Our Digital and Physical Fashion Archive
A unique heritage that unites history, art and innovation is the beating heart of the Fashion Research Italy Foundation. This space, both physical and digital, houses an extraordinary collection of textile designs, books, sample books, finished garments, and advertising materials, offering inspiration for the design of new fashion and design collections. It is complemented by the Emmanuel Schvili collection, donated by the eponymous shirt and leisurewear brand and the Fashion Photography Archive project, the custodian of the visual memory of Fashion Valley.
Welcome to our Fashion Archive
The Fondazione Fashion Research Italy’s distinctive legacy, which combines history, art, and innovation, is made up of 30,000 digitally preserved textile designs from the Renzo Brandone Collection. This space, both physical and digital, hosts over 5,000 books, sample books, finished garments, and advertising materials, a priceless treasure trove of inspiration for designing new fashion and design collections.
Additionally: the Emmanuel Schvili Collection, donated by the eponymous shirt and leisurewear brand, and the Fashion Photography Archive project, custodian of the visual memory of Fashion Valley.
Oriental Express: Simone Guidarelli reinterprets FFRI archive designs
Archive Designs for New Collections
The designs from the FFRI Archive are available for licensing projects and can be licensed, subject to a commercial agreement, for the creation of capsule collections in the fields of fashion, design, and visual communication. Each collaboration is tailored to the project’s needs and intended use, ensuring the exclusivity and cultural value of the selected graphics.
Renzo Brandone Fund
The 30,000 textile designs created by leading international textile designers between the 19th and 21st centuries on paper and fabric are made available as a source of research and important inspiration, making this collection unique in Italy.
A repertoire of striking patterns and graphic variations, representative of diverse styles and eras, which recount the entire production chain of leading companies and are an integral part of our Fashion Archives courses.
Emmanuel Schvili Fund
Results from the donation of embroidery sketches, collection mood boards, finished garments and communication materials from the Bologna-based company known for its refined workmanship and shirt making. A vivid example of brand heritage valorisation, through which it is possible to reconstruct the history of the cartoon-themed embroidery that made it famous in the 1990s.
Library
More than 5,000 volumes make up our library’s thematic collection, which spans from fashion to design and includes folk, architecture, advertising, illustration, and, of course, a major section is dedicated to this last theme, to support creatives and scholars in their research.
Fashion Photography Archive
Fashion Photography Archive is a non-profit cataloguing project, launched in collaboration with the University of Bologna, which aims to reconstruct the history, through images, of the most important brands in Emilia-Romagna.
The aim is to create a comprehensive digital archive for the research and creative development of small and medium-sized businesses, accessible from the F.FRI headquarters.
Do you want to consult our Archive or learn more? Contact us!
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The Foundation
Fondazione Fashion Research Italy was established in 2015 in order to celebrate and promote the manufacturing expertise that distinguishes our Emilia-Romagna area and to become a point of reference for the entire fashion industry.
F.FRI’s core business is the Textile Design Archive, which houses 30,000 paper and textile designs, a source of inspiration for all small and medium-sized businesses and designers in the sector.