‘The Witness’: IM Firenze final show reimagines traditional fashion show concept

Istituto Marangoni Firenze has presented the top students of its graduating class of 2024 in its annual end-of-year fashion show. This year’s show was entitled ‘The Witness’ and aimed to reinterpret the concept of the traditional fashion show.

Held at Palazzo Ximènes Panciatichi in Florence, the event showcased the results of the three-year creative journey of the bachelor students in fashion design.

In ‘The Witness’, the traditional fashion show concept was deconstructed to create a fusion of performance and exhibition, offering two complementary experiences. It transformed the audience from spectators to active participants in the creative process behind the collections of the institute’s ten best fashion designers.

A look by Yanni Malhotra, IM Firenze graduation show, June 2024. *Credits: image courtesy of Istituto Marangoni Firenze.*

Each graduation collection was presented with unique styling, grooming, and performance styles, which highlighted the identity of each designer and which created the idea of ‘ten distinct worlds’, as per the press release sent out by the school.

The event opened with a tableau vivant, inspired by painting and figurative arts, where guests engaged in observing the ten collections as a unified element. The show ended with the disintegration of the tableau vivant, symbolising the end of one creative chapter and the beginning of new horizons.

IM Firenze presents graduating class, deconstructing the traditional fashion show

The ten worlds presented showcased the evolution of fashion shows, from their origins to modern digital performances. Advanced technologies and digital innovations were used to explore the concept of each collection, focusing on knitwear, menswear, innovative materials, technological innovation, and sustainability.

For the first time, students from various courses and disciplines were involved in creating content and organising the event and exhibition.

Commenting on the show in a release, Lorenzo Tellini, director of Istituto Marangoni Firenze said: “We chose Palazzo Ximènes Panciatichi as the venue for our Fashion Show, because it represents a harmony between the styles of the craftsmen who have worked there over the centuries, bearing witness to the evolution of Florence.”

He continued: “The frescoes and stuccoes become theatrical backdrops, allowing the ten collections to express themselves in a polyphony of voices, inviting the public to be a witness – hence the title of the event, The Witness – to ten different worlds, to be contemplated and experienced as a tableau vivant between craftsmanship and new technologies.”

The following designers showcased their collections:

Greta Peccia, Matilde Tasselli Anna Gervasi, Sophia Cuomo, Yanni Malhotra, Angela Huang , Nora Bagdasaroglu, Max Putrin, Tara Pitoni, and Sergio Catania.

View some of graduates’ looks below.