4 women designers debuted this fashion month – and they all trained at your school
Dear students, the spring-summer 2024 season was a hot one for creatives, literally. And guess what? From New York to Milan, Istituto Marangoni showcased its talent the whole fashion month. Wait, don’t scroll. It may seem like we’re bragging, but trust us, those who were once in your shoes are truly making strides in the industry.
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From left to right, Giorgia Tordini and Istituto Marangoni Milano alumna Gilda Ambrosio, co-founders of The Attico
If you’re feeling overwhelmed with projects and deadlines, remember that IM alumna Gilda Ambrosio used to feel the same way. But now, she shines bright like a diamond with the debut of her brand, The Attico, on the Milano Fashion Week catwalks. The show was one of the most highly anticipated events on the schedule and certainly the coolest, featuring clothes that everyone is now raving about. Every party girl wants to get their hands on The Attico pieces for her nights out, and no editor left an empty seat (and we all know how tricky bringing the major publications to fashion shows is), no buyer not pursuing them.
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IM alumna Ji Cheng debuted at the latest Milan Fashion Week
In Milan, Coccinelle also walked the runway for the first time with Chinese designer and Istituto Marangoni alumna Ji Cheng. Elisa Nencioni introduced her own brand, Maison Nencioni, during the official calendar’s last day, dedicated to digital events.
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IM alumna Rachel Scott’s Diotima just won the Emerging Designer of the Year award at the 2023 CFDA Awards
Speaking of successful debuts, ex-student Rachel Scott’s Diotima made a big impression during its first presentation in the Big Apple and just took home the Emerging Designer of the Year award at the 2023 CFDA Awards.
So please, make some noise for our alumni, who are entering the fashion weeks with a bang. We are proud of them as we are proud of all of you, fresh, brilliant designers. And while we provide you with the ultimate back-to-school survival guide, we are confident that the path of these brillant women designers, their words and vision will inspire you.
A bunch of sofas placed outdoors, residents peering over their balconies and a glamourous day-to-night attire for The Attico’s first catwalk in Milano
“We were dressing our women, let’s say, from 8pm to 8am. At some point, very naturally, we were like, okay, but what about the other parts of the day?”. Here’s what IM alumna Gilda Ambrosio and her friend and business partner-in-crime Giorgia Tordini told Vogue about their decision to bring the brand they founded in 2016, The Attico, to the catwalks.
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So, they staged their first-ever show during the latest Milan Fashion Week, leaving all speechless. With a catwalk organised in the middle of the Milanese streets and some sofàs located on the sidewalks, this creative duo reinterpreted the distinguishing features of the IT-girls for their Spring-Summer 2024 wardrobe.
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“For seven years, we have been building a solid base, taking care of every aspect of the company to get to this big moment,” Ambrosio said to Vogue. “Our woman doesn’t want to be closed in a box or to be defined with one style only,” Tordini explained. “That’s why we introduced denim and cargo pants, which we like to mix with our eveningwear pieces.”
From day to night, Gilda Ambrosio e Giorgia Tordini choose glamorous attire, even while walking around the Milanese streets. “The brand reflects a lot of the city. It’s where the brand was born,” Tordini said to Vogue Business explaining the venue they went for. “We think of the street as a flexible reality. There is great energy, and it’s where we get inspiration. The street is the stage where things take place.”
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And that’s not all. Not just a fashion icon, trendsetter and successful fashion designer and entrepreneur, Gilda Ambrosio never fails to support IM students and has been a mentor for first-year talents in Fashion Design, Fashion Styling and Fashion Business.
Your next fav skin-baring crochet pieces are made in Jamaica and just debuted in New York (winning a CFDA award) – and their tag says Diotima
If you are looking for the perfect crochet skin-baring pieces, Rachel Scott’s Diotima is your next go-to brand. With everyone now literally loving her designs, she just received a nod as American Emerging Designer of the Year at the 2023 CFDA Fashion Awards.
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“The ruffled dresses and tops seem to organically grow around the wearer’s bodice like moss on a tree,” W magazine reported on the most coveted items designed by the Istituto Marangoni alumna.
Look from the Diotima spring-summer 2024 collection by IM alumna Rachel Scott
Scott’s crochet is made in Jamaica, where she was born, but her creations also include tailored wool suits and pleated skirts. Mary J. Blige even wore the brand’s signature crystal mesh in a photo shoot for Glamour. Representing the Caribbean roots of the founder and creative director, Diotima is defined by craftsmanship.
