The Modartech Training College was founded more than 30 years ago in Valdera, an area particularly rich in companies involved in the fashion industry, in both clothing and footwear. Later, the sector was expanded with the introduction of an increasing number of companies in the field of multimedia communications, partly because of the close vicinity to the prestigious Pisa University.
 

The college was founded in 1975, partly influenced by a small community of local clothing and footwear companies in the area, gradually evolving and sometimes even anticipating changes underway in the fashion industry; the main force of the school has always been its dynamic energy and its capacity to invent new specialised solutions in answer to the issues and challenges faced by fashion manufacturers.

Over the years, the main concept of the Modartech College has always been focussed on innovation, while paying close attention to high-quality craftsmanship at the same time – an aspect that has always been the hallmark of great Italian fashion design.


1975 The first fashion design school, “La Moda è Arte e Studio” was founded in 1975. Initially this was simply a training school for pattern cutting and tailoring, located on the outskirts of Pontedera, in the Province of Pisa. It was founded by Maria Paola Monti who still teaches design and styling in tailoring courses today. Her husband’s expertise was fundamental in identifying the needs of the industrial sectors of the fashion world. His experience in sales and technical assistance for industrial clothing and knitwear machinery was an invaluable source of information on industrial market needs.

In only a few years the number of students increased and the first graduates began to be employed in companies around Pisa, Florence and Lucca.
As time went by, Maria Paola Monti and her staff gained enough teaching and training experience to provide their students with the necessary skills to fill the gap that had existed between traditional tailoring courses and the requirements of companies in the textile and clothing industries.

1990 In order to promote the activities of the students and the fashion school, a contest under the name of “Modart”, was set up for young designers during the 1990’s. This was an entirely new concept and had never been proposed previously. The formula and rules for the contest were drawn up by the school, and it was so successful that it became a major event during the summer season in Pontedera for over 10 years, and the model was copied throughout Tuscany and even further afield.
Modart was  one of the first contests that created an opening into the industrial working world for young stylists and designers, not only by providing an excellent technical preparation in fashion design, styling and pattern-making, but also by translating creative ideas  into fashion collections and presenting them to clothing companies.

1993 The College was granted important official awards. The Tuscan Regional Authority accredited the first courses run by the school in clothing design and pattern-making.

1997 With the collaboration of new professional experts, and assisted by Mrs. Monti’s two daughters, in 1997 a training institute - Urban Valdera – was set up to  organise and manage professional training courses recognised by the Tuscan Regional Authority. This was designed to create openings into new specialist sectors linked with the fashion industry such as multimedia communication and the new technologies applied to fashion and graphic design.

Right from the beginning, the institute was very successful for all those involved and above all for the number of course students who found employment in the fashion sector.


Within a short time Urban Valdera became well-known throughout the region, not only with the students who followed the courses, but above all with those companies with which the agency was able to create excellent collaboration relations. This collaboration continues today helping those involved to improve their prospects in the work market as well as in the fields of product quality.

2005 Urban Valdera acquired the technologies, know-how and expertise of Moda è Arte e Studio, resulting in a merger, forming a single company. 

2007 With the participation of the Pontedera Municipality, Urban Valdera was converted to the Modartech College which incorporated all the activities previously performed by the institute and the Scuola La Moda è Arte e Studio. The multinational company, Lectra Systems, granted the college the "Privilege Partnership". This award had been granted to only 15 colleges and universities throughout the world.

2009 Modartech opened up to new partnerships in order to expand its activities. The College set up a marketing department increasing its investments in communications. In international markets, it exported training projects to countries like Bulgaria, and took part in the creation and concept of the iModDesigner ShoesOnline trendbook, an innovative project for footwear design set up by the Leo Novi Designer studio.