Istituto Marangoni BA Catwalk Show

The students take their bow

Friday night it was the graduates of Istituto Marangoni's turn to show us what they got. A private institute with its main campus in Milan, I gave a very boring lecture on the mechanics of researching and writing a book to its poor-London based students just two weeks ago. So, it was a proud guest lecturer that I attended the show with my friend Bert from Yorkshire Pearl, Charlotte of Style Cartel and Martyn director of Vauxhall Fashion Scout (who also guest lectures regularly at Marangoni).

The venue was the Royal Horticultural Hall, the same as Matthew Williamson and the runway set up did not disappoint the legions of flower-clutching parents queuing up outside. A narrow slick black catwalk set a modern and sharp tone for the designs to come. The students only got to send out three looks each (for which reason they came out so quickly it was near impossible to catch who was who), but my did they really make the most of them. I suppose if you only have three looks to show for the whole of your fashion student career, you're going to really make them count.

fashion show or screening of Avatar?

Technically, these kids are some of the strongest I've seen sending models traipsing down the runway in finely wrought, highly imagined and skillfully executed fashions. One girl, in a Limi Feu-esque move used rabbit fur and leather to create textile surface dualities that reeked of funky, young elegance--the first time I've seen fur on a student runway, by the way (must be the Italian thing). One student worked a flowing chiffon gown against bondage leather straps to a stunning Jill Sander effect. Another went the route of James Cameron and created a 3d print! Audience members were provided with glasses especially for. While it was pretty cool and certainly gave new meaning to the term making prints "pop," the print verged a bit too much on McQueen's Plato's Atlantis for my tastes. I also don't know how you would capture that in a photo shoot.

Bronx-born Bella Entes, whose collection closed the show, and with whom I had a chat at the pub post-catwalk, was, for me, the star stand out of her class. Working entirely with hand tooled and laser cut leather, she created these dark, sadistic fantastical looks with an ethos of her very own. The bent is in the direction of Chalayan, but the girl's touch with leather will certainly take her far.

To sum up, as a private institution (and this is clear from their amazing, glossy building on Fashion Street, Bert practically crumpled from envy at the sight of their airy studio space), it just goes to show that a major problem (and common criticism) of young fashion design is the production quality. Education in general is not a sector that's often dripping in extra cash, and fashion design programs, being a costly subject, often find themselves having to make do. What is clear is that the youth of London are not lacking in vision, but in the fabrics, pattern makers, sewers to realize them accurately and fully.  Maragoni provide their students with chiffon that really flows as it ought, FUR, leather supple enough to manipulate to the point of microscopic detail and even the manufacture of a three-dimensional print complete with hundreds of pairs of glasses--and that's what sets them apart. 

I alas, have been to lazy after the LCF Photoshop marathon to do the same here and so have just provided you with a selection of images that represent the strongest collections. If you want me to dig out more info about who a particular designer is, just drop a comment and thy will shall be done.

CONGRATULATIONS CLASS OF 2010! xxx

the runway looked a little slick

a bit Westwood

Love this skirt, great shape

I am obsessed with this gown, so gorgeous

Not high fashion, but adorable and very wearable

If Chloe and Galliano got together and produced a graduate fashion designer love child, this would be it

The lighting wasn't so great, but this was an immaculately tailored camel coat. Bert and I both sighed as it walked past.

Great idea and great on the right person, just don't think that person is me...

This is what i'm going to wear at fashion week, so anyone who comes too close or tries to push past me will get stung!

3D prints