Buttoning Up a Fashion School with Mimi: February 2015

ISTITUTO MARANGONI

DEGREE WARNING

THERE ISN'T A DEGREE FROM THIS SCHOOL! No degree will be awarded to a fashion design student after attending and graduating from the Istituto Marangoni!

Instead you will be given a Certificate of Attendance.

That's it. 3 years of study and a possible internship year but no bachelors degree.

A bachelors degree holds a lot of weight in the United States, especially if you are not going to be able to make your own brand or name for yourself right off the bat. For what ever reason, the Ministry of Education in Italy doesn't view fashion as a degree worthy study.

Which is so odd because fashion from Italy is so prominent!

So I got to thinking - what do the

Italians do?

Well, Domenico Dolce

(pictured on the right) studied at Istituto Marango but dropped out when he felt he learned everything he needed to know about fashion before pairing up with Stephano Gabbana. Gabbana has no formal training in fashion.

Riccardo Tisco

graduated from Central Saint Martin's art school in London

please view posts about this school dated 5/30/14 and 7/5/2014

he was awarded designer of the year by

GQ Magazine in 2012

It seems most of the famous Italian designers worked their way into the industry. Prada? Opened a leather shop in Italy with his brother called Fratilli Prada - the Brothers Prada

That worked out well! Guccio Gucci?

as teenager Gucci worked in the Savoy Hotel in London as an elevator operator! He was so impressed with fashionable patrons - he went home to Florence and started creating handbags Image result for image of gucci

Versace? Gianni Versace worked in his mothers dress maker's shop and studied Latin and Greek language and culture.

Kind of shows in this collection, doesn't it?

He will be missed. His sister runs his House of Versace since his murder a few years ago. It appears that the Italian designers are in agreement with their government and make or break it through work experience.

Work in the United States in the fashion world is very competitive so anyone studying in the United States - or any other part of the world for that matter, should aim for a Bachelors Degree in Fine Arts/Fashion.