Instructor Spotlight: Micol Joanka Medda

The Cut is very pleased to share this spotlight on one of our newest instructors, Micol Joanka Medda. She has joined us and will be teaching: Fashion Design (Illustration), Fashion Illustration P/Time Program, History of Costume and Fashion into the Costuming for Film with Shanna Mair, Marketing and Branding with Julie Berg, Costume Design Illustration 2-Week Intensive.

Who is Micol?

Micol Joanka Medda is a Sardinian Artist and multifaceted Designer who has been professionally involved in Art, Fashion, Film and Theatre for more than two decades. She likes to call herself "philotechnoia" like the ancient Etruscans Philotechnoi, friends of the most varied arts and manufacturing techniques, for which touching the material with hand was an understanding of the earth and of human artistic possibilities.

She grew up in a magical place in the middle of the Mediterranean sea where art and nature always run together and where preserving the millenary culture intact is always a primary principle of love for life and for the nature that hosts us and offers us inspiration and daily wonders. Art as painting, sculpture and murals was in her family, as well as the old Sardinian traditions of crafts related to costume, embroidery and tailoring. She chose with love to bring her cultural background with her in the journey of her life and professional experiences.

The Influence of Travel

She travelled, studied and worked in many places, from Sardinia she moved to Florence and Tuscany, to study Art and Fashion Design, and worked as a Designer while she was still a student, throughout Italy, exploring cultures and cities, absorbing their colours and scents. From Europe, she went as far as Russia, in the immense white winter of Tatarstan, and she spent a few years in New York with its colourful melting pot of cultures from around the world, studying and moving her first steps in Costume Design.

Launching 'Vestilarte' in Italy

Between 2000 and 2013, back to Italy, Micol created and directed her own design company "Vestilarte," designing and crafting over 200 shows, including Drama, Opera and Films, working with the major Italian Theatres and numerous Made in Italy fashion brands as a designer, stylist and set designer and decorator, she was able to enrich her knowledge and experience by working with names such as Roberto Cavalli, Calvin Klein, Max Mara, Moncler, Duvetica, Cerruti, and many others. Most recently, from 2013 to 2018, she served as Head of the Laboratory of Arts at Teatro della Pergola, the National Theatre in Florence.

Embracing the Theatrical

As Head of Wardrobe at Pergola, her work focused on three areas: 1) coordination and production of Set Design, Costumes, and handcrafted props for the internal productions of the Theatre; 2) managing collaborations with international partners, cultural institutions, theatre companies, and museums; and 3) running a costume design workshop—a “Laboratory of Arts”—to train a new generation of theatre enthusiasts, especially young people, and semi-professionals adults, in the historic traditions of Art & Crafts of the Italian Theatre.

A Journey to Canada

Micol, moved to Canada in 2018, first to Vancouver Island and now, just a few months ago, to Vancouver, with her husband, a Canadian writer, and her two precious Italian cats. In Canada, Micol works mainly as an Interior Designer and Decorator and during the year of the pandemic, she concentrated creative efforts working on her first written and illustrated book and the updating of her portfolio, video-editing documentaries and developing her personal brand, focused on handmade and hand-painted items using organic fabrics and all-natural materials.

A Glimpse into Her Heart

In her free time, she’s a dedicated animal person, she is a Certified Wildlife Rehabilitator IWRC at BC SPCA Wild Arc, in Victoria and she has the Diploma of Veterinary Assistant at the CEF, European Training Center of Novara Italy, Study Course of the Faculty of Veterinarian of the Sorbonne in Paris, France.

Cooking Italian and Sardinian cuisine it’s her hidden talent - only for lovers and friends. She loves making traditional Sardinian and Italian dishes, using the best of local and organic food from Vancouver Island farms and from the region, and now discovering with her husband the best of international ingredients that the Vancouver area can offer for this purpose.

2022: Question & Answer with Micol Jedda

Why did you choose The Cut?

I met Liza in 2016, when I was visiting my fiancé, now husband, and I fell in love with The Cut, the timing wasn’t ready but I followed all changes and development of the school until I moved finally to Vancouver and she had space for my skills and experience.

Share one thing about each of these passions that are a part of your creative life:

History of Costume Specialist: It’s the treasure of learning from the past, from the beauty of history and from there mastering the craft feeling ready to build new dreams.

Set Decorator: I need to have a full vision of the creative project, everything is linked and all the elements tell the story. Set Decoration is the alive elegant frame that gives life to the characters. And I have a full passion for home staging as well.

Nature and Animal Rescue: My soul is there. Animals and nature are my refuge. I grew up in one of the most beautiful islands in the works, Sardinia, I learned to respect nature very soon in life. If I can help them I’m the first on the line. Always. Animals are my friends. No need for words.

Over the course of your time at The Cut, what advice will you pass on to your students from your life experience that will help them grow?

I will tell them to be curious, ask questions. Ask yourself where do you feel more real and comfortable, to learn, perform, spend your time. Challenge yourself to open your mind and build your culture. Love art, love knowledge. If you’re not willing to do that you’re wasting time and energy. Fashion, Art, Costumes, are not only possible jobs, it’s something you have to feel inside, it’s part of your identity.

What is your dream for the future for yourself and your career?

I love teaching in this part of my career after travelling a lot and changing countries and scenarios. I’d love to transfer enthusiasm and help students to understand the secrets of the field to feel more secure when they will be alone in the field. In my future, I see myself always fashion-oriented, probably more around trends research and marketing. And I would love to be able to dedicate myself to writing and finally taking care of my children’s book, and I would love to go back to interior design projects.

Why is travel important to understanding who you are as a person, designer, and creative mind?

Travel is the passport for curiosity. Even if now is more difficult to travel, I love the idea to keep open my curiosity window, to refill energy and knowledge. Inspiration comes from the exchanges with different cultures and different people experiences. From my travels I still have the secret box of smells and colours, flavours and faces...everything will find his story.