Villioti Fashion Institute

General information

CULTIVATING FASHION LEADERS NOT FOLLOWERS

Our Vision

Our vision is to set the highest standard in the Education of fashion by combining an Entrepreneurial or commercial focus with a full set of skills, therefore enabling our students to start successful fashion businesses of their own or to enter the job market at an elevated level.

About Spero Villioti

Spero Villioti was educated in England at the London College of Fashion. At the end of his five year course he graduated with full distinctions and was awarded London based Look Now Magazine’s Most Successful Students in the Arts Award. He was immediately employed by the London based fashion house, Frank Usher, where he first worked as a full time junior designer and then senior designer. He then started Spero Villioti Couture here in South Africa but continued as senior designer for Frank Usher on a freelance basis, designing five international collections a year; Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter and Cruise Line. Spero Villioti has been running his own successful fashion business in South Africa for the past twenty six years and has reached the top of his field, designing for South Africa’s elite and winning many prestigious international and local awards. He was awarded the J&B Rare Designer of the Year from 1993 to 1999 and Beautiful Brides Magazine Designer of the Year in 2004 as a testament to his design ingenuity. In 2011 his success and expertise in the line of haute couture saw Spero Villioti being invited to guest lecture on the topic of Couture in Africa at top international fashion institution; Parsons The New School for Design.

The Academy

Unique and revolutionary in its approach, dedicated to educating graduates with the confidence and conviction required to lead in the fashion industry. Extensive training with attention to detail and refinement offers our students multiple and diverse job opportunities within the realm of the fashion world. Not only creatively but also intellectually. This distinguished experience is only available to a gifted few who are chosen for their creative flair, passion and talent.

Modelled on Spero Villioti’s personal experience of running a successful fashion brand in South Africa for more than 25 years, the Academy presents a sophisticated and deliberate combination of design flair and entrepreneurial ability that equips our graduates with the expertise to thrive in the fashion industry. Solid, pure principles that forecast success rather than fixate on idle, impractical peripheral content. The teaching and learning approach incorporates valuable project-based, work-integrated learning wherein the students can apply skills that they have learnt within the confines of a successful fashion business.

Fashion commands invention, diligence and ingenuity. Prestige within the industry depends on a solid foundation; a predisposition for excellence. Since opening its doors in 2004 Spero Villioti Elite Design Academy has offered an education of distinction. Emphasis is placed on what the fashion industry requires, creating a winning formula. Our international benchmarking practices as well as relationships with industry experts ensure that the education received at Spero Villioti Elite Design Academy equips its graduates with an added advantage when entering the professional market.

As said by Alexander McQueen, “I spent a long time learning how to construct clothes, which is important to do before you can deconstruct them.”

Every item of clothing apparel undergoes the intricate process of development; from the initial artistry and visionary through to construction and display of the final product. Each step of the process is carefully drafted, the components and details are meticulously and delicately combined for flawless individuality.

The program keeps evolving along with fashion itself, but some Spero Villioti Elite Design Academy traditions are forever: First, our close ties to the Industry let us immerse you in what’s happening now in this fast changing field. And our own brand of fashion education nurtures your creativity while providing a rigorous grounding in the practical and technical skills needed for career success, exposing you to the real demands and practice’s of the fashion industry.