University of Northampton students take over Milan!

Fashion, Footwear and Accessories students from the University of Northampton had the opportunity to visit Milan and attend one of the biggest and most important leather fairs in Italy.

The 19 students spent a week in the fashion capital in February and were able to visit the Lineapelle trade fair, which hosts over 1,000 companies from over 40 countries showcasing accessories, components, synthetics, footwear, leather and fabrics. They also spent some time soaking up the Italian culture exploring Milan and Florence and visiting the Ferrigamo Museum and the Gucci Museum.

Rebecca Rodgers commented: “The trip to Milan was absolutely amazing and I really enjoyed it.”

Elizabeth MacLean said: “I had a fabulous time in Milan and found the trip very inspirational. I really enjoyed visiting the museums and the Gucci Museum was a definite favourite.”

Lewis Higginson commented: “I found Lineapelle to be a bit overwhelming due to the size of it, but it was a very enjoyable experience. I was able to find out all the information I needed which was a brilliant result!”

Chris Hill, Senior Lecturer in Footwear and Accessories, commented: “Italy has long been considered the home of fine leather goods and beautiful shoes and Linneapelle is the premier trade fair for designers and manufacturers. The scale of the fair reflects the importance of the industry worldwide and for students it’s a great opportunity  to network, discover leather and component suppliers as well as visiting the Trend Selections, presenting colour and material for Spring/Summer 2017. I think that the sheer size and multinational nature of the show was real eye opener for many of the students, who came away in no doubt about the fashion industry being a very serious business indeed!”