To close out the Spring 2025 semester, FLY – Fashion Loves You hosted a fashion show in the stunning Sala Rosa Conference Room at Corso Tintori, 21, with Liberty Fabrics at the heart of its inspiration. The project began after a conversation with Odette Moncur, Liberty’s Creative Planning Manager, which led to the donation of a selection of Liberty’s fabrics to Florence University of the Arts (FUA). The various phases of the project were then supported throughout by Sara Sciosci, Liberty’s Trade Marketing Manager. The initiative showcases Liberty’s ongoing commitment to collaborating with universities and sharing its design expertise with emerging creatives.

Liberty Fabrics, founded in 1875 by Arthur Lasenby Liberty on Regent Street in London, has built its reputation on original prints, fine textiles, and an unwavering commitment to craftsmanship. From its iconic Tana Lawn™ cotton and luxurious silk to lightweight linen and innovative digital prints made in its Lake Como mill, Liberty’s collections draw on a 50,000‑strong archive of hand‑drawn artworks spanning the Arts and Crafts movement to contemporary collaborations. Celebrating its 150th anniversary, Liberty partnered with select universities, FUA among them, on a global project that gave rise to this semester’s fashion show.

By enrolling in FUA’s Fashion Show Production, Coordination, and Promotion course and participating in this semester's fashion show, study abroad student Natalie Berger gained firsthand insight into her future career path. She appreciated the show’s hands-on format, noting, “Everybody had very similar ideas, everybody was easy to work with and that just made life easier.” Berger helped manage styling, outfit selections, model pairings, studio photography, transitions, and even hair and makeup. 

Beyond Berger and her classmates’ involvement, the production drew on several specialist courses, such as students from Advanced Fashion Photography managing lighting, angles, and editorial framing of the event. Many classmates, friends, and family showed up to support, even including Liberty Fabrics VIPs, which raised the stakes.

Reflecting on the semester, Berger praised her professor, Cristina Ferro, for the insightful connections between the course and the final project. One of the biggest obstacles was coordinating models, considering the multiple schedules of the individuals involved such as fellow classmates. Still, the team came together to make it happen. The experience gave students real insight into being creative directors and producers in a professional setting.

Ferro considered the show an invaluable learning opportunity, noting her students grew into independent, responsible, and creative professionals and forged lasting connections: “It’s always very sad when we leave,” she shared, “but we still keep in touch.” For her, the experience was about more than fashion—it embodied growth, collaboration, and the enduring power of education. She was proud of how they managed transitions between Liberty Fabrics’ styles. As the fabrics returned to the archive, students carried with them an appreciation for textiles as storytelling canvases, demonstrating how Liberty’s 150‑year heritage continues to inspire fresh creativity in contemporary fashion.