What inspired you to work for Istituto di Moda Burgo?
Growing up in a family deeply connected to fashion education, I was naturally exposed to the world of pattern making, tailoring, and design from an early age. My father founded Istituto di Moda Burgo in 1961 with the vision of creating a highly structured and professional fashion school in Milan. Over time, I realized that continuing this legacy was not simply a family responsibility, but a mission.
What truly inspired me was seeing how technical education can transform a student’s confidence and professional path. Fashion is often associated only with creativity, but behind every successful garment, there is structure, precision, and method. Preserving and developing the Burgo Method, while opening the school to an increasingly international audience, became my personal commitment.
Guiding the next generation of fashion professionals at our Milan headquarters.
Describe a typical day at work.
No two days are exactly the same. As Co-Director of Istituto di Moda Burgo, I divide my time between academic supervision, strategic development, and international partnerships.
I often begin the day reviewing current programs, speaking with instructors, and ensuring that our courses maintain the technical standards that define our Milan Fashion School. Later, I may meet with international students, discuss new Fashion Summer Courses in Italy, or work on expanding collaborations abroad.
A significant part of my work also involves listening to students, teachers, and partners, because maintaining excellence requires constant adaptation without compromising quality.
Why do you do what you do?
I believe strongly in technical education. In today’s fashion world, creativity alone is not enough. Students need solid foundations in pattern making, garment construction, and proportion.
What motivates me is seeing students arrive uncertain and leave with concrete skills and professional confidence. Fashion education, when structured correctly, provides both artistic freedom and technical discipline.
Continuing and evolving a method developed over decades is not about tradition alone — it is about responsibility toward future generations of designers and pattern makers.
What is your favorite part of your job?
My favorite part is witnessing transformation. When a student completes their first accurate pattern or constructs a garment that fits perfectly, you can see the shift in their attitude.
I also appreciate the international dimension of our school. Welcoming students from different countries who come to study fashion in Milan brings energy and cultural exchange into our classrooms. It reminds us that fashion is a global language, but technical mastery is universal.
How do you use your education and international background in your current role?
Together with Cavaliere Fernando Burgo, founder of Istituto di Moda Burgo, and my sister Monica Burgo, representing three generations of dedication to fashion education.
My education provided me with a strong understanding of both the technical and managerial aspects of fashion education. Growing up within a structured system like the Burgo Method, I developed an appreciation for precision, discipline, and the importance of solid foundations in pattern making and garment construction.
Together with my sister, Monica Burgo, who serves as Co-Director, we combine complementary perspectives in leading the institute. While we both share the responsibility of continuing our family’s educational legacy, our collaboration allows us to balance academic rigor with strategic development and international growth.
Over the years, working with international students and global partners has broadened our vision significantly. Fashion is a global industry, yet educational standards and expectations vary across countries. My international experience helps us adapt our programs to diverse cultural and professional contexts, while maintaining the technical excellence that defines our Milan Fashion School.
In our roles as Co-Directors, Monica and I oversee academic development, international partnerships, and the expansion of our Fashion Summer Courses in Italy. We work to preserve the structure and precision of the Burgo Method while ensuring it remains relevant in an increasingly global and competitive environment.
Ultimately, our leadership is built on a shared commitment: combining tradition with international vision, and making high-level technical fashion education accessible to students from around the world.
What challenges do you often face and how do you overcome them?
One of the main challenges is balancing tradition and innovation. The Burgo Method is highly structured and precise, but the fashion industry evolves rapidly. Our responsibility is to maintain technical rigor while adapting to contemporary needs.
Another challenge is maintaining quality while growing internationally. We overcome this by standardizing our methodology, training instructors carefully, and keeping class sizes limited. Growth must never compromise educational standards.
What are some current projects you are working on?
Currently, we are expanding our international programs and strengthening our Fashion Summer Courses in Italy, particularly in specialized areas such as Theatre Costume Pattern Making and advanced tailoring.
We are also working on reinforcing partnerships abroad and continuing to modernize our communication strategy while preserving our identity as a serious and career-focused Fashion School in Milan.
What advice would you tell your pre-travel self?
I would say: be open, be patient, and focus on building strong foundations. In fashion, long-term success is built on discipline and technical knowledge.
Whether studying in Milan or anywhere else, students should embrace challenges and understand that mastery takes time. Precision and consistency always outperform shortcuts.
What makes Istituto di Moda Burgo special?
What makes Istituto di Moda Burgo special is the combination of technical precision, heritage, and international vision. Founded in 1961, the school has developed a structured and codified educational system known as the Burgo Method, which emphasizes accuracy in pattern making, proportion, and garment construction.
Unlike many fashion institutions that focus primarily on creativity, our approach balances creativity with solid technical foundations. Approximately 80% of training takes place in the laboratory, ensuring students gain practical and professional-level skills.
At the same time, we maintain small class sizes and individualized instruction, allowing each student to progress according to their level. Being located in Milan, the global capital of fashion, also provides an inspiring and professional environment that reinforces our identity as a serious and career-oriented fashion school.
