Istituto Marangoni: 'Fashion is increasingly becoming an agent of change'

Education was one of the most discussed topics among French fashion professionals who recently gathered at the second Fashion Forum in Bercy. Notably, the French Minister for Economy and Finance, Bruno Le Maire, insisted on the necessity of having a school in Paris that is able to compete with the most famous establishments internationally.

The rapprochement between the Institut Français de la Mode, the French Fashion Institute, and the private fashion design school, Ecole de la Chambre Syndicale de la mode, was mentioned. Lyne Cohen-Sohal, the president of the Institut National des Métiers d’Art, a semi-public association supporting the French craft industry, announced the creation of a conference of fashion colleges (CESUM) which aims to bring together several schools in the sector. The possibility of a Paris Fashion School Campus was also suggested.

In short, all the participants seemed to agree on the fact that the world of education was changing. As Paris is home to a significant number of very reputable fashion schools, each with its own speciality and uniqueness, we thought it would be interesting to take a closer look at these establishments. The series kicks off with an interview with Valerie Berdah Levy who heads the Istituto Marangoni in Paris.

FashionUnited: The market for fashion and for textiles in general has been in crisis since 2009. How are the schools – and Istituto Marangoni in particular – coping with this new economic reality?

Valérie Berdah Levy, Director of Istituto Marangoni in Paris: That’s right, the fashion market has been in crisis since 2009 and we see that the demand for courses has multiplied and grown, that companies are pushing their recruitment to the maximum. These courses act as a stepping stone towards fixed-term and temporary contracts and we have recent examples of young graduates who after a long stint of training have got in to prestigious fashion houses. I am thinking particularly of Margerita Deciani who is now Senior Designer at Givenchy, Robert Liptak who left school in 2015 and is now a designer at Saint Laurent, and Viola Marella Bisiach who finished her education in 2013 and is now fashion coordinator for the Paris office of Vogue Italia. Our students are rather trained to work in the luxury market than in the mass market, and the luxury sector is in a much better shape now.

What is so special about Istituto Marangoni compared to other French or European schools?

The main feature is being international: 80 percent of our students and more than 50 percent of our teachers are international. The second specialty is the Italian approach that blends business and creativity. This means that our students are sensitized to and trained in a creative and commercial way. Another aspect that differs us from other schools is the educational approach of the teachers who have no more than 20 students in a class which allows them to have a special relationship with their students. We are a private French school that issues university degree-level diplomas (Bachelor of Arts [BA] & Masters of Art [MA]) through a partnership with Manchester Metropolitan University.

What are your thoughts about fashion today?

Fashion no longer simply mirrors an era but has increasingly become a powerful agent for change, a medium that creates meaning and communicates ideas. In this respect, I now think that it perfectly expresses the ambiguities of a period that is in transition. We are in the process of looking at the dynamics of a system that is too focused on profit, empty marketing rhetoric and the hyper-production of its fast fashion. We are seeking to make sense of and find emotional value in things such as clothing and to focus more on human capital which involves promoting difference, personality and uniqueness. It is a process that is just under way and whose outlines can already be seen.

On matters relating to generic stereotypes, fashion is now playing an essential role. Fashion is culture, history, the capacity to interact with contemporary aspects and creativity and not only business. The importance now being assumed by fashion schools, the interest in educational factors which promote creativity, responsible engagement, the process which leads to the product, I think all these elements are signs of a new way of thinking about fashion.

At the fashion forum there was a lot of talk about creating a large public fashion school. What are your thoughts about this?

I think it’s a great initiative and that other capital cities, in particular London, already have this type of model. This would give a high profile to Paris as a capital of fashion.

LVMH has established its own training institute. Do you think such an establishment is a competitor to yours?

There are many fashion schools and institutes in France, each with its own specialty and its own place. We also work a lot with LVMH.

Unless I am wrong, fashion schools now depend on the Ministry of National Education. At the forum, reference was made to the possibility of involving the Ministry of Industry and the Ministry of Culture. Do you think this is going in the right direction?

With one exception, fashion schools are private and do not depend upon national education. The private French schools often have professional certification known as Répertoire National des Certifications Professionnelles (National Register of Professional Certification) issued by the Commission Nationale de la Certification Professionnelle (National Committee for Professional Certification) which is attached to the Ministry of Employment and is therefore closely involved in placing young graduates in jobs. It would be absolutely sensible and legitimate to involve the Ministries of Culture and Industry in these certifications!

What’s on the agenda for Istituto Marangoni?

New schools will be opened in the group: after Mumbai last summer, the next school will be opened in Miami in January 2018. Academically, we will have two new programmes in 2018. The first is called “Professional Experience” based on the principle of work–study alternation and is aimed at preparing young graduates for professional integration into work. The second to be launched is a completely new Master of Arts that is very specific to Istituto Marangoni and may or may not be rolled out in France. It is an MA in “Fashion Styling, Photography & Film”. The syllabus will be based on an analysis of the image with a sociological and anthropological aspect and will provide training for the job of a fashion stylist and creative director. As with all our MA syllabuses, it will include research.

How do you help young graduates to find work?

We have a careers department which helps to place students in Paris into jobs as well as a department at the head office which manages inter-school projects and that is directed by Giulia Pirovano, former managing director of Camera Nazionale della Moda, the National Chamber of Italian Fashion. The department arranges individual meetings and group workshops with students, invites former students at least once a month to share their experiences. At the same time, there are external participants who give conferences and this allows students to network through the school. Once a year, we arrange Company Days which are recruitment sessions at which companies can meet students at the school after pre-selecting their CVs. Companies that come to these recruitment drives include: Vêtements, Rick Owens, Balenciaga, Givenchy, Saint Laurent, Chanel, Lanvin … companies also take part in “industry projects” which are practical. Lastly, in order for the students to gain experience, we close the school during fashion week in March to allow them to go off and work.

Has the approach and/or the behaviour of the students that you have come across during your career changed in recent years?

The great cultural diversity and the different nationalities of our students constantly throw up new multi-faceted synergies and represent a precious forum for developing cultural and artistic curiosity which itself contributes to developing creativity in fundamental ways.

We have also found that the “digital revolution” which has allowed almost unlimited access to information, may also destabilize students who have a tendency to get lost in the mass of data available. Students may have difficulties in selecting, synthesizing and using these data and this is why it is essential from an academic viewpoint that the educational body, consisting of professionals in the sector, supports and directs students in their research by giving them appropriate tools and methods. The school and the students are also undergoing a process of change. I think that in recent years perspectives and attitudes have become less fixed. Our students come from all corners of the world and this diversity is a rich resource for the school. I think they are starting to feel that it is a dialogue, an exchange, a search in which the school can also act as a partner. I think students are more involved and demanding in their work as well as more confident because they feel they are part of a community.

What is Roberto Riccio’s mission?

As Chief Executive Officer of Istituto Marangoni, Roberto Riccio’s mission is to guide the group so that it becomes a world leader for creative innovation in fashion, the arts and culture, by establishing strong links with professionals in the fashion industry and recognized world luxury brands, and to promote the international development of the group through new openings worldwide. At the same time, he is encouraging a constant ongoing update of what is offered by education, educational materials and technology, in order to meet the demands of the market and to offer students high level educational programmes.

Photo: Istituto Marangoni,dr