NABA to open its first campus outside of Italy in London

Italian-based NABA, Nuova Accademia di Belle Arti, which offers design, fashion and media courses, is expanding internationally with its first campus outside of Italy in London.

The London campus, opening in October 2026, is being described as a “strategic hub” for the largest academy of fine arts in Italy as it looks to drive its international presence and will become “the benchmark for other future centres outside Italy”.

The 21,500 square foot NABA campus in London will be located within the Here East innovation and technology campus inside the Olympic Park. It will initially offer three BAs in Design, Fashion Design and Fashion Marketing Management, in addition to the Foundation Course, from the start of the 2026/27 Academic Year.

The programmes, all delivered in English, will focus on practical elements of fashion and design, as the campus will be equipped with laboratories furnished with technical equipment for students to improve their techniques, such as a Design Lab, a Fashion Design Lab and a Textile and Knitwear Lab, in addition to a studio classroom and several creative spaces.

Daniele Bisello o Ragno, managing director of NABA, Nuova Accademia di Belle Arti, said in a statement: "At NABA, we believe in an education that trains people, not just professionals. With this opening, the academy is strengthening its global vocation, creating an environment where cultures come together to design tomorrow together.

“The NABA campus in London will be an important step that allows us to replicate outside Italy the didactic and educational approach that has always set us apart and enables us to consolidate the academy's positioning in the panorama of artistic education at the international level.”

The admission criteria will be in line and consistent with the model of NABA campuses in Milan and Rome, with the option of transferring from one to another. Participants who successfully complete the three-year courses will obtain a BA (Hons) Degree accredited by Regent's University London, part of the Galileo Global Education (GGE) group of which NABA is also a part. Through the partnership with the academy, students will be offered the opportunity to obtain a qualification valid in the UK and recognised at the international level.

Bisello o Ragno added: “Our aim is not just to offer an alternative to the great British institutions, we want to introduce a new voice, able to unite heritage and the avant-garde. Our uniqueness lies in the combination of the excellence of Italian design and an experiential and creative educational approach with interdisciplinary, tech-driven programmes connected with the creative industries.

“We offer classes tailor-made for the student, a 'boutique' model that values individual talent. Our wish is to be able to offer a model that can be replicated in other countries, in the short and long term. We hope that London is the first of many new premises at the global level."