IED Milan names Marco De Vincenzo its new academic mentor

Marco De Vincenzo is the new academic mentor at IED’s Milan School of Fashion, where he is set to guide approximately five hundred students from the three-year courses in fashion design and shoes and accessories design.

The founder of his eponymous brand and now the creative director of Etro graduated from the IED Rome campus in 2000, and is currently the head designer for Fendi's leather goods.

"Marco De Vincenzo sees this mentorship as a natural generational transition," reads a statement sent out by the school. De Vicenzo added on his part: “Today, I think I have the experience I didn't have back then, and I can pass it on to others, just as others have done for me; it's like a handing down of the torch," the designer said.

De Vincenzo will meet with future Ied designers in dedicated sessions based on students’ course programme and study year, in which he will engage them in discussions on inspirational macro-themes that will stimulate the development of their collection concepts.

"It could only be him: Marco de Vincenzo brings with him a cultured vision of fashion, composed of a whole series of elements that he actually transfers into what he designs," Olivia Spinelli, head of IED Milano Fashion School, said.

Born in 1978, De Vincenzo started his career very early, joining Fendi's style office at the age of 21, where he still holds the role of head designer of leather goods. In 2009, he launched his ready-to-wear brand, and presented the brand’s first collection during Paris Fashion Week.

In the same year, he won the "Who is on Next" competition, conceived by Franca Sozzani, director of Vogue Italia, and in September, he began showcasing his collections as part of the official Milan Fashion Week calendar.

In 2014, he signed a joint venture agreement with the LVMH Group for the development of the Marco De Vincenzo brand, which concluded in 2020. In February 2022, he presented his first upcycling project, Supèrno, and in June, he was appointed as the creative director of Etro for its women's, men's, home, kids, and eyewear lines.

This article was originally published on FashionUnited.IT. Translation and edit from Italian into English: Veerle Versteeg.