DATE: 5th November 2024. PLACE: BASE Milano Event Graduate Italia. TIME: 14.00
A Dialogue Between Tradition and Rebellion
If there was one overarching sentiment at Istituto Marangoni’s showcase this year, it was a refusal to choose between the past and the future. As noted in the show notes, the students did not merely present clothes; they revealed "manifestations of unmistakable and authentic creative vision."
In a week dedicated to "Eyes Wide Open"—the theme of this year's FGI—the Marangoni cohort stood out for their sophisticated handling of volume and identity. The runway became a visual story where personal heritage was not just referenced, but aggressively reconstructed to fit a modern, often tense, global context.
students "merged artistic influences with volumes which challenge conventions," and nowhere was this more evident than in the work of Eleonora Bellea and Chufan Wei.
Bellea’s collection, Folie à Deux, directly answered the call for artistic investigation. channeling the surrealism of Salvador Dalí. She distorted the human silhouette, turning garments into living canvases that warped perception. It was a masterclass in using volume not just for size, but for psychological impact—challenging the "conventions" of where a body ends and the garment begins.
In contrast, Chufan Wei’s The Flowing Land took a more architectural approach. Wei interpreted the tension of urban life through structured clothing that moved with a liquid dynamism. This perfectly exemplified the "intertwining of influences" you observed: the rigidity of city architecture merging with the fluidity of the human wearer.
The Istituto Marangoni presentation at Fashion Graduate Italia 2024 was a triumph of substance over spectacle. The students did not just make "content" for social media; they engaged in the "artistic investigation" you described.
By merging sculptural volumes with deeply personal cultural narratives, they confirmed that the next generation of designers is not interested in discarding the past. Instead, they are dissecting it, creating a "visual story" that is as complex, chaotic, and beautiful as the ever-changing society they now enter.
I: Daniele Venturelli
Cesare Garbin presents “GAZZE LADRE (Magpies: Rise and Fall of Shimmer) a collection inspired by the film Il maestro di Vigevano (1963) by Elio Petri. Through innovative silhouettes that blend moccasins and clothing, Garbin explores the dream of prosperity and the fear of failure
Chufan Wei draws inspiration from fluid architecture in his collection “The Flowing Land”, exploring how urban spaces influence life and emotions, with pieces that convey dynamism and energy.
Tomas Parodi with “SHO” explores Argentine identity through a mix of gaucho workwear and 2010s street style, celebrating roots and the personal journey of self-discovery.
Michele Mazza draws inspiration from Yasuhiro Ishimoto’s shots and Larry Clark’s photographs in the “FIGLIO” collection, which reflects the innocence and early growth of a child facing the adult world.
