Fashion

Istituto Marangoni CEO Stefania Valenti: “Challenge yourself constantly”


For the first time in its 80-year history Istituto Marangoni, the school of
fashion, design, and art, appointed its first female chief executive. With
more than 4,000 students of 107 different nationalities spread across three
continents, Stefania Valenti will manage the entire Marangoni Group.
Valenti started this year in her new role with big plans, but at the moment
they are facing a critical time during the coronavirus outbreak.
FashionUnited recently spoke to Valenti, about the future plans of the
institute and why Istituto Marangoni has ranked again in the top 10 Best
Fashion schools in the world.

You were appointed as the first female chief executive in the 80-year
history of the school. How does that feel and how is everything going so
far?

” It is first and foremost an honour to be leading Istituto Marangoni,
one of the first schools to make great strides in fashion and a group that
keeps its commitment to excellence, at multiple levels, constant. Being the
first woman to do so is a great responsibility as well as an invaluable
opportunity to represent all the excellent female professionals populating
this industry. Things so far have been proceeding, needless to say, we’re
in the midst of a critical time but the aim is to respond with a rational
and creative approach to this crisis, setting an example and keeping up
with challenging development goals. In fact, we were the first school in
the fields of Fashion and Design that, in early February, responded
promptly and chose to offer all courses via e-learning, as well the open
days via We Chat in Shanghai. This allowed us to be ready when having to
face the closure of other schools across the globe. We are therefore able
to guarantee the continuity for all academic activities worldwide and to
offer all our students safe access to education.

You have a lot of experience in the fashion industry. What made you
decide to take the role of MD of a fashion educational institution?

” Education is key and it’s stimulating to be managing a Group that, in
a way, operates right at the roots of the future fashion industry, while
shaping the fashion professionals of tomorrow. I am eager to put all the
information and know-how gained through my previous commitments into this
new role, hoping to offer an experienced perspective on the fashion
business and inspired by our young and prepared faculty and students too.
Furthermore, an educational institution is always working on many new
projects and conversations, providing new angles on the fashion
discourse.”

This year the school is again ranked in the top 10 Best Fashion schools
in the world. What do you think distinguishes Istituto Marangoni?

”We have indeed been able to secure a great position within the global
fashion school ranking and this is a success not only for the school but
also for our students, faculty, staff, and alumni. Our philosophy and
process of creating success stories come from an amalgamation of our
Italian heritage that we have been able to convert into the contemporary
world with 9 Schools dotting the globe (in Milan, Firenze, London, Paris,
Miami, Shenzen, Shanghai, and Mumbai), keeping up with the requirements of
the fashion industry nowadays.”

What do we need to know about Istituto Marangoni?

”It is important to know that Istituto Marangoni has a worldwide
presence (9 schools on three continents) and offers a wide variety of
professional courses that help each and every student to grow into
successful individuals. Training in key sectors (such as design,
communication, and managerial coordination), the schools guide the finest
creative minds in these industries turning into the talent that the world
will notice.”

” Istituto Marangoni has developed a “talent centric approach”, this
means that we want to encourage them to become protagonists within the
fashion system. We are connected with fashion and luxury players worldwide
and work constantly alongside them. This allows us to offer our students
not only factual projects but also unique opportunities for their future.
According to IPSOS, one of the most prestigious international research
companies, 97,4 percent of Istituto Marangoni’s graduates in 2017 found a
job within one year from their graduation. This is, for me, the best goal
achieved by our schools.”

What are the plans for this year? Any new things coming up?

”Despite the present situation, we’re still focusing on expanding our
network of schools abroad and on speeding up the digitalization process
that covers all the different educational and business areas of the Group.
Moreover, this year sees the celebration of the 85th anniversary of Istituto
Marangoni and we are therefore implementing some ad hoc activities related
to this special anniversary.”

Do you have any tips for future students who want to study at Istituto
Marangoni?

”We are always enthusiastic about newcomers into our schools and we
encourage the energy from younger generations. My main tips would be:
challenge yourself constantly, as this is the best way to build adaptive
skills, which are so essential in the creative industry.”

”Keep an open mind as well as an analytical approach always, and welcome
obstacles as opportunities to grow stronger; this really is key. The
fashion industry is undoubtedly quick and ever-evolving, so being
up-to-date and informed is also vital. Lastly, passion fuels everything and
discipline is the asset you need to make all these ingredients come
together – so follow your interests and deliver on time.”

Image: courtesy of Istituto Marangoni



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