Accademia Costume & Moda (ACM) was born in October 1964 with the involvement of Ente Moda (the Italian Fashion Organization), by decree of Ministero del Lavoro e della Previdenza Sociale (Ministry of Labour and Social Security, Ministerial Decree No. 26645 / CF / 1964) and with the patronage of the Municipality of Rome and Camera Nazionale della Moda Italiana (National Chamber of Italian Fashion). Today, ACM also has the patronage of AltaRoma (Rome-based fashion association) and Confindustria Moda (Italian Confederation of Fashion Sector Industrialists) which brings together UNIC (Italian Tanneries), SMI-Sistema Moda Italia (Federation of Textiles and Fashion), Federorafi (Goldsmiths Federation), Assopellettieri (Leather goods Association), Italian Fur Association, ANFAO (Italian Association of Optical Goods Manufacturers), Assocalzaturifici (Footwear Manufacturers Association). In 1969, ACM was subsequently transformed into an independent non-profit association, moral entity, and was formally recognized in 1970 by Italian Presidential Decree (n.620/1970).

ACM boasts an important history within the educational sectors of fashion and entertainment, both nationally and internationally. The founder, Rosana Pistolese (https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rosana_Pistolese), was a fashion and costume designer, journalist and academic, whose vision was to form and support the cultural heritage of both Fashion and Costume industries with a unique and innovative approach: creating a constant interaction between these two areas. This DNA has been preserved and regenerated until today with care by the generations who have managed ACM with passion and constant attention to the changes in the sector.

ACM is certified ISO 9001:2015 by SGS for the organization and management of higher education courses and is among the 3 “Best Fashion Schools in the World and n.1 in Italy for the “BA + MA Fashion Design” category according to the “Best Fashion Schools in the World 2019” report published by The Business of Fashion (BoF) and was also included in Fashionista’s “The Top 25 Fashion Schools in the World 2019” ranking.

In almost 60 years of activity, some of the most important professionals of the Fashion or Entertainment System are alumni of ACM, including Creative Directors and Costume Designers, Oscar Awards and/or David di Donatello winners. Today, the job placement activity continues with placement rates reaching 87% of the total student population. More than 150 companies collaborate with ACM, not only Maisons but also companies part of the fashion supply chains and fashion production districts by collaborating in industry projects, enhancing the training experience of students.

Among the services, in addition to tailoring laboratories and shooting labs, Accademia has an important historic Library “Fiamma Lanzara”, which has always been open to the public. On 29/05/2020, the Soprintendenza Bibliografica del Lazio (the Lazio Region’s Bibliographic Superintendence) recognized by Decree the high cultural value of the library’s monographic and periodical content and formalized the name of the library “Fiamma Lanzara”, late President of ACM between 1990-2020. The “Fiamma Lanzara”, is also part of the SBN IEI Polo of the Cultural Institutes of Rome, has about 5,000 monographic volumes and more than 12,000 issues of magazines from 1846 to today. The experience is also completed by the “Fabrics Archive”, created with the intention of allowing students to learn about the importance of fabrics and “matter”, structured to allow research and sampling.

Today the academic offer, in the Rome and Milan campuses, aims at training professionals in the fields of Fashion Design, Costume design, Styling and Communication, and Management and Sustainability for the fashion sector. ACM courses combine cultural subjects, the foundation of the learning process, with design, project and product development, and with innovative subjects and a focus on sustainability. ACM’s BA and Academic Masterdegrees are accredited by the Italian Ministry of University and Research (MUR).