ResHaping made in ITAly (RHITA – https://www.rhita.eu/). Circular models for Italian fashion heritage and manufactures through digital inclusivity and conscious innovation is the title of a design-led research project that has been developed as a collaboration between five Italian public Universities (Università degli Studi della Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”, Politecnico di Milano, Università degli Studi di Firenze, Università Iuav di Venezia, Università degli Studi di Siena), within four different regions (Campania, Lombardia, Veneto, Toscana). Rhita is a PRIN 2022 PNRR research project, a project funded by the Italian Ministry of Universities and Research (MUR) as part of the Research Projects of National Interest program, supported by the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR).

Unlike other European countries, Italy still preserves a dense network of fully integrated production chains. This widespread manufacturing system embodies a sense of continuity with the country’s artisanal traditions while also standing as a model of ongoing research and innovation. Seeing the complexities that such a system is facing in contemporary sustainable and technological transformation, RHITA aims to investigate and redefine the Italian fashion value chain by mapping territorial specificities and implementing pilot projects in selected regions. Through a multidisciplinary and participatory approach, RHITA promotes sustainable transformation by co-designing circular models, enhancing SMEs’ competitiveness, and fostering interregional knowledge exchange.

As a research unity at Iuav University of Venice, among the numerous teaching activities carried out within fashion design workshops in collaboration with companies operating in Veneto region, we have developed the workshop Disegni, illustrazioni e cartamodelli (Drawings, Illustrations, and Patterns) which took place at Iuav University of Venice on June 24-25, 2025, involving students from the Bachelor’s Degree Programme in Fashion Design and Multimedia Arts, within the Fashion Design and Fashion Communication and New Media curricula. The activity was organised and curated by Alessandra Varisco, PhD candidate at Iuav University of Venice, and Martina Ponzoni, 3D fashion design specialist, founder, and director of d_archive (a platform with the purpose is to support the preservation of fashion heritage and make it accessible digitally – https://darchive.io/).

The aim of the workshop was to explore the potential of digital tools in the study and reactivation of fashion sources. Specifically, the activity focused on materials such as drawings, illustrations, and paper patterns; documents that, within a fashion archive, reveal design thinking and processuality. The activity was conducted starting from manufacturing and design sources from Italian fashion GLAMs: Museo Fortuny (Venice), CSAC of the University of Parma, Fondazione Roberto Capucci (Udine), Private Collection of the Sartoria Lucia Faccoli, Lanificio Paoletti Archive (Treviso). The research conducted within these archives, collections and museums, highlighted the richness of production and design sources that are a prominent part of Italian fashion heritage, and remain often unaddressed.

Fashion research within GLAMs tends to adopt a garment-centered approach, which marginalises sources that testify to the multiple processes and authorships behind clothing design, and specifically manufacturing process and tacit knowledge. On the contrary, in the workshop, starting from the analysis of design and production archival sources, participants were asked to identify a corresponding garment and, after conducting visual and historical research, reconstruct its paper pattern to create a 3D digital replica using the digital software Clo3D. This process, comparable to a form of reverse engineering, required both analytical and technical skills to interpret and re-activate archival materials through contemporary design practices.

The activity was conducted in groups of four participants, each group selecting one case study from a set of archival sources provided by different museums, archives, and private collections: Printing matrices by Mariano Fortuny (ca. 1930), shared digitally by the Museo Fortuny, Venice; Design drawings from the Krizia Fund (1968–1976), CSAC, University of Parma; Sketches by Roberto Capucci (1956–1966), shared digitally by the Fondazione Roberto Capucci; Handwritten Marfy patterns (1980–1992), from the private collection Sartoria Lucia Faccoli; Textile samples and design sheets (1977–2008) from the Lanificio Paoletti archive.

The workshop began with a documentation phase in which students filled out an analytical form for one or more archival documents related to a fashion project. Each group then conducted targeted research to contextualise the selected document historically, stylistically, and technically. This involved consulting books, exhibition catalogues, and specialised journals to gather relevant images, texts, and material references. After completing the research, the groups identified the specific garment to be reconstructed in 3D and described its main characteristics through a dedicated data sheet, which served as the basis for the digital reconstruction. Based on the analysis and research, the garment pattern was then reconstructed either manually (on paper) or digitally.

The digitalisation phase was carried out using Clo3D. The groups imported and organised the pattern pieces, added technical details such as notches, folds, and elastics, and adapted an avatar with the appropriate body measurements. The simulation and rendering were optimised, and snapshots were created for technical presentation purposes.

The workshop concluded with two collective sessions: a mapping of the research outcomes and a final presentation of the individual projects. The mapping process allowed participants to identify connections among themes, materials, and research approaches, while the presentations offered an opportunity to share the entire workflow – from archival study to digital reconstruction. The mapping process revolved around key research themes – design, authorship, production, process, inspiration, and collectivity – allowing participants to identify connections among projects, sources, and methodologies.

This workshop aligns closely with the aims of RHITA, contributing to its mission of connecting fashion education, local craftsmanship, and digital innovation. By translating archival research into digital design practices, the activity exemplifies RHITA’s design-driven and collaborative approach. It promotes the digital transformation of fashion knowledge, enhances students’ understanding of the Italian fashion heritage, and encourages circular and inclusive design methodologies. Moreover, the workshop fosters interregional knowledge exchange—linking academic research, technological tools, and manufacturing culture—thus supporting RHITA’s broader goal of redefining the Italian fashion value chain through sustainable and participatory innovation.

Dr Edoardo Brunello is a post-doctoral research fellow at Iuav University of Venice, where he earned his PhD in Design Culture of Made in Italy. His research focuses on leather goods as a specific expression of Made in Italy, investigating the design, production, and communication processes that shape the contemporary Italian fashion system. He is a fashion designer and architect. Since 2016, he has been involved in teaching activities within the fashion design courses of the Bachelor’s degree program in Fashion Design and Multimedia Arts at Iuav University of Venice.

Alessandra Varisco is a PhD candidate in Visual Arts, Performance and Fashion at Iuav University of Venice. Coming from a fashion design background, her research investigates artistic practices to (an)archive sources of garments’ design and production processes within fashion archives. She holds a Master’s degree in Critical Fashion Practice from ArtEZ University of the Arts (2022) and a Bachelor’s degree in Fashion Design and Multimedia Arts from Iuav University of Venice (2020).