By Rebecca Ceccatelli & Giulia Piceni. Cover image by Naufal Farras.
Inside Istituto Marangoni Firenze’s 2025 TEXTSTURES Fashion Show Experience
On June 18, a magical evening unfolded for curious minds and fashion enthusiasts. The grand Palazzo della Borsa, Florence’s historic former stock exchange turned runway sanctuary, buzzed with anticipation and an intoxicating mix of history and modernity. Istituto Marangoni Firenze unveiled its most ambitious Fashion Show yet: TEXT(S)TURE(S). This event wasn’t just a showcase of clothing; it was a multi-sensory journey that delved into the very essence of our school. Over ninety students from all corners of the fashion and art world—designers, stylists, curators, fragrance masterminds, artists and managers—came together to weave a collective narrative. Picture the tactile pulse of textiles merging with the subtle power of language, crafting a rich tapestry of stories that we could wear, breathe, and experience.
The TEXTSTURES 2025 Fashion Show Scene: Marble, Metal, and Mantras
Arriving at the Palazzo della Borsa for Istituto Marangoni Firenze’s fashion show felt like stepping into a cathedral dedicated to the art of textiles and fabrics. The gleaming Carrara marble floor, cool and smooth beneath your feet, reflected the gentle glow of the Rapolano Travertine walls adorned with bas-reliefs that celebrated the Florentine textile heritage. Michelangelo Maiorfi’s 19th-century architecture stood elegant and austere, its clean lines framing a playground for experimentation. The runway itself—a geometric ribbon slicing through space—was flanked by a constellation of metallic grids and iron modules that resembled satellites orbiting a creative galaxy.
At 06:00 PM, waves of students welcomed the visitors by handing them the first-ever printed version of our magazine titled Title(s). They invited guests to read the interviews conducted by our staff with four professionals centred around the theme of text. However, after a brief reading, it was already time to scan the QR code on the cover of the fanzine and start exploring the space!
A hypnotic soundtrack accompanied the experience. Emiliano Zelada’s sound design served as a mantra, starting from the moment of entry and continuing throughout the show until the end. The beat throbbed throughout the entire event, weaving electronic pulses and ethereal choruses that enveloped the room in a sonic texture that was both ancient and futuristic.
A Textual Intelligence Video Installation by Arts Curating Students
One of the fascinating projects dedicated to the TEXTSTURES 2025 Fashion Show evening’s theme of texts and textures was the video installation created by third-year Arts Curating students. Picture a typewriter clacking to life, words appearing on the screen as if from an invisible ghost, whispering questions about identity, communication, and existence. The piece, titled I’m the Textual Intelligence, encouraged us to view language as a living entity—conscious, curious, and questioning. “Who am I without you?” the text seemed to ask, inviting us to ponder the power and fragility of words in a world increasingly dominated by images and screens. This monologue of text served as a metaphorical prelude to the show’s mission: to celebrate the fusion of tactile textures and conceptual narratives, proving that language and fabric, code and weave, are all threads in the same tapestry.
Surveying Your Fashion Intelligence
The video was like a cerebral spark, while the interactive survey crafted by Fashion Management students served as the heart of the experience. Approaching the touchscreen, participants were encouraged to pause and reflect: What kind of intelligence am I wearing today? Through a series of playful and thought-provoking questions about fabric preferences, daily gestures, and subconscious fashion choices, the students revealed the hidden reasons behind our sartorial decisions. Each response rippled through a digital map, turning data into an immersive landscape of shared habits and individual quirks. It felt as though fashion was speaking back to us, helping us gain a deeper understanding of ourselves and each other through the sensory language of textiles and style. In a world that changes at dizzying speeds, this moment provided an opportunity for mindful reflection wrapped in sleek digital elegance.
Recoding the Shirt: A Masterclass in Reinvention by Fashion Design Students
The shirt—an iconic yet humble staple—was reinvented with breathtaking creativity by second-year Fashion Design students in collaboration with Chargeurs PCC. This project was a tribute to both tradition and innovation, merging Swiss Brennet fabric with DHJ linings in ways that challenged our perceptions of wearability and protection.
Stefano Ciucchi’s shirt could be worn in 1300 different ways—yes, you read that right—a wardrobe universe condensed into a single garment. Monica Beduzzi drew inspiration from insect armour, crafting protective shells for vulnerable parts, while Kangsan Lee found poetic refuge in the Korean sseugae-chima, turning the shirt into a personal sanctuary. Meanwhile, Sara Peng’s design echoed the weight of migration, shaping the shirt like a spine bent under the burdens of countless journeys. Meanwhile, Elena Vignolini pushed boundaries even further, hardening the shirt’s structure into a rigid metaphor for societal constraints. Each piece was a story of resilience, identity, and the poetry embedded in everyday textiles.
Behind the Shoes: Crafting the Future, One Step at a Time
The second edition of Behind the Shoes explored the often-overlooked world of footwear, elevating it from a mere accessory to a central figure. Master’s students in Luxury Accessories Design & Management collaborated with industry leaders to experiment with new materials, 3D printing, and artisanal techniques.
The result was a collection of prototypes that resembled sculptures, where craftsmanship met cutting-edge innovation—a symphony of tradition and future-forward vision. From intricate stitchings to daring shapes, every shoe became a statement of identity and experimentation. It was as if the leather and metal whispered the stories of their own creation, reminding us that the details in fashion are not just decorative but are the core of its narrative power.
Jacquard: A Fabric of Dreams and Code
At the heart of the runway, nearly 50 meters of jacquard fabric created by Master students in Fashion Design as well as in Art and Textile Innovation alongside Knitchen studio mesmerised all who laid eyes on it. This wasn’t just fabric; it was poetry woven in yarn, a visual narrative of texture and meaning.
