POLIMODA: Fashion Institute (Italy)

I've been recently getting a lot of private messages from readers (thanks so much for reaching out to me!) and they mainly ask me questions about POLIMODA.  So I just wanted to share this e-convo I had with my one of my TripAdvisor Readers....I hope this info helps for other future-POLIMODA students out there as well!  Just go for it! XOXO

My name is Chelsea. I'm considering fashion studies at Polimoda in Florence and stumbed across your review on the Poggio Imperiale Apartments. They sound great - thanks for the info/tips. I'm applying for the Orientation in Fashion course commencing in October and are really interested in finding out about your experiences at Polimoda (what you studied, how did you find the course and did it allow you to get start a career in fashion in Europe or back in the USA). I live in Australia and are comtemplating a 360 degree career change (currently work in science/nutrition) so I'm a bit nervous about quiting my job, travelling to the other side of the world etc...
Would love to hear about your experiences :-)

(CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFO ON Poggio Imperiale Apartments)

Hi Chelsea!!

I'm actually in Lebanon right now....reunion with my Polimoda friends!! I absolutely loved my stay in Florence and studying at Polimoda!

I will write you back with more info when I return to the states ;) thx for the message!

Ciao Bella!




Hello Bella Mimi.....

Thanks so much for the message.....can't wait to hear more and very happy that Polimoda was a good experience. for you. I just want to do my homework before I take a huge leap of faith but my instincts tell me Polimoda is an excellent school. As for Florence itself, I love the city and would feel pretty comfortable living there as it's not too big and crazy like Milano or Roma. But this whole European economic business is a bit concerning, I don't really know how much impact that could have on Polimoda and the Italian fashion industry (my goal is to do the Masters in Fashion Design, then aim for an internship)? OMG, I need to stop watching the serious news channel every night and tune into some light and fluffy sitcoms!! I think going to Europe to study at the moment is a risk I'm willing to take....
looking forward to your insight - are you on facebook?

100 Thankyous :-)
Enjoy the rest of your holiday!




Ciao Bella Chelsea~

I'll first start off by saying going to Polimoda was by far the best decision of my life. I met the most amazing people from all around the world. We came from over a dozen different countries and lived in Italy together and seriously had the time of our lives!! I just got back from my reunion in Jordan/Lebanon with my friends from Polimoda....we get together for each other's weddings :) last year, we were in India!

We studied at Polimoda in Florence, Italy from June to December of 2009. During the summer, we had a 3-week vacation from school and went traveling around the country (Cinque Terre, Sienna, Via Reggio, Forte de Marmi...tips for your trips =)..) We really took advantage of our time and opportunities...the country is safe overall but just be smart and plan your trip well. Research the cities, check online for train tickets/schedules, look up prices for hostels (they're safe...in Cinque Terre we met an Australian guy!! He was going on a "world tour" and stayed in the 4-bed room at the hostel with us 3 girls...cool guy!) Also, a traveling tip, take advantage of RYAN AIR and travel Europe! I went to Barcelona for my birthday while studying at Polimoda...tickets were only 20 euros! Amazing!!

The courses at Polimoda were great....very interesting, useful, and all the good stuff! It's a great school if you get the most out of if...enjoy their library (amazing collections of fashion books....by far one of the best) and get to know the other students from the LM programs, too, they have brilliant people among them! Be open to discussions and make use of the lectures and take notes (being an American..I was introduced to a lot of European brands, designers and companies...a big plus for me!) After class, I would go on Google and research the brands and find out who's the head designer of what label and which country the brand originated from...things like that were interesting to me.

And FLORENCE...my dear Firenze, is the best place to be! The city is absolutely gorgeous, oozing with all the happiness of carefree living...."dolce far niente". The food is amazing, the nightlife is amazing, the wine is amazing....find the right people and the time will be amazing! Not to mention, I did my research on the cost of living and studying in Polimoda and it was the best choice compared to cities like Roma or Milano or even Paris. Yes, of course, I checked Paris! But Florence was the right choice...and I'm telling you, it was amazing. Just enjoy....

