A journey into the uniforms of the The Cuirassiers Regiment

On the morning of 8 November, 2019, the first-year students of the Master in Digital Fashion Communication (a double degree offered jointly by USI and the Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne) had the opportunity to visit in Rome the barracks of the Reggimento Corazzieri, the guard of honour of the President of the Italian Republic, to study upclose thier history, institutional responsibilities and, in particular, the historical uniforms. A journey at the crossroads of tradition and innovation.

Thanks to the authorisation of the General Command of the Carabinieri and of the General Secretariat of the Presidency of the Republic, students were able to observe the changes made to the uniforms over the centuries: from the origins, as a body of Archers and Shields in charge of the defense of the House of Savoy, up to the Republican era, as "Carabinieri Command Guards of the President of the Republic" and the current Cuirassiers Regiment, which has been using the model of uniforms from 1876 since 1992 (more information at www.quirinale.it and www.carabinieri.it).

The visit was a chance for reflection on both the world of military uniforms, which are a constant inspiration in the world of fashion, and the relationship between history, cultural heritage and uniforms. The Cuirassiers uniform is one of the most iconic and recognizable for those who visit Rome. It is also the most featured Italian uniform on the media over the world since Cuirassiers are in charge to escort world leaders - on a horse or motorbike - during state visits to Italy.

Students also payed a visit to the Regiment's tailor's shop and met the seamstresses and the tailor, who showed them the richness and complexity of the production and adaptation of the uniforms.

The visit to the barracks was also an opportunity to visit a section of the Servian walls (4th century BC) and a wall mosaic, belonging to the Gens Flavia (1st century AD), which came to light during some excavations carried out by the Corazzieri in the early '60s.

During the study visit, the students of the Master's course were also able to visit Bulgari and its "Domvs" collection, which gathers some of the most famous jewels of the house. Students also paid a visit to Tirelli Costumi, a company that makes and rents costumes for theatrical, film and television productions (they have "dressed" 17 Oscar films), with a warehouse with over 160,000 clothes from the pre-Christian period to the present day.

Closing the trip, a brief visit to the Pontifical Swiss Guard, with the opportunity for a closer look at the uniforms inspired by the Italian Renaissance and to see the new helmets, made of PVC and printed with a 3D printer in Switzerland, near Stans: an interesting example of the encounter between tradition and innovation, so typical of our country.

The Master in Digital Fashion Communication aims at preparing students to pursue their careers in the fashion industry as specialists in digital communication and marketing. It provides students with a strong foundation in communication as applied specifically to the fashion industry, cutting edge tools to effectively and profitably interact in a digital business environment, the cultural sensitivity needed to effectively communicate in a globalised market.