Surrounded by her own sketches, the image above reflects Claudia’s personal relationship with design and her creative world, through an aesthetic inspired by Japanese fashion. Photo created at Accademia Costume & Moda by student Elena Giannini.

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Claudia Zuccaroli didn’t set out to become a fashion designer. She set out to sew – to make things with her hands, to fall into fabric and thread the way some people fall into music. That instinct became a direction: Fashion and Costume Design at the Accademia Costume & Moda in Rome, where she’s now in her third year. But it was the Open Mindset Project that showed her what fashion actually asks of the people who succeed in it. Not just talent, but the ability to walk into a room full of strangers from different countries, cultures and beliefs and meet them with curiosity instead of assumptions. 

That’s not a soft skill in fashion. It’s the business model. A dress designed in Milan might be cut in Vietnam and sold in Chicago. Every step depends on people who don’t share a language, a background or, many times, even a frame of reference finding a way to trust each other, fast. “[The program] helped me develop a more open mindset in a concrete way,” Claudia said, “and understand how important it is to approach people from different countries, cultures, religions, and backgrounds with curiosity and respect, and without assumptions.” These skills have already begun having a positive impact on her budding career. 

However, Claudia didn’t have a clear idea of where her skills could take her until she worked with her Global Guru, Angela O’Riley.

Angela hadn’t planned on fashion either.

She began her career in technology, but an unexpected turn into fit modeling let her work with designers and clothing manufacturers worldwide to ensure garments fit right and met quality standards wherever they were made. That work demanded the same global fluency Claudia was only beginning to learn, and it’s the skill Angela now relies on daily as a fashion strategist collaborating with global brands. 

For Claudia, the real value wasn’t the online coursework or the mentorship alone. It was holding them side-by-side. “Through our conversations, I was better able to understand the fashion industry, reflect on my own direction, and ask questions that are difficult to answer through university courses alone,” she said. Angela didn’t just answer Claudia’s questions and discuss her career; she opened doors and introduced her to professionals who Claudia would most likely never have met on her own. One of the major benefits? Claudia received portfolio feedback from professionals – not academics or teachers – that has reshaped how she presents her work.  

The lesson made a significant impact. “I have learned that your knowledge and skills are fundamental, but the people you meet, the relationships you build, and the ability to connect with others can become one of your greatest strengths in the professional world,” Claudia reflected. She’s since started building her own global fashion network, exchanging ideas that are sharpening her sense of where she’s headed.  

That’s the real return of the Open Mindset Project: not a single mentorship, but a habit of reaching toward people who see the world differently than you. It’s now up to Claudia to build on this mindset and use it as a springboard to launch her future.

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Photo Credit: Two photos feature Claudia Zuccaroli, model, subject and Fashion and Costume Design student in Rome. The shooting was inspired by her personal creative identity and design process, and features her own original sketches. Concept, creative direction, styling, make-up, hair styling, and photography were developed by a Fashion Communication student, Elena Giannini, as part of an academic project at Accademia Costume & Moda in Rome. Both photos appeared in "Vogue Italia".

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