Fly - Fashion Loves You

What Fly - Fashion Loves You does

FLY - Fashion Loves You is a non-profit retail store and experiential learning lab located at Borgo Pinti 20R in Florence, Italy, founded in 2018. It operates as the creative learning lab of the Fashion and Accessories Studies and Technology program at Florence University of the Arts (FUA-AUF), with students and faculty managing daily operations. The store is owned by FUA - Florence University of the Arts - S.r.l. and overseen by Fondazione AUF, a participatory foundation that channels all retail proceeds into scholarship funds for Career Development programs in Fashion or Accessory Design.

The store's product portfolio centers on vintage and selected second-hand clothing, purses, accessories, jewelry, handcrafted pieces made by FUA students, and consignment items accepted from customers. A notable differentiator is FLY's claim as one of the largest collectors of vintage Emilio Pucci pieces, spanning the 1950s to the present. The assortment is supplemented by rotating showcases of emerging designers (including Nivule + Pesci Rossi, Marakita, Alexandra Zofcin, and Bastah) and limited capsule collections such as 'Le Formiche di GG' that raise funds for scholarships.

Revenue mechanics are transaction-based across three streams: in-store retail sales, consignment, and capsule collection sales. Distribution is concentrated in a single physical storefront (open Monday-Friday 12:00-19:00) supplemented by an Etsy online storefront for global reach. The go-to-market motion is community- and event-driven, leveraging fashion shows, designer showcases, aperitivo gatherings, and content marketing (Instagram, Facebook, video, blog) to attract fashion-conscious consumers and tourists in Florence. Customer segments include general vintage/sustainable fashion buyers, emerging designers seeking retail exposure, and FUA-AUF students participating in experiential learning.

Name

Fly - Fashion Loves You

Legal name

FUA - Florence University of the Arts - S.r.l.

Website

https://fashionlovesyou.it

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

FLY - Fashion Loves You is a non-profit vintage and emerging designer retail store in Florence, Italy, operated by Florence University of the Arts students and faculty, selling curated vintage, secondhand, and student-made fashion items with all proceeds funding fashion education scholarships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Vintage and Second-Hand Fashion Retail

NAICS

Clothing and Clothing Accessories Retailers (458110), Used Merchandise Retailers (45951)

SIC

Retail-Apparel & Accessory Stores (5600)

akta.pro primary industry

Vintage & Antique Collectibles Retail (CRALAGAE)

Keywords

• Vintage clothing retail
• Fashion education
• Second-hand apparel
• Handcrafted accessories
• Nonprofit fashion store

Headquarters

HQ city

Florence

HQ country

Italy

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Retail Sales: FLY operates a non-profit retail store selling vintage clothing, selected second-hand clothing, purses, accessories, jewelry, and unique handcrafted pieces made by FUA students. All proceeds are collected in scholarship funds for Career Development programs in Fashion or Accessory Design.
2. Consignment: The store accepts consignment items from customers, expanding its inventory with diverse fashion offerings while maintaining its mission to support fashion education through scholarship funding.
3. Capsule Collection Sales: FLY sells capsule collections (such as the 'Formiche di GG' collection) with proceeds going directly to scholarship donations for girls worldwide.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

FLY operates a non-profit physical retail store in Florence, Italy, selling vintage clothing, selected second-hand clothing, purses, accessories, jewelry, and unique handcrafted pieces crafted by Florence University of the Arts (FUA-AUF) students. The store also showcases and sells emerging designer collections and maintains a curated vintage Emilio Pucci collection from the 1950s to present. All retail proceeds are directed to scholarship funds for Career Development programs in Fashion or Accessory Design at FUA-AUF.

