Istituto Marangoni

Photo: Wam
HH Sheikha Latifa bint Mohammed Al-Maktoum, chairperson of Dubai Culture and Arts Authority and member of the Dubai Council, and HE Noura Al Kaabi, minister of culture and youth were among the members who attended the fashion show at the Museum of the Future that marked the Middle Eastern launch of the Italian fashion and design school, Istituto Marangoni.
The event showcased a traditional, physical fashion show alongside a digital version. The models, besides their metaverse avatars walked the ramp creating a distinct event that exceptionally weaved traditional elements with technology and modernization.
Photo: Wam
The show featured the work of five top graduates of Istituto Marangoni’s fashion-design courses in Milan, Florence, Paris, London and Shanghai, while the grand finale featured designs by Rahul Mishra, a reputed alum who was the first Indian designer to showcase his work at the Paris Couture Week. During the event, Mishra featured creations that blended traditional Indian craft with contemporary fashion trends in an ecologically sound and ethical approach. The creations were a tribute to and acknowledgment of the designer’s alma mater.
Photo: WAM
HH Sheikha Latifa, who also graced the cover of Vogue Arabia’s September 2021 issue, explained how Dubai has established itself as a place of convergence for global designs and creativity, which was one of the main goals of Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al-Maktoum’s Dubai Creative Economy Strategy. The royal also talked about the city’s fast-growing cultural and artistic scene and how it’s necessary to provide the right tools to help its development. She said, “Istituto Marangoni’s Dubai branch is a valuable addition to the city’s rapidly developing creative and cultural landscape. Its diverse offering will provide creatives in Dubai and the region with the right tools to launch their design careers.|
Photo: WAM
While HH Sheikha Latifa expressed her excited anticipation to witness the talents that will graduate from the institution, Al Kaabi talked about her joy to welcome such an esteemed fashion school to the city, and how she envisions a great partnership between UAE and other Middle Eastern countries. “It gives me great joy to welcome a globally renowned fashion and design school to Dubai. I see a great partnership in the making, where the UAE and other MENA (Middle East and North Africa) countries will have the advantage of a world-class design school, while Istituto Marangoni will benefit from the untapped talent waiting to be harnessed.” She also added how fostering young talents is crucial to the development of the city’s cultural landscape as a whole and the significant role the institution will play in contributing to the same.
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EDU-INDUSTRY: Amid growing competition for international fashion schools to provide premium academic curricula, the Florence unit of Istituto Marangoni has secured high-profile partners including the Yoox-Net-a-Porter Group and Italian luxury houses Versace and Etro for three post-graduate master courses kicking off in October.
The school’s goal is to shorten the gap between academic education and the labor market.
In particular, the e-tailer will support the school’s nine-month master course in Fashion e-Business and Digital Transformation, aimed at providing future fashion professionals with skills ranging from digital capabilities and e-commerce to design thinking, sustainability and new media.

Experts from the YNAP group as well as from other leading fashion companies will provide guest lectures, as well as workshops and masterclasses flanked by a project work initiative as part of which students will be tasked to develop a strategic plan following a company brief.
Ivana Conte, director of education at Istituto Marangoni Firenze, touted the master’s course in that it allows students to “develop skills and abilities that nurture a digital first entrepreneurial approach.”
“The master’s course developed together [with Istituto Marangoni Firenze] is a further proof of our commitment towards new generations, offering them not only a high-profile education but also an opportunity to acquire skills that are essential on international markets,” offered Paolo Inga, global human resources director at Yoox Net-a-Porter Group.

Versace and Etro are supporting the Florence school’s students with two scholarships starting from the 2021-2022 academic year.
Each brand will cover 50 percent of the school’s tuition fee for the winning applicants in the Luxury Accessories Design and Management and Fashion, Art and Textile Innovation master course, respectively.
Students applying for the Versace scholarship will be tasked with creating a handbag, as well as footwear and a piece of small leather goods inspired by the Italian brand’s signature codes, while those interested in attending the Etro-backed Art and Textile Innovation course are required to provide sketches or digital drawings of three total looks, one with a sustainable bent, in sync with the brand’s DNA and offering a creative take on the use of fabrics and materials.
On July 6 Istituto Marangoni Firenze’s director Lorenzo Tellini, alongside Conte and representatives of the two brands, will select the winning projects.
Istituto Marangoni counts nine campuses across Milan, Florence, Paris, London, Mumbai, Shanghai, Shenzhen and Miami.
As reported, the enrollment rate at Istituto Marangoni Firenze – which was opened in 2016 – inched up 9 percent in 2020, despite the pandemic.

A look from a student in Fashion Design at Istituto Marangoni Firenze. 
Courtesy of Istituto Marangoni Firenze

Last week in conjunction with men’s trade fair Pitti Uomo, the Florentine fashion school hosted its fashion show displaying the collections by the 10 best designers from its Fashion Design undergraduate courses. Among them, Filippo Matteo Paolo Barbagallo was the recipient of the International Catwalk Award assigned at the London Graduate Fashion Week 2021.