You studied a whole different field but don't worry...if you want to study fashion, then study fashion. Polimoda is a great school because it's an international school that accommodates well to the diversity of their students. A lot of the girls in my program came from different fields as well and they did great at Polimoda and they all have established careers at big name companies and did exceptionally well in the fashion and marketing industries after graduating. I, myself, still work in the fashion industry and extremely enjoy what I do and Polimoda was very useful to further my education in fashion (I graduated with a BA in Fashion Design and completed my Masters at Polimoda in Fashion Merchandising and Management).

But make your own decision. If your heart is not fully in it, you're not going to enjoy it. And living in Italy is not the most pleasant experience, either. You have to tell yourself that Italy is "new and different" so you have to adjust to their ways and pretty much, "get with the program". For example, I had a package coming from the US to Florence and the local postal service never delivered it to my apartment at Poggio Imperiale. Clara, my apartment manager, did everything to help me but they returned my package back to the States and I never got my things. Seriously, the Italian postal service is just plain sh*t. (Yea, I said it...it's the worst service ever so don't expect any packages from home....it's not worth it., just buy it in Florence.) But hey, what can you do?  That's "Italian"... I really did appreciate Clara, though, she was always so helpful. She was the best apartment manager ever because she was always so sweet and so welcoming. She gave me a great first impression of the Firenze and the local "Italians"....molto bene!

I could go on and on forever but I'll stop here for now. Feel free to check out my blog (themimiamore.blogspot.com) and you can find me on twitter @themimiamore

Hope my tips helped....and thanks so much for reaching out! I'll just sum it up by saying..."AMO LA MIA VITA"

Ciao
XOXO Mimi




 Dearest Mimi,

Thanks so much for your message, you are an Angel. Such great information, loads of detail and above all else passion....for the experience you had at Polimoda....for your career...for travel....for life..... such passion is very much what I'm lacking in my current life and profession!

I'm a classic all rounder, and at school my teachers made me do math/science major cos I could do it - but my heart was always in the arts. In my final year of high school I did art (a mythical beast ceramic sculptor folio & along with other stuff) to keep me sane along with the other blah maths, chemistry, physics subjects: I received the best marks (straight As) in my school for art and the best student award. Then I went to one of Australia's version of an Ivy League University to study science, never really felt like I belonged but kept on that career path anyway cos it was what I thought others thought I should do....the rest is history.... but I'm about to turn it all on its head very soon I hope!

I head to Europe in 7 weeks for a 1 month vacation which will include a visit to Polimoda. I will lodge my application before I go and if all goes to plan I will come back home early August, quit my job, sell my apartment and head back to Florence to start the Orientation in Fashion Design in October, then the Masters the following year. I love Florence and I know it would suit me well in terms of the size/lifestyle....I also know about the Italian postal service....I'm going to use DHL couriers if I have to send anything.

It's really great to have made contact with you....I feel like the universe is really behind me with this step.
I will keep in touch and check out your blog for sure.

Hugs Bella xx

And I would like to end this e-convo like this (I hope you're reading this Chelsea!)

Brava Bella Chelsea!

You have an amazing spirit and a heart full adventure!!  You're do just fine in Firenze....She'll take good care of you!  Enjoy the food, the sights, the people, the country...I promise you'll have the best time ever!  

Best of luck at POLIMODA!  Keep me updated!!  And please tell Professor Malhotra, Proffessor Christoffersen and Professor Egler I said "Ciao...mi manchi!"  Polimoda just moved to a new campus....I'm so excited for you!!  I haven't even seen it yet, you should send me pics ;) and I hope you meet and make the most amazing friends while studying in Italy, just like I did, and continue to venture out to wherever your heart takes you!  

XOXO

Mimi

Polimoda (Firenze): Poggio Imperiale

ACCOMMODATIONS FOR POLIMODA STUDENTS
Finding accommodations for Polimoda may not be so easy because you might have some doubts about deciding on a place before seeing it in person.  That was my issue.  I knew I wanted to get a place that was close to the school as well as the main city center and I planned on not paying more than 600 euros a month for rent.  Luckily for me, I found Poggio Imperiale.    

POGGIO IMPERIALE (Photo by tripadvisor.com)

Contact CLARA at Poggio Imperiale to help you get Proof of Accommodations for your Student Visa.

