VILLA MEDICI COLORS

A fashion designer deeply fascinated by the question of color, Stéphane Ashpool has created a photography book dedicated to the colors that characterize Villa Medici—those of its frescoes, sculptures, gardens, and fountains. These “visual notes” were photographed, guided by instinct, and carefully documented during his residency at Villa Medici in 2025, thereby creating a palette that he has transposed onto fabric swatches as starting points for future collections. This unique color chart thus extends the research project developed by Stéphane Ashpool during his residency, as he sought out the materials, light, patterns, surfaces, and nuances that make up the spirit of the place. “Whether by human choice or by nature, colors are constantly combining around us and can evoke emotions. Our surroundings nourish us.”

Villa Medici Fashion Residency was established in 2025 by the French Academy in Rome, the Institut Français de la Mode (IFM), and the DEFI (Committee for the Development and Promotion of Apparel), in partnership with the Federation of Haute Couture and Fashion and with the support of the Ministry of Culture.