Istituto Marangoni Miami collaborates with American designer Halston

Istituto Marangoni Miami (IMM) has collaborated with American designer Halston to launch the Halston design challenge.

Halston’s nonprofit organisation ‘With Love Halston’ will team up with the college to offer fashion design students to envision clothing inspired by the designer by using a sustainable fabric called Ultrasuede.

Students who wish to apply will be provided with mentorship from Massimo Casagrande, IMM dean and director of education, and must submit the following: fashion illustration sketches, inspiration boards, and paper sketches with fabric swatches. Senior executives from Halston will judge the competition.

The deadline for applications closes today, June 10. Eight finalists will be asked to continue to the next round; applications will close for that round on August 19, where participants will enter one of their finalised outfits based on their capsule collection. Those finalists will exhibit their work during Art Basel Miami 2022.

Hakan Baykam, Istituto Marangoni Miami’s president, said in a statement: “It is an honour for me to announce this partnership between Istituto Marangoni Miami and Halston, an iconic label that was ahead of its time and remains a beacon of signature American style.

“The introduction of Ultrasuede to the market revolutionised the way consumers viewed and bought sportswear in the 1970s. This competition serves to challenge young designers to consider the importance of fabrics in their own designs at a moment in time when sustainability and wearability must be in sync.”

On November 28, the three finalists will be announced, and they will receive scholarships and the chance to have their fashion illustrations featured in FIDA: The Fashion Arts & Illustration Magazine.