I suggest that you stay here for at least 2-4 weeks and try to look for rooms and roommates once you arrive in Florence.  It might cost you a little but it'll totally be worth it, at least for the first month.  In order to apply for your Student Visa for Italy, you'll need Proof of Accommodations and Clara will be able to assist you on this...so yea, it's definitely worth it!  Poggio Imperiale is right next to Porta Roma so it's pretty close to the city (Ponte Vecchio, Duomo, etc)  If you stay for a minimum of 3 months, you can rent the apartment at a cheaper rate (that's what I did...I lived here for the first 3 months in Florence with a roommate.)

FINDING A ROOMMATE

I asked Irene (Admissions at Polimoda) to assist me on finding a roomate.  She was very helpful and gave me a few people to contact and I eventually ended up agreeing on rooming with a classmate even before meeting her.  Okay, here's the thing, as much as it's important to see the actual apartment before locking it down...you should really meet your roommate first before committing to anything!  Remember, you're going to be attending an INTERNATIONAL fashion institute so there will be people from all over the world and you may not "click" with all of them, including your own roommate.  Lastly, here's another tip, GET YOUR OWN ROOM...you can live with roommates but don't share rooms unless you absolutely have to!!  Chances are, you're going to need your own "space".

Good luck finding accommodations in Firenze!!

XOXO Mimi

@PolimodaFirenze: Student Visa

Getting my Italian Student Visa was probably the hardest part in the whole application process for Polimoda.  (Luckily for me, I live in Los Angeles so I had an Italian Consulate Office nearby.) Be sure to apply in advance because you don't want to procrastinate like the way I did. I got my student visa a week before classes started...not smart!!!

To get a Student Visa for Italy, you will need...

• Proof of accommodations in Italy 
• Proof of financial means to support yourself while living in Italy
• Proof of health insurance
• Proof of school enrollment

Here's a tip on getting proof of accommodations: Contact Clara at Poggio Imperiale. 

Seriously, apply for your Italian Student Visa as soon as possible...pronto!

XOXO
Mimi
   

Polimoda (Florence, Italy)

www.polimoda.com

Ciao Bella!! Come stai?

Want to study at Polimoda?? VA BENE!

Yes, it is true...The Mimi Amore is a proud alumni of Polimoda International Institute of Fashion Design & Marketing.  FMM 2009!

I completed my BA in Fashion Design from Cal State Los Angeles in 2008.  Right after graduation, I decided to pursue my masters degree in Fashion Merchandising.  I really didn't enjoy sewing or making patterns so I wanted to get my masters in Fashion Merchandising so I can have a career in fashion business. Then I thought, "Wait, I should study my masters (in fashion) in EUROPE!"  Of course!! 


So I started researching for schools in cities like Paris, Milan, London and then I found Polimoda in Florence, Italy.  I liked the fact that Polimoda was affiliated with FIT in New York.  As an American, this has been a huge advantage and benefit for me.  When I tell people I studied my Masters at Polimoda, they have no idea what kind of school it is.  Then I add that it is the sister school to FIT in New York and everyone seems to "get it" and they'll perceive Polimoda as a prestigious fashion institute.  


I joined the FASHION MERCHANDISING & MANAGEMENT (FMM) Masters Program at Polimoda in the summer of 2009.  I can't even tell you how excited I was to be attending this school!  I went on my "Eurotrip" in Summer 2006 and was fortunate enough to visit Florence and I totally fell in love with the city!  Firenze was absolutely amazing so to be living there was definitely a dream come true!!

The application process for Polimoda was super easy. Just go online to their website (http://www.polimoda.com/) and click on the HOW TO APPLY link....or just click here.  After you apply online, you should get an application package from Polimoda.  You have to answer an entrance exam question and then finish with a phone interview with the program director.  Mind you, I got my phone call at 3am in Los Angeles (that's 12pm noon in Florence) so just be ready and prepared!  Honestly, the application process wasn't hard at all but getting a Student Visa for Italy was a totally different story!!   

Stay tuned for more stories of  Mimi Amore Firenze and tips on living in Italy & studying abroad...

XOXO

Mimi