Pam Quiñones: Istituto Marangoni Celebrates 80 Years of Nurturing New Artists

For 80 years, Istituto Marangoni has nurtured emerging talents, serving as a playground for aspirants in the fashion and design sphere

The fashion industry is such a competitive world, and to be ahead of the pack, one must possess exceptional creativity, the right knowledge and set of skills, as well as immersive experiences. This formula is what the prestigious Istituto Marangoni has been imparting to its students since 1935. Founded by the Italian tailor Guilo Marangoni, the school was primarily a training ground for patternmakers and seamstresses until it flourished to include fashion design, product development and marketing courses. Today, the esteemed educational institution has conquered the world’s fashion and art capitals in key cities such as Milan, Florence, Paris, London, Shenzhen, Shanghai, Mumbai and Miami.

Above Hands-on experiences provide students with the right skill set

Among its famous alumni is Franco Moschino who built his eponymous fashion empire popular for his vibrant, often eccentric pieces, after completing a degree in fashion design in the Eighties; Italian fashion designer and another fashion design graduate Alessandro Sartori who rose from the ranks and became the artistic director at Ermenegildo Zegna, a luxury menswear label that has more than 500 boutiques in over 100 countries around the world; and Bergamo-born multi-major alumna Alessandra Facchinetti, whose versatile aesthetics and impressive background opened opportunities for her to some of the most prestigious houses including the Prada Group, Gucci and Valentino.

Filipino bags and accessories designer Amina Aranaz-Alunan completed the Master Course in Accessories Design, magna cum laude, in 2004 at Istituto Marangoni Milano. She returned to the Philippines to grow her own label, Aranáz, which has now become a coveted brand globally. “Being in Istituto Marangoni and Milan absolutely gave me a front row view of a fashion capital. It pushed me to dream big for myself and for Philippine fashion,” says Alunan. In the same year and from the same campus, Loralee Baron- Soong finished the Master Course in Fashion Brand Management, graduating summa cum laude. “At Istituto Marangoni, students just live and breathe fashion,” Soong said. Alunan and Soong eventually co-founded the School of Fashion and Arts (SoFA) Design Institute, a world-class hub for design aspirants like them in Manila.

Above Loralee Baron-Soong

Other notable names in the Philippine fashion industry who have completed courses—short or full—at Istituto Marangoni are designers Boom Sason and Maureen Disini as well as the country’s most sought-after stylist and Tatler’s Asia Most Influential: Style honouree, Pam Quiñones.

Istituto Marangoni campuses are nestled in the fashion and art centres of major cities, surrounded by museums and iconic landmarks just within reach. This way, students from 107 countries worldwide are immersed in art and cultural diversity the moment they step into the campus. “[Some of my memorable experiences are] taking the tram to school and people watching. I was in awe seeing how those around me in the tram were so effortlessly stylish in their iconic designer pieces, only to see them get off at the same stop and realise they were also ‘fashion students’. [I also love] being a stone’s throw away from major fashion districts where all the ‘fashion action’ happens.

"It was like living in a dream," reminisces Alunan.

Above Amina Aranaz- Alunan

The institution also takes pride in having a strong industry link with some of the world’s best fashion houses. “These brands trust the school enough to do industry projects with the students where they can apply everything they’ve learnt. It’s like a real dive with real problems [that the students need to resolve],” says Jacinta Remulla, a representative of Istituto Marangoni in the Philippines. The professors, or what they call “tutors” are industry professionals and experts in their fields. “[I] worked backstage for the Roberto Cavalli Fashion show and celebrated our graduation at Nobu Milan with Giorgio Armani,” Soong enthuses, recalling her student life in Milan, which also includes side trips with friends all over Italy and Europe on weekends and holidays.

Since its inception, the school believes in the value of up-to-date and relevant courses in the fast-evolving world of fashion and design. While at the core of Istituto Marangoni are courses on fashion design, fashion business, fashion styling and creative direction, it has expanded and started offering omni-channel and retail strategy programmes to adapt to the digital age.

This story was originally published in Tatler Philippines' November 2021 issue. Download it on Magzter for free.

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Credits

Images

ISTITUTO MARANGONI, AMINA ARANAZ-ALUNAN, LORALEE SOONG

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instituto marangoni arts

Tatler Asia

Istituto Marangoni Celebrates 80 Years of Nurturing Emerging Artists Like Pam Quiñones and More