Kering opens first year of Milan artisan academy

Kering, the French luxury group, has opened the first academic year of its Italian artisan school in Milan.

Chief executive officer Luca de Meo hosted the launch, joined by Sabina Belli, president of Kering Italia and head of the school. The event took place in Milan and was reported on 30 September 2026. WWD

The school is called Kering Accademia per le Eccellenze, shortened to KApE. Its campus sits at MIND in Milan, a district built on the site of the city's 2015 Expo. Kering describes it as a new centre dedicated to the future of luxury craftsmanship and Italian excellence. Kering

The scale is wide. More than 1,500 students have enrolled in the first year. They are spread across 40 brand-promoted programmes and seven partner schools in six Italian regions. The first courses started in September 2026.

The stated mission is simple. Train a new generation of artisans. Keep Italian luxury craftsmanship going. Kering calls the model an integrated, distributed learning ecosystem — in plain terms, a network that links classrooms with workshops inside its houses.

Belli sits at the centre of that plan. Her appointment as president of Kering Italia took effect on 15 September 2026, and she reports to de Meo. She is also chief executive officer of Pomellato, the Milan-based jewellery house. She is based in Milan. Kering

The school was first announced on the third edition of Made in Italy Day, the annual day that promotes Italian manufacturing. Italy remains central to Kering's plans, and the group has said it has no intention of moving production elsewhere. Euronext

What makes this stand out has little to do with a runway show. Bags, shoes and jewels need hands. Cutting, stitching, polishing and stone-setting cannot be downloaded. For anyone who buys the finished product, this is where that work gets taught.