An Italian education in Holland Park
By Tom Howells
Istituto Marangoni presents 'Momentum: A Design Narrative'.
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Founded in Milan in 1935 by Giulio Marangoni, the fashion and design school Istituo Marangioni has long been a byword for aesthetic prestige. With eight schools across the globe – including a dedicated design campus in Milan, plus the London iteration, which recently celebrated its 20th anniversary – the Istituto imparts the Italian tenets of luxury, beauty, quality and excellence in craftsmanship to more than 4,000 students from 107 countries.
For this year’s edition of LDF, the school presents ‘Momentum: A Design Narrative’, bringing a selection of work from 13 of its BA and MA designers to the Design Museum. This includes an array of interior design pieces embracing valuable trends in upcycling and material repurposing, from Thomas Stevens’ restorative spatial brand design for Aēsop (dubbed ‘Retreat of Revival’) to Lia Sabbagh’s SOLNEX (a women-only space challenging Saudi social norms, festooned with columns and powered by integrated renewable energy sources) and Ekaterina Ermakova’s reimaging of an abandoned public baths in Ladywell.
A jewellery design display harnesses the resilience of women, via Chang Haozhe’s multitextural ‘Fesilience’ set, engraved with motivational words. The product design selection, meanwhile, emboldens community discourse, learning and wellness – take Emilia Tombolesi’s ‘Picasso’, a sensory toy for neurodivergent children, or ‘Tower of Taste’, an integrated fondue, grill, roasting and hot pot set to spark cultural exchange, by Anastasiia Kuleshova.
Finally, looking to the interstices of the real and digital worlds, the visual design cohort present thought-provoking and emotive works with a future-facing remit, whether it’s Sara Minkara’s kinetic, colourful exploration of typography (‘Type N’ Motion’) or Aleksandra Slahova’s ‘Anispace’, an AI-bolstered platform for anime and manga enthusiasts, where they can watch, read and discuss the media.
The ‘Momentum’ of the title, the school explains, refers to ‘the impetus of an object in motion’ per the laws of physics. In real-world terms, this kinetic sentiment is read as the creative innovation generated in the melding of unique perspectives and skill sets, especially when refracted through and guided by socially conscious themes. As a celebration of singular creativity, it’s engaging; as a display of Istituto Marangoni’s diversity and dynamism, it’s irrefutable. Here’s to the next 80 years.
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