by Anabella C. Pacheco, Yasemin Yıldırım and Jean Luca Troian. Cover Image: Lorenzo La Commare, Kidraw, 2022.

Istituto Marangoni Firenze partnered with Customix and DRESSX, two companies in the virtual fashion world. The purpose was to launch a contest where students had to create a fashion collection of two to six outfits using CLO3D. Students were judged by a panel including Istituto Marangoni Firenze Tutor Stefano Vasile and an executive from both companies.

The projects were judged on theme consistency, innovation, execution excellence, feasibility, and synthesis and clarity of the concept. As a reward, the winners can promote and sell their designs on the e-commerce website dressx.com, and the projects selected by Customix will have access to advanced digital software training.

I’M Firenze Digest had the opportunity to talk to the winners and get their opinions on digital fashion and how they see their roles as fashion designers in this evolving environment.

CARMINE NAPPI, WINNER OF BEST COLLECTION AND BEST OUTFIT

I’MF: What/who inspired you to become a fashion designer?

CN: First of all, my past, my family of Neapolitan tailors. I was inspired by the idea of pursuing the dream someone I love didn’t have the chance to achieve, so let’s say I continued their path to reach their objectives.

I’MF: Can you tell me something about the collection’s theme?

CN: I started with the concept of talking about my life in a different context, another country, at a different time. I told the story of a man named Oliver Rush, which I invented. When he loses his mother and discovers that he has a brain tumour, there is one solution: hibernation. So we can see light-blue thermosensitive garments reminiscent of ice, fur coats inspired by Inuit tribes, or the knit balaclavas used by Inuit tribes to warm themselves up.

MARIARITA SORRENTINO, WINNER OF BEST MATERIALS RENDERING

I’MF: Should digital fashion be pushed to the mainstream? How?

MS: Yes, it should be done to allow as many people as possible to participate and have people “touch” it firsthand. Obviously, the more people discover it, the more this (digital fashion) can grow, evolve, and maybe show us things we never thought we could find.

I’MF: What is the central theme of your project?

MS: The focus is on showing the woman in a different environment; I had to synthesise this specific point of view for the contest, so I wanted to offer clothes that revealed a new kind of woman. That dares to be more vulnerable and dares to show off points that aren’t shown often in today’s society while contrasting these to a more powerful point of view. So, the main point was to show this contrast between softness and strength

LORENZO LA COMMARE, WINNER OF BEST STYLING

I’MF: What is your ultimate career goal?

LMC: My future on a career level would take place in a collective of creatives that work together under one idea, mood or concept to have maximum expression. Music, arts, fashion, I really do not want to limit myself because, in my inspiration, there has always been material from all artistic fields and philosophy.

I’MF: Why do you think that digital fashion matters today?

LMC: I always try to mix functionality and my way of expressing myself, so I feel it’s right and important to talk about digital fashion when it’s only serving a purpose. When I create clothing on CLO3D with samples, patterns etc., I do not use materials and resources that may be thrown away just because they’re not good enough. Hence, it serves the purpose of being more sustainable in making clothing. Digital fashion makes it possible to determine the feasibility of ideas and prevent waste at the beginning of the design process.

ROBERTO CORTI, WINNER OF BEST PATTERN MAKING INNOVATION

I’MF: What was the biggest challenge in this contest?

RC: First of all, time, because the contest was after our exams, we basically had to hand in both projects at the same time, which made the whole thing a little stressful. I’m happy that I managed to get everything done in time. That aside, in my case, there were also so many details that were quite difficult to create and patterns.

I’MF: What was the central theme of your collection?

RC: The main theme was inspired by nightmares, but Alice in Wonderland also influenced My whole collection is a voyage of someone under the influence of hallucinogenics. I had to research colours, distortions, and forms that may be part of such an experience. There are many rather “ugly” parts of history and life, the Victorian age, and the illnesses that came with it, but this is precisely what inspired me the most: the more complicated and not-so-beautiful parts of the world.

Roberto Corti, Lorenzo La Commare, Carmine Nappi and Mariarita Sorrentino are undergraduate students of Fashion Design & Accessories at Istituto Marangoni Firenze.
Anabella C. Pacheco is a Fashion Business & Digital Marketing undergraduate at Istituto Marangoni Firenze.
Yasemin Yıldırım is a Fashion & Luxury Brand Management postgraduate student at Istituto Marangoni Firenze.
Jean Luca F. Troian is a student of Fashion Business Semester at Istituto Marangoni Firenze.