Born To Create at EXPO 2025 Osaka – ITS Arcademy flies to Japan for a unique fashion show

On April 29, ITS Arcademy – Museum of Art in Fashion landed on the roof of the Italy Pavilion at EXPO 2025 in Osaka, Japan, to showcase the creations of ten Italian and Japanese designers of ITS Contest during the week dedicated to the Friuli Venezia Giulia Region. 

To project a renewed image of Italy abroad—one that highlights the country’s growing appeal and its extraordinary tradition of excellence in the Made in Italy sector—while also strengthening cultural ties with key international partners such as Japan: this was the dual aim behind Born to Create, a special runway event championed by Undersecretary for Culture Lucia Borgonzoni.

Held at Expo 2025 Osaka, the show celebrates creativity as a powerful force for both cultural and economic development, reimagined through the vision of Italian and Japanese fashion creatives, alongside emerging talents from the world of audiovisual arts.

Organised by Cinecittà in collaboration with the ITS Foundation in Trieste, and featuring Yoshikazu Yamagata—founder of Tokyo’s experimental fashion school Coconogacco—the event took place in the Italian Garden of the Italy Pavilion during the week showcasing the Friuli Venezia Giulia region.

It was an unexpected, surreal and incredible adventure, to say the least. Those that go “in the books”, as one would say, most importantly establishing once again the importance and cultural value of ITS Arcademy on an international level.

Expos are global events dedicated to finding solutions to fundamental challenges facing humanity by offering a journey inside a chosen theme through engaging and immersive activities. Organised and facilitated by governments and bringing together countries and international organisations, these major public events are unrivalled in their ability to gather millions of visitors, create new dynamics and catalyse change in their host cities. In Osaka, for instance, from 80 to 100 thousand people visit the pavilions every single day.

“If there’s one area in which Italy is truly unmatched,” said Undersecretary for Culture Lucia Borgonzoni, “it’s in the ability to express and share beauty through original artistic and cultural forms of exceptional quality—expressions rooted in long-standing traditions that tell the stories of unique places.

And what better stage than the Expo to celebrate this heritage and accelerate the international exposure of the people, institutions and—above all—the young talents that embody it, such as those from Fondazione ITS?”

She added: “It’s a great source of pride to return to Japan with this project dedicated to showcasing Made in Italy excellence—hosted by a country that has always been a close friend to Italy. This marks another important step in building an even stronger relationship, following my visit here in 2019 which laid the groundwork for the significant film co-production agreement that came into effect in 2024, and the Celebrating Connections: Italy–Japan event, which was dedicated to cinema and presented at the 2023 Tokyo International Film Festival.”

Screens featured a video created for the occasion by two students from the Editing Course at the Centro Sperimentale di Cinematografia (Experimental Centre of Cinematography) – Marco Balzano and Elio Gambino – who used footage from the Luce Cinecittà Archive featuring Italian icons of the past like Sophia Loren, Sandra Mondaini and Rosanna Fratello. The video was accompanied by a soundtrack specially composed for “Born to Create,” featuring music from classic Italian films.

The ITS Contest designers involved:

Italy

Ivan Delogu – 2024
Daniele Controversio – 2002
Linda Calugi / Sidéral(Es) – 2010
Fabrizio Talia – 2002 / 2003
Andrea Cammarosano – 2008
Karisia Paponi – 2008

Japan

Ryota Murakami – 2013
Yoshikazu Yamagata – 2004
Hana Yagi – 2019
Seiran Tsuno – 2018
Yudai & Anna Tanaka – 2022

It was fundamental to establish a communication bridge with the Japanese team handling production on site. And that’s where the amazing Teppei Sugaya (ITS Contest 2003), Yoshikazu Yamagata (ITS Contest 2004) and Momoko Okusa (ITS Contest 2013). Without them it would have been impossible: they allowed to not just bridge the language barrier but the cultural barrier as well. Through them we understood how to properly interact smoothly and make things happen, besides them acting as our translators the entire time, which was fundamental in itself. With their patience, availability and kindness we managed to navigate through everything, and they deserve our eternal gratitude (not to speak about making us feel at home). 

