The Last Straw? Preserving Traditional Fashion in Tuscany
Last spring, students from the University of California Education Abroad Program visited the Museum of Straw in Signa, a small town just outside Florence. This small museum does not attract the millions of tourists that crowd the Uffizi and the Duomo of Florence, but is nonetheless of great interest for students exploring traditional Italian manufacturing. Additionally, the group was welcomed by the mayor of Signa himself, who introduced them to the museum and its mission.
The visit was part of the Sustainable Fashion in Italy course taught by local professor Clizia Moradei. In this course, students explored the interplay between Italy’s artisanal heritage and today’s experimental and high-tech practices driven by research & development centers and emerging brands. The visit to Signa helped students dive deeper into the former trend, Italy’s long tradition of craftsmanship and artisanal production.
The museum is dedicated to preserving the memory of the local traditional working of straw. While in other parts of Italy straw was just another byproduct of wheat harvesting, since the 18th century this area of Tuscany saw the cultivation of grains with the specific goal of obtaining high-quality straw. After harvesting and careful processing, the straw fibers were ready for their principal purpose: the production of hand-made straw hats. This accessory has been popular in Tuscany for hundreds of years, and different models were worn by farmers and urban elites alike.
During their visit, students explored this little-known industry, which is still carried out on a small scale today in Signa. Through their visit to the museum, students examined the local production of hats as a clear example of biodesign and sustainable fashion, even though here the industry vastly predates any of these words and ideas. Signa thus stands as a demonstration that a different and more sustainable path to fashion is possible in contrast to automated production on a large scale.
Though exceptional, the visit to Signa was by no means unique, as throughout the course students had several other opportunities to experience Tuscan and Italian fashion firsthand. Moradei took full advantage of the dense network of companies around Florence that work in the textile, fashion, and design industries to provide the class with direct insight into this world. Thanks to these opportunities, by the end of the program participants had gained a new perspective on the fashion industry and its contradictions between traditional craftsmanship and global brands.
Courses taught at Accent all have a strong experiential component. Instructors use the host city and region as course material; classroom lectures are enhanced by site visits to various locations, which may include monuments and museums, neighborhood landmarks, local and international companies, governmental agencies, NGOS, and more. To discuss potential courses or other ways to customize your education abroad program, please reach out to the Accent Development team at development@accentglobal.com