Istituto Marangoni celebrates its 75 years in style: the party not only had the world of fashion go wild dancing on the notes of Mamy Rock, but created a special, unforgettable night. Besides, two other initiatives have left an indelible mark
A book and a press campaign, by Wallpaper and David Lachapelle respectively. The name of the book speaks for itself: 3/4 Tre Quarti - Trois Quarts - Three Quarters, that is to say the three quarters of a century in which the Milan Institute has been among the most active players in fashion and design.
Suzanne Trocmé - editor at large at Wallpaper - and Clair Watson - one of the best-known fashion historians - have concentrated in a book (published in just 750 copies) the evolution of clothing and trends and the opinions of fashion insiders. "Writing this book caused a surge in our learning curve as we had to dedicate energies and ideas to the business analysis. In the past I had always dealt with style trends." explains Suzanne Trocmé. Clair Watson adds: "Learning everything about Marangoni and their lively programming has been very fascinating, especially done in parallel with the history of fashion of the last 75 years: after the Second World War Italian fashion was revived, when Valentino opened his ateliers and the textile industry resumed its activities. The most amusing part of our work? When we decided to compare Armani's laid-back luxury in American Gigolo to the looks that the designer himself has created for Lady Gaga's amazing show".
3/4 is a book that may be somewhat defined choral. Suzanne Trocmé explains: "All the leading personalities of fashion wanted to take part personally: we would be on the phone talking at the same time with Giorgio Armani, Anna Zegna, Romeo Gigli! We gathered in a single book 75 designers, from Elsa Schiaparelli to Rudi Gernreich, from Karl Lagerfeld to Gareth Pugh: a kind choice that may become quite subjective!"
A lot of space is devoted to students. Which of the Institutes's graduates are bound to become successful? The two authors answer together: "Rocco Iannone will be a star: he has an amazing personality and knows all the secrets of cutting and draping to perfection. Also Roberto Fragata will follow the same road. Among accessory designer, one to watch is Paula Cademartori, who owns an interesting vision and a great talent."
The advertising campaign celebrating this important birthday was shot by David Lachapelle in Los Angeles, using clothes chosen by the photographer himself among 2009 graduates' collections. The three high-impact images, irreverent and ironical, were inspired by 30s and 60s movie posters. Celebrity worshipping was born in the Thirties, and fashion was a key element of iconic images. In such a climate Giulio Marangoni decided to found a professional school dedicated to the textile and clothing sectors.
Three topics tell three essential moments in the development of the fashion system: Passion, regarding the Prohibition in the 30s; Obsession, that goes back to the fashion-mania of the 60s; Creation, that provocatively looks into the future and enhances limitless creativity.
Elisa Pervinca Bellini