Press Release | Istituto Marangoni Opening First US School in Miami’s Design District
Istituto Marangoni, the leading Italian fashion, art, and design school, announces its expansion into the Americas with the opening of the first US School in Miami’s Design District, the 10th in the world.
Istituto Marangoni was founded in 1935 in Milan and has more than 80 years of history and success in training the top professionals of Fashion and Design. Istituto Marangoni can praise itself for educating four generations of students from 5 continents and for launching over 45,000 professionals in fashion and luxury fields. It currently educates 4,000 students per year from 107 countries at its schools, located in Milano (the School of Fashion and the School of Design), Firenze (School of Fashion & Art), Paris, London, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Mumbai, and Miami., the international capitals of fashion, design, and luxury.
The prestigious Istituto Marangoni, renowned for its high academic standards and celebrity alumni base, is now extending its proven and unparalleled education model to top students throughout the US and Latin America. This expansion represents a unique opportunity for students and faculty to be part of a historic moment in the institution’s journey. “Bringing Istituto Marangoni to the Americas fulfills a long-term vision to support and develop youth interested in fashion and design from all over the world,” said Roberto Riccio, Group Managing Director of Istituto Marangoni. “We are thrilled by the opportunity to give emerging talent in the Americas a platform to hone their skills and realize their true potential in the industry.”
Istituto Marangoni, renowned for its high academic standards and celebrity alumni base, is poised to attract the best young talent in the hemisphere. The institution consistently plays a key role in shaping global fashion trends. It holds the merit of creating some of the biggest names in the industry, including Domenico Dolce, Franco Moschino, Alessandro Sartori (Zegna Group Creative Director), Paula Cademartori, Julie de Libran (Artistic Director of Sonia Rykiel), Rocco Iannone (Creative Director of Pal Zileri), Maurizio Pecoraro brand owner and Istituto Marangoni’s International Fashion Chair), and more.
Hakan Baykam, president of the new School, has identified a unique opportunity in Miami to pioneer a new fashion hub. As the visionary behind the expansion, he is building an impressive Istituto Marangoni Advisory Board in the Americas that consists of names like Esteban Cortazar, Craig Robins, Carlo D’Amario, Oscar Feldenkreis, Karla Martinez, Milan Vukmirovic, Paula Cademartori and more. He is also curating a high-profile team of leaders for the new campus, which includes Massimo Casagrande (who is an Istituto Marangoni alumnus, founder of his own menswear label and former Versace designer) as Director of Education and Pablo Arbelaez as School Director.
“We were looking to create a new global fashion destination and selected Miami for its existing international allure and its need for a firmly established fashion school. The city’s rapid growth in the design and art categories and its accessibility to Latin America made it the perfect choice for us,” said Baykam. “Miami already has the groundwork for success, and we feel that a brand of Istituto Marangoni’s caliber will take the city to the next level. This new campus is the first step to developing a fashion hub that will be taken seriously worldwide.”
The academic curricula at Istituto Marangoni’s Miami School will follow teaching methods that the institution has strengthened for over 80 years. The school, which offers Associate, BA, and Masters Programs, will be anchored by ‘Made in Italy’ values but will also blend with the city’s unique cultural elements, such as the local emphasis on sustainability and innovation. This commitment to blending Italian values with local cultural elements demonstrates the institution’s respect and appreciation for the local culture. It includes integrating forward-thinking and sustainable practices into the course programming and looking at Miami’s commitment to resilience to shape the overall DNA of the campus. Istituto Marangoni will also uphold the brand’s international imprint of ‘Italianness,’ which seeks to contextualize theoretical teachings to promote creative platforms and potential opportunities for students and alumni. The concept will be brand new for the US and will reinvent the fashion industry of Miami. The Miami School will feature impressive course offerings, beginning with short courses in the winter of 2018.
