Vincenzo Giubba founded Accademia Italiana in Florence nearly three decades ago and continues to serve as president of its branches around the world.
"Your clothing always gives people their first impression of you," says Giubba, who had his own brand in the early 1990s called Enzogiubba.
He was in Bangkok for last week's graduate show and mused on the importance of fashion in everyday life.
Why did you originally get involved with the fashion industry?
I studied architecture in school and have always been interested in all kind of design. I designed for magazine company, and that was when I became interested in fashion. Clothes are always people's first impression. It's like our second skin.
Why did you choose Thailand for a branch of the academy?
I knew that Thais were becoming more interested in fashion. They have strong creativity and motivation.
Thais have ideas about fashion, but put too many ideas into one piece, so they needed to know the technical basics, to understand the materials and technology that creates fashion. They needed a school to teach them the methods.
What do you think sets Accademia Italiana apart from other fashion schools?
Our institute was established in the '80s, during an explosion in design culture. Half of our students are from countries other than Italy, which creates a mix of cultures, resulting in numerous new projects.
We offer an exchange programme so that the students can study in other countries and spend as much time as they want there.
And, finally, our professors are well trained and mostly from European countries.
The theme of today's show is "Fashion and Music". How are they related?
There are countless designers. How does a young hopeful get recognised?
Nothing is easy, but nothing is impossible. To start, you have to have good-quality designs, personality and luck.
Additionally, you have to be able to separate the fantasy from the reality. If you're too artistic, nobody can understand you. Young designers should concentrate on the needs of the market, as well as creativity and capacity.
What's next for Accademia Italiana in Thailand?
We plan to open another branch and extend the courses in a couple of years, and we're starting to talk about scholarships as well.
See more of the interview video at www.NationMultimedia.com.