Manuela Catania is an Italian designer graduated in Architecture with 110 cum laude at the University of Architecture in Palermo. She has a Master Degree in Accessories and Jewellery Design at the Domus Academy in Milan and a Master of Arts at University of Wales. She explored the design world and she specialised in Fashion Design at IED Moda Lab in Milan and in Fashion System at European Design Institute in Venice. In the meanwhile she has developed her first collection of jewels made by Murano glass and showing it during the Milan Design Week. She created her first jewellery collection in Venice.
In 2012 she lived in Brazil, São Paulo, where she explored the design of this fascinating country.
Her most relevant working experience as lecturer has been at ESMOD University in Kuala Lumpur, where she was teaching fashion design.
In 2017 she was the coordinator of the International Workshop "Hong Kong | Palermo Fluid Cities" between Raffles Design Institute Hong Kong and the Polytechnic School of Palermo. The International Workshop was based on a new methodology of Urban Design developed on Skype between students in Hong Kong and in Palermo. She was teaching Fashion Design at L&S Global Fashion Design Academy in China. She has been Fashion Design and Fashion Marketing Programme Coordinator at Raffles Design Institute Hong Kong teaching Interior Design, Fashion Marketing and Fashion Design; and Introduction to Interior Design at The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Division of Humanities.
In 2020 she was teaching the final year project of Interior Design - University of Derby Module Bachelor of Arts (Hons) in Interior Design with Raffles Design Institute Guangzhou. She was coordinating and teaching online the Sustainable Fashion Design Workshop in collaboration with the Art program HKUST - The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. Prior to the appointment at the Baptist University she was Visiting Academy at the University of Saint Joseph - USJ Creative Industry Macao, teaching Interior Design Studio focusing on Sensory Hospitality Design and she was Dean of Academics at IDeAWorldwide Design College in Bangalore - India.
She is coordinating a Sustainable Fashion Design project in Bali with kids of the Children's House La Rosin, the project is called The Shapes of Dreams.
Fascinated by the reuse of old clothes and plastic bags, in 2017 she developed a sustainable design project in Bali based on the reuse of fabrics and waste materials called VISIONUPIA, where she blends sustainability and Italian craftsmanship. Her passion for Design and Multiculturalism led her to bring her sustainable design project to several countries such United Arab Emirates, India, Indonesia. In 2020 she was teaching online the Sustainable Fashion Design Workshop in collaboration with Art Program HKUST - The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology and now this sustainable project is the soul of the Hong Kong Pavilion for Countless Cities Biennial "People Live Here - A More Human Approach". She is the Curator of the Pavilion “The Five Senses of The Future” at Farm Cultural Park Italy.
Teaching as a way to explore new solutions in terms of design, materials and textiles. I guide students to develop a strong concept in order to create their own Design-DNA collecting inspiration images, observing reality and making a storytelling using keywords. I believe in the uniqueness of design, in simplicity of composition, in sensory experiences related to the materials. Each material has a soul and I invite students to connect this soul with humans. I encourage students to explore new solutions in terms of design based on sustainable processes. In my classes I coordinate students to develop a marketing plan related to branding and target market in order to support the mission and value of their jewellery brand. I’m very passionate about teaching, blending myself with students from different countries. My teaching vocabulary includes: Sustainability, Creativity, Community, Adaptability and Caring.