The aim of the program is to turn theory into professional practice. The Master Program covers the entire process, from design and product development to superior craftsmanship, marketing and communication. The Master teaches theory that applies directly to the dynamics of the luxury industry and offers the competitive benefits of applied creativity in the working world.
Access to real projects commissioned directly by the Maisons. An invaluable experience to apply concrete skills in the working world, while respecting the brand’s tradition and values.
Opportunities to work on projects outside Richemont, ranging from product design to graphics and web design, with tangible experience and international exposure at events and exhibitions like the Salone del Mobile, among others.
We are proud to announce that Natural Talent, Creative Academy’s poetic installation of wooden objects created for the 2017 Salone del Mobile, will be showcased at Homo Faber: Crafting a more human future, the first major cultural exhibition dedicated to the very best in European craftsmanship.
The wonderful wooden objects in this collection were designed by the class of 2017 at Creative Academy, a Milan-based international design school offering a unique Master’s level course for just 20 students a year. These young design talents worked under the guidance of professional Milan designers Eligo Studio and collaborated with marquetry specialist Giordano Viganò and master woodturner Carlo Meloni to develop their pieces. A meeting between design and craftsmanship, an incubator of talent, a coming together of hands and brains… this special process helped students discover the possibilities and limitations of wood in order to bring their designs alive in the very best way.
Ark&Craft | Contemporary design on ceramic is an installation created by Creative Academy for the 2018 Salone del Mobile edition, together with the Cologni Foundation and thanks to the support of Van Cleef&Arpels. A contemporary Noah’s Ark that treasures a host of animals, real and imaginary has been created by the young international designers of Creative Academy together with Laboratorio Paravicini. To celebrate 15 years of creativity in design, Creative Academy has chosen for its installation, conceived by Domenico Rocca and Alberto Nespoli of Eligo, a place that is a symbol for the city of Milan and for Design: the garden of the Triennale di Milano, facing Giorgio De Chirico’s Bagni Misteriosi, creating fascinating echos from past to future.
For the Salone del Mobile, the students of Creative Academy challenged themselves with a project inspired by wood, the natural material par excellence, combining creativity and craftsmanship. Under the guidance of Alberto Nespoli and Domenico Rocca of EligoStudio, the young designers have created an original collection of wooden artifacts, crafted by two of the most well-known craftsmen specialized in marquetry and wood turning – Giordano Viganò and Torneria Meloni – and showcased in the exceptional location of the Poldi Pezzoli Museum. The exhibition, located in the Salone dell’Affresco, guides the visitors to discover this original collection through a suggestive and poetic installation, a tribute to the forest, symbol of Mother Nature. The project is promoted by Creative Academy in collaboration with the Cologni Foundation for the Métiers d’Art and the Poldi Pezzoli Museum, with the support of the prestigious Maison Van Cleef & Arpels.
On the occasion of the Salone Internazionale del Mobile 2016, the students of Creative Academy, under the guidance of Alberto Nespoli and Domenico Rocca of Eligo have realized a capsule collection inspired by wellness named VESTAE, where creative ability meets artisanal savoir-faire. Showcased in an exceptional location, VESTAE has been staged in the Albergo Diurno Venezia in Milan, a public restroom of the early twentieth century attributed to the architect Piero Portaluppi and conceived as a symbol of the Milanese well-being, granted to FAI by the Municipality of Milan. Vestae is a project by Creative Academy along with the Cologni Foundation for the Métiers d’Art, with the support of the Maison Van Cleef & Arpels.
During EXPO 2015, the Poldi Pezzoli Museum in Milan exhibited artistic creations that decorated an imaginary table set up in the spirit of conviviality and dedicated to the Mediterranean Diet. The project was presented by the Creative Academy and the Cologni Foundation for the Métiers d’Art, with the support of Van Cleef & Arpels. Designed by the international students of the Creative Academy, these objects were produced by talented artisans, uniting design, tradition and new technology.
During the Salone Internazionale del Mobile 2014, Van Cleef & Arpels, in collaboration with the Cologni Foundation for the Métiers d’Art and the Carlo Colla & Figli Marionette Company, presented interpretations of a magical fairy universe designed and created by Creative Academy students. Inspired by folklore from the students’ respective countries, 10 of the projects were produced by Carlo Colla & Figli Marionette Company.
For the Salone Internazionale del Mobile 2013, Van Cleef & Arpels, in collaboration with the Cologni Foundation for the Métiers d’Art, presented designs by Creative Academy students that reinterpreted the natural, imaginary, feminine and uplifting world of the Maison. Entitled Les Fleurs Enchantées – Blooming Creativity, the project involved creating a vase of flowers using paper, aluminum, and laser cutting materials. The objects were exhibited in the Van Cleef & Arpels boutique in Milan.
Montblanc, in collaboration with the Cologni Foundation for the Métiers d’Art, invited Creative Academy students to develop a design out of paper that captured the values of the German Maison. Under the supervision of designer Edoardo Perri, the students created and realized their projects in collaboration with Italian masters in the art of paper. The project ended with an exhibition at Milan’s Montblanc boutique during Salone del Mobile 2012.
Van Cleef & Arpels invited Creative Academy students to develop projects inspired by Jules Verne’s Voyages Extraordinaires, the theme of one of the Maison’s High Jewellery collections. Supervised by designer Ugo La Pietra and supported by the Cologni Foundation for the Métiers d’Art, the students conceived prototypes using four materials: ceramic, wood, metal and methacrylate. Their creations were displayed in the Van Cleef & Arpels Boutique in Milan during the Salone del Mobile 2011.