The organisation on site at the Italy Pavilion was by legendary Cinecittà, the iconic film studios in Rome for over 3,000 movies among which classics like “La Dolce Vita” and “Ben Hur”. Under the Ministry of Culture, Cinecittà now offers a range of services for film and television production, including sound stages, set design, post-production, and restoration facilities.  

The setting for the fashion show was the beautiful terrace of the Italy Pavilion featuring an Italian Garden inspired by traditional gardens of Palladian villas, an iconic symbol of Italian landscape architecture.

The show was held at sunset: graced by a crystal clear sky, it turned the atmosphere surreal and magic with shades of red framing the designers’ garments.   “Italy’s unrivalled strength lies in its ability to convey beauty through unique artistic and cultural expressions of extraordinary quality, deeply rooted in its history and distinctive regions,” stated Undersecretary Lucia Borgonzoni. “Expo is the perfect stage to showcase this heritage and accelerate the internationalisation of our creative talents – particularly the younger generations – including those of ITS Foundation. I am proud to return to Japan with this initiative promoting Made in Italy, hosted by a country that has always been a friend of Italy. This is another step towards strengthening our relationship following my visit in 2019, which initiated the discussions leading to the 2024 film co-production agreement and the ‘Celebrating Connections Italy Japan’ event, presented at the 2023 Tokyo International Film Festival.”

“We bring to Japan the values that define our nation’s present and future: research, advanced technology, and creativity,” said Ambassador Mario Vattani, Italy’s Commissioner General for Expo 2025 Osaka. “The Italy Pavilion, through its integrated promotional activities, highlights the Italian production chains underpinning our Made in Italy excellence, with fashion being one of the most prominent. This project combines expertise, new languages, and young talents, offering a unique opportunity to present the ‘fashion and audiovisual system’ on the global stage of Expo.”

Massimiliano Fedriga, President of the Autonomous Region of Friuli Venezia Giulia, stated, “Friuli Venezia Giulia is home to the extraordinary creativity of the ITS Foundation in Trieste, a centre of excellence in fashion and design that makes Made in Italy recognisable worldwide. Our region, aware of its role as a multicultural crossroads, has transformed its innovative spirit into strong international businesses, investing decisively in innovation, research, and internationalisation. The intersection of art and industry in our region is no coincidence but a result of our history and our vision. This vision is further enriched by the collaboration between Italian and Japanese creatives, a cultural exchange set within the Italy Pavilion. We are proud to see Friuli Venezia Giulia taking centre stage at Expo 2025 Osaka, sharing the essence of our identity and our ability to shape the future.”

Chiara Sbarigia, President of Cinecittà, emphasised the universal language of audiovisuals as a communication tool for sharing Italy’s historical memory, preserved with care by the Luce Archive, recognised by UNESCO. “Events like this bring the value of this archive to the attention of a global audience.”

Gabriella Buontempo, President of the Experimental Centre of Cinematography Foundation, commented, “We are delighted to have participated in this wonderful initiative promoted by Undersecretary Lucia Borgonzoni, where young talents come together in an international setting. Cinema and fashion engage in a harmonious exchange.”

“The works of all these designers are part of the ITS Arcademy collection, Italy’s first museum of contemporary fashion, established to preserve for future generations a unique heritage of debut works by young creatives, including over 15,000 garments, accessories, jewellery, photographs, and, above all, innovative projects,” highlighted Barbara Franchin, President of the Fondazione ITS. “For over twenty years, we have welcomed design talents from around the world to Italy, and today we are proud to share their creativity at Expo 2025 Osaka. This fashion show embodies the very concept of art as “techne” – a fusion of beauty, creativity, and know-how, as the ancient Greeks intended it. Our mission is to promote dialogue, celebrate human talent, and build cultural bridges, not only within the Italy Pavilion but also as part of the mission of Fondazione ITS. Our collaboration with Japanese schools and designers continues a legacy of exchange that is the beating heart of our ITS Contest and ITS Arcademy projects.”