Product overview

FLY - Fashion Loves You is a non-profit retail store and creative learning lab operated by students of Fashion and Accessories Studies and Technology at Florence University of the Arts. The store offers a diverse portfolio of fashion products centered around vintage, second-hand, and emerging designer pieces, including clothing, accessories, jewelry, and handcrafted items. Key offerings include a curated collection of vintage Emilio Pucci pieces dating from the 1950s to present, handcrafted accessories by students, and rotating showcases of local emerging designers. The store also produces limited capsule collections for scholarship fundraising and provides consignment services. All proceeds support scholarship funds for Career Development programs in Fashion or Accessory Design at FUA-AUF.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Vintage and Second-Hand Clothing

Quantifiable outcome

• All retail proceeds support scholarship funds for Career Development programs in Fashion or Accessory Design

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Alexandra ZofcinminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 17 October 2017Emerging designer featured at the Femininity Is... event showcasing her F/W'18 capsule collection.
• Florence University of the Arts (FUA) - The American University of FlorencecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFLY is the creative learning lab of FUA-AUF students. Students and faculty manage daily store operations as part of experiential learning. The retail space expresses FUA-AUF's mission to foster interaction with the local community through a Florentine perspective of fashion. All proceeds support scholarships for Fashion and Accessories Studies students.
• Fondazione AUFcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFondazione AUF is the participatory foundation that oversees FLY. It is the registered foundation responsible for the non-profit scholarship model, collecting all retail proceeds for Career Development programs in Fashion or Accessory Design.
• Nivule + Pesci RossiminorGTM or Marketing PartnerEmerging designer partnership. Novella and Tania design from Piacenza, Italy, creating universal pieces for everyday wear using sustainable and recycled fabrics. Their collection is showcased at FLY, featuring tops, dresses, skirts, pants, and accessories.
• BastahminorGTM or Marketing PartnerEmerging designer brand featured at the Lost Paradise event premiering SS19 collection alongside FUA student collections.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Beyond Retro: Beyond Retro is a vintage and retro clothing retailer with stores in the UK and internationally, curating second-hand fashion for style-conscious consumers. Comparable to FLY as a vintage/second-hand specialty retailer targeting fashion-aware buyers seeking unique pieces.
• Depop: Depop is a peer-to-peer social marketplace for second-hand and vintage fashion, particularly popular with Gen Z and emerging designers. Comparable to FLY's second-hand and emerging-designer category, representing a more scalable digital-native alternative in the same resale segment.
• Rokit London: Rokit is a vintage clothing retailer specializing in curated vintage fashion, denim, and branded second-hand pieces across multiple London locations. Comparable to FLY as a vintage specialty retailer with curated designer and second-hand inventory.
• Humana People to People Italia: Humana Italia operates a network of second-hand clothing retail stores across Italy whose proceeds fund international development and education projects. Highly comparable to FLY as a non-profit vintage clothing retailer with a social mission tied to education and community impact.
• Vestiaire Collective: Vestiaire Collective is a global online marketplace for pre-owned luxury and vintage fashion, including authenticated vintage designer pieces. Comparable to FLY as a channel for vintage and second-hand designer fashion, particularly relevant to FLY's vintage Emilio Pucci inventory.

Broad incumbents

• The RealReal: The RealReal is an online luxury consignment marketplace offering authenticated pre-owned designer fashion, including vintage pieces. Comparable to FLY as a consignment channel for vintage and designer fashion, with a particular overlap in the vintage Pucci category.
• Oxfam Vintage / Oxfam Shop: Oxfam operates a large network of charity retail shops selling donated second-hand clothing across Europe to fund humanitarian programs. Comparable to FLY as a non-profit second-hand clothing retailer that converts retail proceeds to charitable/educational missions.

Others

• Etsy Vintage Sellers (FLO Firenze): Etsy is a global marketplace for handmade, vintage, and unique goods, and FLY itself operates an Etsy storefront. Comparable as a distribution channel for FLY's vintage and handcrafted inventory, where many Italian vintage boutiques also sell to reach global buyers.
• FAST Florence (Fashion Accessories Studies & Technology): FAST is the FUA-AUF academic program that operates FLY as its creative learning lab. Listed as 'The School' on FLY's own website, making it an enabling parent/academic partner that is institutionally co-located with FLY's retail operations.

Regional players

• Mercato delle Pulci (Flea Markets of Florence): Florence's historic flea markets (such as the Piazza dei Ciompi and Mercato delle Cascine) sell vintage fashion, accessories, and collectibles to local and tourist buyers. Comparable to FLY as a regional Florence-based venue for vintage and second-hand goods.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/FLYfashionlovesyou
• Instagraminstagram.com/fly_fashionlovesyou
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/fly---fashion-loves-you

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Fly - Fashion Loves You