Lectures & Talks
A prominent voice in international fashion discourse, Simona Segre-Reinach is frequently invited to speak at prestigious institutions and global symposia, including the Museum at FIT in New York.
Her lectures span a wide array of interdisciplinary themes—from the intersection of fashion and anthropology to the evolution of the global fashion system—offering critical insights that bridge academic research and cultural debate.
Image: SSR with Mariellla Lorusso and our students in Rimini
In March 2019, Simona Segre Reinach was invited to speak at the prestigious academic symposium 'Exhibiting Fashion', organized by The Museum at FIT in New York. Held in conjunction with the landmark exhibition 'Exhibitionism: 50 Years of The Museum at FIT', the symposium brought together global experts to explore the evolution of fashion curating.
In her contribution, Segre Reinach addressed the intersection of national and regional identities within museum settings—a core theme of her research. Drawing on her experience as a curator (notably for the exhibition 'Jungle: The Imagery of Animals in Fashion') and as co-author of 'Exhibit! Showcasing Fashion', she analyzed how the display of fashion serves as a powerful narrative tool for cultural identity and brand heritage.
Simona Segre Reinach’s extensive research on Biki and post-war Milanese couture has been presented at leading international institutions.
In New York, she joined the AdDRESSing Style series at Casa Italiana Zerilli-Marimò (NYU) for the talk "Becoming Biki".
In London, she was invited by the V&A Academy to deliver the lecture "Biki and the Others" as part of their 20th Century Italian Fashion program, exploring Milan's sartorial excellence before the rise of ready-to-wear.
Beyond these major hubs, she has shared her insights on Biki through numerous lectures across Italy and abroad, including the Universities of Turin and Rome, Soho House, and various cultural associations, bridging the gap between historical archive and contemporary fashion discourse.
A significant pillar of Simona Segre Reinach’s work is the study of the transcultural dynamics between Europe and Asia. At Cornell University, as part of the Cornell Contemporary China Initiative (CCCI), she delivered the special lecture "Sino-Italian Encounters in Global Fashion" (organized by Prof. Peidong Sun), which traced the historical and contemporary exchanges defining these two fashion powerhouses
Her insights into the Chinese market also address urgent ecological concerns. In a featured video interview with Fabiana Giacomotti for Il Foglio, she explores whether China is truly embracing the shift toward sustainable fashion, providing a critical look at the future of green ethics in the East (Watch Interview ↗).
To mark the release of her latest book, Animal, Simona Segre Reinach has engaged in a series of high-level academic discussions on fashion ethics and post-human paradigms.
At the University of Turin, as part of the “Incontri sul senso.
Il corpo alla prova” series, she delivered a MasterClass alongside professors Patrizia Calefato and Eleonora Chiais.
This session serves as a foundational introduction to the themes of her new volume, interrogating the fashion industry's historical reliance on animal bodies and proposing a shift toward a more compassionate and sustainable coexistence between humans, animals, and nature
In collaboration with MUBA (Museo dei Bambini Milano), Simona Segre Reinach was invited as a guest expert for the series 'Di Tutti i Colori', held during the exhibition 'Colour. Playing with light to discover colours'.
In this lecture, she explores the anthropological significance of color within the fashion system, reflecting on how hues function not just as aesthetic choices, but as powerful tools for identity, communication, and social storytelling across different cultures and eras."
Selected Chronological Lectures (2013–Present)
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Pistoia, Dialoghi di Pistoia, Corpi in divenire. Talk: “Divenire con la moda”, 24 maggio.
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Milano, Memoriale della Shoah, Passaggi d’arte, a cura di Marco Vigevani. Conferenza: “Il potere dell’arazzo, l’arazzo del potere” con Maria Taboga e Federica Manoli, 26 marzo.
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Massa Lombarda, Archivi di Ricerca Mazzini. Presentazione del libro It’s Snowing, con Vittorio Linfante e Massimo Zanella, 6 marzo.
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Torino, Università di Torino, Incontri sul senso. Il corpo alla prova. MasterClass, con Patrizia Calefato e Eleonora Chiais, 26 febbraio. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0lKZVGaIEFE&t=6105s
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Verona, Casa Verona, Sala dell’Arsenale. Presentazione del libro It’s Snowing, con Vittorio Linfante, Massimo Zanella eValerio Terraroli, 18 febbraio.
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London, V&A Academy (Online V&A), Gucci to Prada: 20th Century Italian Fashion. Lecture: “Biki and the Others. Sartorial Dressing in Milan before the Ready-to-Wear Boom of the 1970s”, 29 January.