Why should someone choose Istituto di Moda Burgo over competitors?
At Istituto di Moda Burgo with our instructors and students during a fashion illustration class in Milan.
Students should choose Istituto di Moda Burgo because we prioritize technical mastery and structured education. Many fashion schools emphasize conceptual design, but without strong technical foundations, creativity cannot translate into professional results.
Our Pattern Making courses in Milan are built on decades of refinement and practical experience.
The Burgo Method provides a clear, step-by-step system that allows students to understand garment construction at a professional level.
Additionally, we offer an international environment, English-language programs, and intensive Fashion Summer Courses in Italy for students seeking focused training.
We do not promise shortcuts — we provide discipline, method, and real skills that prepare students for the global fashion industry.
What is Istituto di Moda Burgo's mission and how do you continue to work toward it?
Our mission is to preserve and evolve a high standard of technical fashion education while making it accessible to students from around the world. We believe that fashion is both art and engineering, and our responsibility is to ensure that students master both dimensions.
We continue to work toward this mission by maintaining strict academic standards, updating our programs to reflect industry developments, and expanding our international presence without compromising quality. Together with my sister Monica, we oversee the academic direction and international growth of the institute, ensuring that the Burgo Method remains consistent, structured, and relevant in a rapidly changing fashion landscape.
Our long-term vision is to strengthen our role as a reference point for serious fashion education in Milan and internationally.
What do you hope participants take away from your programs?
I hope participants leave our programs with two essential outcomes: technical competence and professional confidence. Fashion can be inspiring and creative, but without structure and discipline it remains incomplete.
At Istituto di Moda Burgo, we want students to truly understand garment construction, proportion, and pattern making at a professional level. Whether they attend a full-time program or a Fashion Summer Course in Italy, they should leave with concrete skills they can immediately apply.
Beyond technical ability, I hope they develop a stronger sense of responsibility toward their work. Precision, patience, and consistency are values that extend far beyond fashion — they shape a professional mindset.
How do you help support participants?
Support begins with structure. We maintain small class sizes so instructors can follow students individually and monitor their progress closely. Our programs are designed to be progressive, allowing participants to build skills step by step rather than feeling overwhelmed.
We also provide a welcoming international environment. Many of our students travel to Milan from abroad, so we guide them not only academically but also in adapting to a new cultural and educational setting.
As Co-Directors, my sister Monica and I oversee academic standards directly to ensure quality and consistency. Our goal is not only to teach techniques, but to create a supportive and serious learning environment where students can grow confidently.
Why is it important for people to travel abroad and experience new cultures?
Traveling abroad expands perspective. In fashion especially, exposure to different cultures, aesthetics, and traditions enriches creativity and professional awareness. Studying in Milan, for example, means experiencing a city where craftsmanship, industry, and design coexist daily.
When students leave their comfort zone, they develop adaptability, independence, and a deeper understanding of global standards. These qualities are essential in today’s fashion industry, which operates internationally.
Experiencing new cultures also fosters humility and curiosity — two qualities that are fundamental for any designer or pattern maker who wants to grow continuously.
What advice do you have for individuals thinking about going abroad?
My advice is to choose with intention. Going abroad should not be a trend or a spontaneous decision — it should align with your long-term goals. Research the institution carefully, understand the methodology, and evaluate whether the program offers real skills rather than superficial experiences.
Be prepared to work hard. Studying abroad is exciting, but it also requires discipline and adaptability. You will face new systems, languages, and expectations. Embrace that challenge.
Finally, be open. The greatest growth often happens outside the classroom, through cultural exchange and personal resilience. When approached seriously, studying abroad can become a defining moment in both professional and personal development.
What does meaningful travel mean to you?
With my sister Monica Burgo at Fashion Graduate Italia in Milan, representing our Milan Fashion School.
Meaningful travel is not simply moving from one country to another; it is about transformation. It means stepping outside your comfort zone and allowing yourself to be challenged intellectually and culturally.
For students, especially in fields like fashion, meaningful travel means experiencing a different creative environment, understanding new aesthetics, and observing how craftsmanship and industry operate in another context. Studying in Milan, for example, allows participants to see firsthand how heritage and innovation coexist in the fashion capital of the world.
To me, meaningful travel is successful when a person returns home not only with new technical skills, but with a broader perspective, greater independence, and a deeper sense of responsibility toward their profession.
What does ethical global engagement mean to you?
Ethical global engagement means respecting both students and host communities. International education should never be transactional; it should create mutual value. Institutions must provide structured, high-quality education while being transparent about expectations and outcomes.
For us, ethical engagement also means maintaining consistent academic standards across all programs, whether local or international. Growth should never compromise quality.
At Istituto di Moda Burgo, we believe international education should foster professionalism, cultural respect, and long-term collaboration. When institutions operate with integrity and responsibility, global education becomes not only beneficial but sustainable.
