During the evening of the 15th of June, something magical happened. Just outside the desecrated Church of San Pancrazio, now reimagined as a museum hosting the artworks by Italian artist Marino Marini, a crowd gathered despite the light summer rain to enter the building.
But what was all of the excitement about? Walking down the side stairs, we realised why everyone was so thrilled.
Going underground, visitors had the chance to access the evocative space of the crypt, a large complex room combining Romanic vaults and HD screens. The installations by the year’s four most talented Istituto Marangoni Multimedia Arts students were displayed here: the works of Noemi Messina, Adan Flores, Amane Aoyama and Marcella Olivieri won everyone over.
The partial absence of light added to the evocative atmosphere while allowing the artworks to reveal their poetic charge through an immersive experience.
We went up to the main room where Marini’s works - such as Guerriero (1959), Monumento equestre (1957) and Pomona (1945) - are displayed. The crowd sat in religious silence: the Everywhere, Here, Nowhere fashion & art show was about to begin.
Looks showcased on the catwalk during the Istituto Marangoni fashion & art show. From left to right, outfits by Ahijin Shim and Alejandra Martine De Castro
We were faced with flashing lights, almost tribal sounds in the background and a soothing atmosphere. So, there was light, and the magic happened: the track turned more upbeat, and a series of looks by senior Fashion Design students from Istituto Marangoni came down in the cold lights of the runway.
From left to right, looks by Laetitia Wen and Lucrezia Veltroni
Only the crème de la crème were asked to showcase their work: selected by an international jury, the school’s ten best designers (Laetitia Wen, Lucrezia Veltroni, Nicola De Piano, XingXing Su, Urtè Ilginyté, Alejandra Martine De Castro, Sana Kirshna, Montserrat Macias Cervello, Lydia Schneider and Ahijin Shim) presented their latest creations under the attentive eye of the public and Sara Maino, Vogue Talents talent scout and director.
From left to right, a look by Lydia Schneider and a creation by Montserrat Macias Cervello
The show went on smoothly from one collection to another, offering contrasts and similarities between one look and the next. Montserrat Macias Cervello’s fluid male silhouettes, in black but different materials, clashed harmoniously with Lydia Schneider’s structured sleeveless dress in pastel purple.
From left to right, outfits by Nicola De Piano and Sana Krishna
The floral details featured in XingXing Su’s Le Givre collection depicted a blossoming nature, while the hats and floral bouquets by Nicola De Piano (Echoes) presented an almost decadent, urban environment, framed by fluid garments paired with stiff ones.
From left to right, creations by Sana Krishna, Urtè Ilginyté and XingXing Su
A few luminescent panels were installed along the runway. They showed the outcomes of the Re:mixing the city project by second-year Multimedia Arts students, created under the mentorship of Paris-based artist Andy Picci.
As a result of their collaboration, a series of IG filters alter the perception of key places in Florence, such as Palazzo Vecchio, Santa Maria Novella station and Orsanmichele Church, to name a few.
Launched by Istituto Marangoni during the 102nd edition of Pitti Uomo, this unique event celebrated the school’s talents with an emphasis on interdisciplinary research, a hallmark of the Florentine campus.
The show proved once again how fashion and art are continuously communicating by giving rise to new ways of perceiving harmony and generating unexpected forms of beauty.
Giulia Piceni
Arts Curating, 1st year, Florence