How to impress at your first fashion show? In Paris, they made a hit
Inaugurated in 1971, it immediately became an architectural legend. With its curved lines, a 22-metre diameter space hall appeared under a dome rising from the ground, evoking a mother’s womb. It was immediately clear that the Espace Niemeyer opened a new page in the history of Parisian monuments. Oscar Niemeyer, a Brazilian architect who made sinuous shapes his hallmark, built it as the headquarters of the French Communist Party.
The latest Istituto Marangoni Paris show took place in the iconic architectural legend built by Brazilian architect Oscar Niemeyer (here are a few looks by IM student Kateryna Chyzh)
In this venue where time is always ticking towards the future, Istituto Marangoni presented its graduate show to an audience of influencers, journalists and fashion enthusiasts. The event celebrating the school’s top 10 graduating students from 2023 was called ‘Look: it’s the future’ – not just a title, but a real statement. The visionary approach of these young creatives is captivating; their ideas are an open invitation to the fashion industry to explore utopias of the future.
3D videos representing the collections were developed alongside the looks for the catwalk (here's the short movie with IM student Zihui Zhang's creations)
Istituto Marangoni Paris presented 10 third-year Bachelor Fashion Design graduates, who contributed with six looks each: Juana Casares (Argentina), Zihui Zhang (China), Aachal Rai (India), Avalon Anttila Smederevac (Sweden), Kateryna Chyzh (Ukraine), Pedro del Campo Criollo (Colombia), Guillermo Hidalgo de la Dehesa (Spain), Tia Najjar (Lebanon), Young Eun Jeon (South Korea) and Luciano Piunti (Switzerland), winner of the ‘Best Designer of the Year 2023’ award. Behind their work are the experiences, dreams, and visions of a generation that draws inspiration from nature and our contemporary society but also from Jean de La Fontaine’s fables, workwear, spirituality, photography and history.
From left to right, looks designed by Aachal Rai, Juana Casares, Kateryna Chyzh and Luciano Piunti
Using CLO3D, Avalon Anttila Smederevac (left), Zihui Zhang (right) and the other students developed their looks
As they walked down the catwalk with a rising tune, the looks showed the level of preparation behind the show. But there’s more, as these emerging designers also ventured into a new field: perfumery. In October, Istituto Marangoni Paris will launch its higher education programmes in Fragrances & Cosmetics Management with a prestigious partner, Symrise, one of the largest companies creating fragrances, aromas, natural nutritional ingredients and cosmetics. The perfumers from this renowned company have now assisted young designers in creating scents to match their collections.
From left to right, looks designed by: Pedro del Campo Criollo, Young Eun Jeon, Guillermo Hidalgo, Tia Najjar
From their disruptive ideas, we can anticipate what the future will smell like and get ready for some surprises, from an upcycled fragrance (Sweet Uniform by Margherita Carini) to a saffron perfume associated with a synthetic molecule with a chlorine aroma (Chloropistil by Pierre Guéros), and even an olfactory version of Dante’s Inferno (Dante by Annick Menardo)! This year’s show, therefore, had an unmatched multi-sensory impact.
The students also presented a lookbook alongside their collections. From left to right, looks designed by Guillermo Hidalgo, Juana Casares and Kateryna Chyzh
“The partnership with Symrise allows us to fuse the artistry of fashion with the captivating power of scent, offering an immersive experience,” pointed out Paolo Meroni, School Director at Istituto Marangoni Paris.
The new edition includes a digital dimension, fully reflecting the school’s dedication to new technologies and virtual universes. Partnering with Fashion Styling Department Professors, Istituto Marangoni created ten 3D videos representing each collection’s silhouettes. Taking the show into captivating digital environments aimed to merge fashion’s physical world with an immersive digital experience, offering a comprehensive view of students’ creations.
Partnering with Fashion Styling Department Professors, Istituto Marangoni created ten 3D videos (here's the short movie with the collection by Luciano Piunti, winner of the ‘Best Designer of the Year 2023’ award)
To sum up, as the title of this show suggests: here, at the Niemeyer space, the future of fashion has already happened.
Silvia Manzoni
Journalist and Beauty Expert