DYSFLEXION
Fashion Show 2026
Istituto Marangoni Milano presents DYSFLEXION, the 2026 Fashion Show, a project that explores identity as a constantly evolving process, using the metaphor of reflection to illustrate this transformation. On September 21 at 7:00 PM (CEST), in the prestigious Palazzo Turati, the new home of Istituto Marangoni Milano, the collections of the ten top-performing third-year Fashion Design & Accessories students will take to the runway. Through research, experimentation, and a distinctive vision of fashion, these young designers interpret the complexities of the present, shaping a narrative in which creativity and innovation become tools for envisioning the future.
“With DYSFLEXION, our students explore identity as a fluid, open, and ever-evolving construct, presenting collections that transcend the boundaries between reality and otherness. This project marks the culmination of an educational journey celebrating the convergence of research, experimentation, and creative innovation at Istituto Marangoni Milano.”
Diana Marian Murek
Director of Education, Istituto Marangoni Milano
DYSFLEXION AS A SPACE FOR TRANSFORMATION
«Perception is not a science of the world, but the world itself as we live it», observes Maurice Merleau-Ponty. Identity, then, is not a fixed reality, but an ongoing process of interpretation and redefinition, influenced by our experiences and our relationships with the world around us. It’s from this perspective that DYSFLEXION, Istituto Marangoni Milano’s 2026 Fashion Show, comes to life. It reflects on contemporaneity as a space of possibility, where individuality, otherness, and change intertwine to give rise to new forms of creative expression. This vision echoes key ideas in contemporary thought, from Zygmunt Bauman’s concept of liquid society to Michel Foucault’s belief that identity is a dynamic, shifting construct.
Rather than asserting an identity, DYSFLEXION explores its continuous evolution. The collections investigate memory and transformation, tensions and convergences, autonomy and balance, shaping a vision of creativity as an open field of possibility. This is a journey through the complexity of the present, breaking free from conventions and recognising plurality as one of the most authentic expressions of creativity.
A JURY REPRESENTING THE ENTIRE FASHION INDUSTRY
The collections presented on the runway are the culmination of a rigorous selection process. More than 200 third-year students from the Fashion Design & Accessories programme submitted their projects. Through a competitive evaluation, thirty finalists were selected, with ten ultimately earning the opportunity to showcase their collections at the end-of-year Fashion Show.
Jury Committee • Best Collections 2026
The students were evaluated by a jury of leading figures from across the fashion industry: creative directors, buyers, human resources professionals, and talent managers, each bringing a different yet complementary perspective.
Notable members included Marco Rambaldi, Galib Gassanoff, Satoshi Kuwata, Gregory de la Hogue Moran, Youwie Roes, Marianna Lantieri, Marco Carrieri, Chiara Allegri, Paola Sandrini, and Rebecca Piattella.
“Curiosity, a willingness to learn, passion, and a conscious sense of humility. I believe these are the fundamental qualities needed to embark on a career in the fashion world.”
Galib Gassanoff
Founder & Creative Director @Institution
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Galib Gassanoff • Founder & Creative Director @Institution with a student The selection criteria focused on several key principles: research, creativity, methodology, critical thinking, product quality, and the ability to develop a distinctive personal vision. This design-driven culture lies at the heart of Istituto Marangoni Milano, which for over 90 years has been committed to educating professionals capable of interpreting the present and envisioning the future.
Satoshi Kuwata • Founder & Creative Director @ Setchu with a student
THE TEN SELECTED STUDENTS
The ten designers selected for the 2026 show embody a diverse range of creative and technical approaches, each uniquely expressed through the themes explored in their collections.
“Each year, the excellence of Istituto Marangoni Milano comes alive through the diverse visions of ten students and their final collections. It’s a story of encounters, where technology meets craftsmanship, research becomes inspiration, and technique transforms into beauty. Like a refraction, each collection distils the spirit of the present into a distinctive facet, revealing an exploration of volumes, materials, and techniques that have long defined our identity.”
