IED Turns 50: Interview with Director Emanuele Soldini

The Istituto Europeo di Design (IED) celebrates its 50th anniversary. In an interview, IED Italia director Emanuele Soldini traces the school's history from its founding in 1966 by 24-year-old Francesco Morelli, who identified emerging creative professions with a pragmatic, market-oriented approach. Starting in Milan, IED expanded to Rome (1973), Cagliari (1984), Turin (1989), then abroad to Madrid (1993), Barcelona (2002), Venice (2006), Florence and Como (2009), and Rio de Janeiro (2013). Initially focused on design, photography, and fashion, it later added graphics and marketing. Soldini highlights the school's dual emphasis on creativity and market needs, its freedom from academic bureaucracy in its first three decades, and its early adoption of English-language courses in the 1990s. Today, IED operates across 11 campuses in three countries and remains entirely Italian-owned. Foreign students are numerous, especially in fashion and interior design; Italian enrollment in English courses has recently increased. Future plans include enhancing student mobility across campuses and developing new programs in the visual arts.