Milan’s prestigious fashion academy, Istituto Marangoni, has opened its doors in DIFC, Dubai, where it will welcome aspiring fashion, interior and product designers and guide them on their paths to sartorial success. With regional designers Sandra Mansour, Rahul Mishra and Andrea Wazen counted among its alumni, it is clear that Istituto Marangoni is a hub for outstanding talents, and its roster of mentors is equally impressive. Olivier Rousteing of Balmain; stylist, creative director and journalist Katie Grand; MSGM founder Massimo Giorgetti and ex-Salvatore Ferragamo, Alexander McQueen and Calvin Klein designer Paul Andrews have mentored at Istituto Marangoni’s international locations. Now, Giulio Cappellini, architect, designer and Art Director of Istituto Marangoni Milano Design, joins the newly opened Dubai outpost as a mentor. Here, MOJEH chats to Cappellini about his new role and why he thinks Dubai is one of the best locations in the world for up-and-coming creatives.
Can you tell us about your relationship with Istituto Marangoni and your role in the new school in Dubai as a mentor?
My relationship with Marangoni is a long-term relationship because I started as a mentor and Art Director for Istituto Marangoni Design Campus in Milan eight years ago, when we opened the Milanese campus. Step by step our relationship grew and I became a worldwide ambassador for Istituto Marangoni, visiting all their campuses around the world. For me this role is very important because from a personal point of view I can always be in touch with young designers and young students coming from different parts of the world. Now I’m very happy about the opening of this new campus in Dubai because I think that today Dubai is an international hub; a new important step for Istituto Marangoni. For me to be a mentor means to replicate in Dubai the same way of working that we have in Milan.
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How does it feel to be a mentor for such a prestigious institute?
For me it’s really important because Istituto Marangoni is a super-famous fashion institute worldwide with a long history of more than 80 years. Over time, the activities of Istituto Marangoni has grown to communication and design. The opening of this new campus is very important because Dubai is a contemporary city; the interesting thing is that although the school only opened a few weeks ago, we already have students from different parts of the world, with different histories, cultures and attitudes for design, so they can inspire each other by working together. That’s Istituto Marangoni’s concept.
You are an internationally renowned professional, why is it relevant in your opinion for a student to study design in Dubai today?
Yes, in my opinion today it’s very important for a student to study in Dubai, because Dubai is today, it’s the future. It’s a very active city and you can have a lot of different possibilities – also for professional design. I think that at the moment in Dubai you can see many things going on. There has been a huge growth in design and architecture; when I see the projects of today compared to those from 10 years ago, there really is a huge difference. The projects are still related of course to the Arabian culture of the past but at the same time are very modern and this gives to a young designer, to a young architect, the possibility to express their DNA, and this is absolutely fantastic. At the moment Dubai is one of the most contemporary and interesting places worldwide. Learn more
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