RM

The city of Milan is an internationally renowned capital for fashion, art and design, having become home to a multitude of schools and institutions dedicated to those practices. The newly opened Raffles Milano, RM Istituto Moda e Design, an institute providing Bachelor and Masters studies in the fields of fashion and design, made its way amongst well established competitors by proposing an alternative approach towards teaching and learning.

The philosophy of the school brings together the contemporary fast-paced environment of the city in its constant reimagining self, and the ancient Italian institution of the so called ‘bottega’. Starting in Medieval and Renaissance times, the bottega was a learning and working environment for young apprentices, whom were in direct contact with the Master. Their knowledge progressed by being involved in real commissions. It was a spiritual-working ‘Asylum’ strengthening the master–apprentice relationship which freed the propagation of ideas and new practices.

We conceived the brand identity for Raffles Milano RM as a post-bottega which prepares the future ambassadors of design: the “Raffluencers”, the Ambassadors of Design Virtues. Ten core design values have been selected and given a visual and physical presence. They became head pieces that when worn impersonify those virtues and symbolize their importance in the Institute. Functionality, Sustainability, Comfort, Durability, Simplicity, Usefulness, Personalization, Sociability, Humanism, Composition. Ten virtues, ten bespoke head pieces worn by the school’s students.

A variable font (Sharp Grotesk) has been used to visualize the versatility in content and spirit of the school. The graphic system operates within a grid that stretches and enlarges content, creating a firm and rational field of action, which still allows dynamic and outstanding visuals.