Antonio Patruno Randolfi
Fashion Design Programme Leader
What's Hidden Behind a Pleat
Twisting becomes a design element that goes beyond aesthetics, revealing hidden functions and transforming silhouettes. Draping and asymmetry reinterpret traditionally feminine codes, creating a genderless collection that encourages viewers to look beyond the garment’s surface.
m ª t t o
This collection pays tribute to an elegance liberated from judgement, inspired by 1960s Italian cinema and the visual worlds of Pino Pascali. Through irony, artisanal details, pixels transformed into beads, and touches of pink, the collection celebrates those who choose to express their uniqueness.
Prima che la materia ceda
Inspired by the energy of fusion and Gary Winogrand’s photography, the collection captures the moment when opposites attract. The female figure emerges as the intersection of strength and fragility, control and spontaneity.
Nature's Half Life
Drawing from the concept of “half-life,” the collection explores the transformation in the wake of trauma. Organic volumes and artisanal techniques tell a story of rebirth, where imperfection, mutation, and memory are redefined as new aesthetic values.
Ancora cinque minuti
The collection arises from a suspended dimension shaped by anticipation, weathered surfaces, and everyday memories. Fluid, tactile materials evoke an intimate, sensory aesthetic, where beauty is found in the moments we wish we could hold onto just a little longer.
L’Appuntamento
This collection reflects on self-encounter and the coexistence of opposites within each individual. Architecture and gesture, rigour and instinct coexist in garments that transform the tension between opposing forces into creative balance.
I gesti che non abiti
Drawing on the photographic imagery of Miles Aldridge, the collection stages the contrast between domestic perfection and inner liberation. Rigorous silhouettes and subversive details tell a story of emancipation through colour and imagination.
Fare e disfare
This collection addresses the ready-made and deconstructivism, inspired by the Castiglioni brothers. Through cuts, folds, and asymmetries, it deconstructs and reconstructs everyday objects, transforming the garment into an ongoing process of construction and memory.
Esonia
The collection transforms music into a visual language, translating sound, rhythm, and emotion into silhouettes, textures, and movement. Navigating the space between chaos and harmony, it explores the relationship between memory, nostalgia, and perception, making the universe of consciousness visible.
Le Paradis Surréaliste
Blending the futuristic imagery of the 1960s with origami techniques and surrealist influences, the collection features geometric forms, animal motifs, and a black-and-white palette, creating a suspended universe that oscillates between rigour and dreamlike vision.
PALAZZO TURATI, A NEW SETTING FOR THE FASHION SHOW
The 2026 edition introduces a new venue for the Fashion Show. For the first time, the event will take place at Palazzo Turati, one of nineteenth-century Milan’s most iconic buildings and now the home of Istituto Marangoni Milano. The venue’s monumental spaces provide a dramatic backdrop for the meeting of historical heritage and contemporary experimentation, bringing together architecture, fashion, and a new generation of designers.
BEYOND THE RUNWAY
The Fashion Show is conceived as a multifaceted project that unfolds in several stages. On September 15, a press preview will offer journalists and industry professionals an exclusive first look at the collections. From September 16 to 19, casting and fitting will take place. After the main event, the same spaces will host a re-see dedicated to buyers and fashion industry insiders.
CODEX represents the editorial extension of DYSFLEXION. Through a photographic reinterpretation of the collections, the project weaves a narrative that extends beyond the runway, highlighting the research, experimentation, and creative vision behind each collection.
"With CODEX, the work of Fashion Design & Accessories students comes to life even before reaching the runway. Through styling and photography, each collection enters a new imaginary: it is not simply documented, but interpreted, transformed, and narrated."
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PRODUCTION AND PARTNERSHIPS
Production of the Fashion Show is entrusted to MONOGRID, a digital agency specialising in immersive experiences that blend creativity, technology, and contemporary expression.
The project also benefits from contributions by L'Oréal for hair and L'Oréal Luxe for make-up, as well as Amal Embroideries, which led an intensive embroidery training programme involving Alice Altea Molteni in both Rome and Mumbai. Bonaudo also supports the development and experimentation of leather techniques for Sofiia Jessome’s collection.
“Our team of creatives and master artisans works across every expression of hand embroidery, from the most traditional techniques to experimental approaches. It was a privilege to welcome Alice Altea Molteni to our atelier in Mumbai, share our knowledge with her, and see her immerse herself in this discipline for more than one thousand hours, combining technique with ongoing research into materials and innovation.”
Natalie Frost
Artistic Director & Co-CEO @ Amal Embroideries