“A dream for me is to expand on what Caribbean culture is, and bring it towards the future and give it its own autonomy,” Scott told W magazine, pointing out that Diotima is based on collaboration and that she has been turning to the women of her hometown for the crochet work in her collections since she founded her brand in 2020.
Look from the Diotima spring-summer 2024 collection by IM alumna Rachel Scott
Born in Jamaica but raised in London, Rachel Scott attended the Fashion Design Intensive course at Istituto Marangoni Milano, then moved to New York, where she decided to give life to Diotima three years ago. After being a finalist in CFDA and Vogue’s Fashion Fund, she was a semi-finalist and then a finalist in the LVMH Prize 2023, where she was the first to represent Jamaica. In September, Rachel Scott picked the Big Apple for her first Spring 2024 presentation during the latest NYFW.
When asked to describe her brand in three words, Rachel responded with “seductive, artisanal, nuanced,” to The Webster retailer’s fashion director ahead of her New York Fashion Week debut. “Apart from some obvious textures, a very specific Caribbean spirit is also found in not being afraid to show skin and mixing things that you wouldn’t normally mix together, such as gold and red,” Scott added. “So, these kinds of tensions and textures all come from home, but I think things like a really great pair of trousers or a shirt are things you pick up living in New York, and you just crave those items.”
Look from the Diotima spring-summer 2024 collection by IM alumna Rachel Scott
Ji Cheng showed her collection in Milan how to blend the traditional Yi embroidery art and culture from China with Italian luxury fabrics
A wind of change comes from the East. We are talking about Istituto Marangoni Milano alumna Ji Cheng, one of China’s leading fashion designers.
Debuting on the catwalks of the latest Milan Fashion Week, Ji Cheng brought Chinese tradition to the runway by introducing traditional Yi embroidery art (featuring Yi ethnic group totems such as the tiger, seeds and flowers) into contemporary Western fashion. The designer successfully blended the handwork of embroiderers from the Chuxiong Yi Autonomous Prefecture in Yunnan Province with luxury Italian fabrics. Chuxiong is about 120 kilometres west of Kunming, the provincial capital of Southwest China’s Yunnan province.
IM alumna Jin Cheng's SS24 collection (courtesy of Jin Cheng)
“A collection of some 40 designs was presented by models, creatively applying the black colour adorned by the Yi ethnic group and their favourite patterns of clouds, seeds and silver ornaments,” reported the website China Daily, then quoting Li Wenjuan, head of the publicity department of the Chuxiong Prefecture Party Committee. “We live in the deep mountains, but we still have the fashion genes,” Li Wenjuan said when speaking of the 1,700-year-old Yi embroidery as an intangible cultural heritage.
The collaboration between Ji Cheng and the Italian brand Coccinelle was unveiled during Cheng’s first fashion show in Milan. Cultural fusion was the motto behind this partnership. Inspired by the grace of Yi embroidery art and culture, the limited-edition ‘Boheme’ bags will be launched exclusively in mainland China by the end of November 2023.
IM alumna Jin Cheng's SS24 collection (courtesy of Jin Cheng)
At Maison Nencioni, they know how to create empowering clothing for powerful women
“Empowering clothing for powerful women” – Maison Nencioni’s brand statement on their Instagram account speaks clearly. And so does IM founder and alumna Elisa Nencioni. Born in 1997, she holds a Master’s degree in Fashion Design from Istituto Marangoni in Florence and is determined to achieve great things in the fashion industry.
Maison Nencioni's debut collection by IM alumna Elisa Nencioni (Photography: Ruben Ramerini, Francesco Martolini. Via maisonencioni.com)
After working at Ermanno Scervino as a junior designer, Elisa Nencioni founded her brand and debuted at the latest MFW with the ‘In My Skin’ collection through a digital presentation on the last day of the fashion week’s official programme.
Maison Nencioni's debut collection by IM alumna Elisa Nencioni (Photography: Ruben Ramerini, Francesco Martolini. Via maisonencioni.com)
The main theme of Maison Nencioni’s SS24 collection was to enhance the body’s natural curves with dresses that embrace all shapes instead of trapping them. Sensuality and self-confidence were the keywords.
Maison Nencioni's debut collection by IM alumna Elisa Nencioni (Photography: Ruben Ramerini, Francesco Martolini. Via maisonencioni.com)