is very high, and we believe this is a point of particular relevance with ample room for development. The exhibition’s itinerary to Paris, developed in collaboration with Kiton, is an example of what an institution can concretely do for the training sector: encouraging young people to acquire the skills required by the industry and suggesting further training opportunities to brands. Moreover, bringing an essential element like Italian craftsmanship to one of Europe’s fashion capitals is a point of pride for an institution that has been promoting the sharing of ideas and knowledge and collaborating with international institutions for years."
Antonio De Matteis, CEO of Kiton, summarises the purpose of this journey: "Since 2000, Kiton has promoted excellence in training through its High Tailoring School, a project initiated by founder Ciro Paone to transmit tailoring skills to young people and offer them concrete professional opportunities. Today, the school is a point of reference in the sector, offering graduates numerous possibilities: joining Kiton, collaborating with other fashion entities, or creating independent entrepreneurial paths. For Kiton, enhancing Italian tailoring tradition is a mission achieved through prestigious partnerships. The exhibition Tailoring School. A Journey into Education, born from the collaboration with Triennale Milano and inaugurated last January in Milan, is also being presented in Paris, thanks to the support of the Fédération de la Haute Couture et de la Mode and the collaboration of the Italian Institute of Culture in Paris. Kiton is proud to work alongside these important institutions to bring the exhibition to the French capital, an additional milestone that demonstrates how it is possible to combine dreams and aspirations with professional concreteness, preserving a unique cultural heritage, and contributing to the future of fashion, showcasing Italian tailoring excellence on an international stage."
An Experience to Live in Person
The students of the 9th three-year course (2022-2025) will be present to show their work live: a unique opportunity for those who want to truly understand what it means to be a tailor, from choosing the fabric to the last hand stitch.
A documentary will accompany the exhibition journey with interviews of the protagonists and exclusive footage from the school. Among the voices heard, Antonio De Matteis and Silverio Paone (Head of Kiton Production) will reveal the behind-the-scenes of a craft that, for those who choose it, becomes a true vocation.
Useful Information
Tailoring School. A Journey into Education
Curated by: Luca Stoppini
Supported by: Fédération de la Haute Couture et de la Mode
Italian Institute of Culture in Paris
22 – 25 January 2025
Opening Hours: 10.00 – 18.00
Free entry
Glossary
- Fédération de la Haute Couture et de la Mode – Organisation that represents and promotes French fashion internationally, supporting haute couture and ready-to-wear.
- Kiton – Italian luxury tailoring brand, founded by Ciro Paone in 1968, famous for its high-quality fabrics and craftsmanship.
- Triennale Milano – Italian cultural institution focused on architecture, design, and visual arts, promoting Italian and international creative heritage through exhibitions and events.
Installation view of the exhibition Tailoring School. A Journey into Education. Photo: Marco Fattorusso - Studioeffe. © Triennale Milano
