Overview

The Master of Arts in Textile Design at the NABA Milan campus explores textiles and knitwear as creative disciplines with applications across fashion and art. Taught in Italian or English, this two-year programme combines practical experimentation with cultural studies, developing the expertise needed to manage textile and knitwear design projects.

Collaborations with Italian companies contribute to workshops focused on innovation and sustainability, connecting students’ work with professional practice. All lecturers are industry professionals who support students as they develop their own visual language and express it through a personal portfolio.

The programme offers opportunities to investigate how textiles are designed and made, bringing traditional techniques into dialogue with digital technologies. Key areas of study include:

• Fabric and surface experimentation
• Prints and decoration
• Hand knitting and knitting machines
• Looms and weaving
• Digital technologies

• Research into local contexts and archives
• World building as an approach to developing creative scenarios

Students learn to treat textiles and knitwear as distinct forms of visual expression, translating ideas into projects through an approach that considers innovation alongside environmental responsibility. Design methods also extend to representing and communicating their work, helping students explain both their creative intentions and the processes behind them.

The programme prepares students for professional paths including:

• Textile designer
• Knitwear designer
• Innovative textile designer
• Sustainable textile designer
• Fibre and textile researcher
• Brand director
• Creative director
• Merchandiser
• Fabric visual merchandiser
• Trend researcher and forecaster
• Fibre and textile artist

The course awards a Second Level Academic Degree in Fashion and Textile Design and carries 120 CFA credits.

Accreditation

NABA’s Master of Arts programmes award Second Level Academic Degrees recognised by the Italian Ministry of University and Research (MUR). These qualifications have full legal status and are equivalent to the corresponding university degrees. The academic credits awarded can support progression to further study at academies and universities in Italy and abroad.