Laser-cut patterns danced alongside Braille-inspired designs, transforming the jacquard into a tactile storybook. Supported by Woolmark’s visionary encouragement, students prototyped these ideas into stunning realities — textiles that invited touch as much as gaze. This installation embodied the core of TEXT(S)TURE(S): a place where poetry becomes thread, code becomes cloth, and fashion becomes a language that speaks on multiple sensory levels.
A Fragrance Installation To Create an Olfactory Narrative
Walking through the fragrance installation felt like stepping into an invisible garden, where scent took the place of sight and touch. Master’s students in Olfactory Experience Management, alongside perfumer Alba Chiara De Vitis, crafted a fragrance that challenged the traditional pyramid by offering eight distinct notes arranged as a binary dialogue between the artisanal and the artificial.
Saline whispers mingled with floral bursts, leather’s earthy notes danced with metallic glimmers, and abstract accords painted emotional landscapes. Presented under delicate glass domes and ceramic supports, these scents became portals to another realm. In this space, technology and tradition intertwined to craft an olfactory narrative that lingered in memory long after the room was left. It was an invisible texture you could wear on your skin and in your soul.
Styling the Artisanal and Artificial
The fashion styling students presented a bold challenge to conventional perception, showcasing editorials that blurred the lines between natural beauty and artificial intelligence. Their photoshoots and videos, expertly edited by Multimedia Arts alumna Emma Maggiani, created a chorus of voices—some human, some algorithmic—woven together to form a narrative celebrating diverse identities and artisanal intelligence. Can you tell what was real and what had been enhanced by AI? The styling served as a playful yet thought-provoking exploration of authenticity, artifice, and the new aesthetics emerging at the intersection of technology and craftsmanship. This was a form of styling rooted in critical inquiry, offering a fresh perspective on how we dress not only our bodies but also our identities in an era of rapid digital evolution.
Moving Text(s)ture(s): The Poetics of Motion and Memory
The Multimedia Arts students invited us into immersive worlds filled with memory, poetry, and bodies in motion, where moving images served as the loom on which personal and collective stories were woven. Asia Niero’s Vecchio Cuore portrayed an abandoned house undergoing a transformation, beautifully capturing decay, the passage of time and the textures of loss and renewal. Margaret Mitchem explored how tactile elements become visible through movement, while Lin Shiqi investigated the merging of digital and organic forms. They also illustrated how fashion can narrate stories that unfold, not in stillness but in the vibrant dance of life. The visual narratives they created resembled cinematic poems, ethereal yet grounded, inviting the audience to linger in moments where time slows and textures speak louder than words ever could.
Let the Fashion Show Begin
At 6:30 PM, the evening’s biggest event was about to begin: the TEXTSTURES 2025 Fashion Show. Although some visitors might not have grasped everything at once, this first moment into the space served as the focal point of the celebration. A voice called for the guests to “please take their seats” and, soon after, the show began.
Models walked the runway, showcasing creations from the Third-Year Fashion Design students, each characterised by a distinct grunge, vibe, colour, and recurring elements.
This was a joyful moment to celebrate their long work and meticulous attention to detail. Everyone appreciated the commitment of these young students who, supported by professionals, brought their visions to life in the most beautiful way.
TEXTSTURES 2025 Fashion Show: The Collections on Stage
The lights dimmed, and a hush fell over the crowd—then, with a swell of ambient sound, the first model emerged, and the runway came alive. Each step was a revelation, beginning with The Florist by Shreya, a tender take on masculinity where draped silks and structured lines danced in harmony, echoing softness and strength. From there, Eleonora Maccarone transported the audience to silent Italian villages with Restanza, her voluminous silhouettes breathing life into places forgotten, torn between staying and leaving. Metamorphosis by Regina Branca fluttered like whispers of myth, every thread a rebellion against rigid ideals, each look a tender transformation.
Martina Troya Malo followed with Tocas, weaving Ecuadorian legacy into modern grace—straw transformed into flowing forms that honored the land and its people. Giulia Lin’s Hyphen spoke of tension and rhythm, life and labor coalescing into a new daily uniform. Then came Radici Future by Martina La Gatta, layering the paradoxes of Naples in codes both ancient and futuristic.
Best Fashion Designer Elena Maria Brugnara’s Inevitable, therefore alive walked slowly, each look a quiet scream of melancholy made material, gaining the first prize of the runway. Finally, Xintong Li closed the show with Modern Nomadic—agile, serene, and borderless—mirroring a world in motion. It wasn’t just a show; it was a meditation on identity, memory, and transformation, stitched into every seam.
TEXTSTURES 2025 Fashion Show: a Night to Remember, a Community to Celebrate
As the evening transitioned into a lively cocktail reception, guests mingled among installations and metallic grids, their conversations weaving new layers into the atmosphere of the night. The launch of the first issue of I’M Firenze Digest’s fanzine Title(s)—a rich collection of interviews with creatives like Federica Caiazzo, Meo Fusciuni, Jeppe Ugelvig, Enrico Dal Buono and Gianluigi Ricuperati—added to the experience, reminding everyone that fashion is as much about stories and ideas as it is about appearances. (We will be publishing all the interviews here on the website in the coming weeks!).
TEXT(S)TURE(S) was not just a fashion show; it was a manifesto, a conversation, a celebration of plural voices and shared dreams. It was a night when Florence’s textile legacy met the restless energy of tomorrow’s makers, proving that fashion is indeed a language—tactile, textual, and endlessly fascinating.
