Matilde Bonechi Wins at Milano Moda Graduate 2026
The Istituto Marangoni Firenze Alumna receives the Fashion Design Award for La Forma del Sentire
Discover how Istituto Marangoni Firenze Alumna Matilde Bonechi won the Fashion Design Award at Milano Moda Graduate 2026 with La Forma del Sentire, a collection blending historical menswear, traditional knitwear and innovative textile techniques through a distinctive approach to contemporary fashion.
“La Forma del Sentire”: A Dialogue Between Heritage, Denim and Textile Innovation
With her award-winning collection La Forma del Sentire (The Shape of Feeling), Matilde Bonechi, Fashion Design & Accessories Alumna of Istituto Marangoni Firenze, explores the relationship between tradition, memory and contemporary fashion design. Her creative approach brings together historical research, everyday materials and artisanal techniques, transforming familiar references into a distinctive exploration of clothing, textures and craftsmanship.
The collection, which earned Bonechi the Fashion Design Award at Milano Moda Graduate 2026, reflects a design process in which different cultural and historical influences converge through textile experimentation.
Matilde Bonechi, Istituto Marangoni Firenze Alumna, takes the runway at Milano Moda Graduate 2026 with her collection La Forma del Sentire.
Milano Moda Graduate 2026: A Prestigious Recognition from Fashion Industry Leaders
The recognition of La Forma del Sentire at Milano Moda Graduate 2026 highlights the prestige of the competition, promoted annually by Camera Nazionale della Moda Italiana to celebrate the most promising emerging talents from Italy’s leading fashion schools. Selected among six finalists in the Fashion Design category, Matilde Bonechi received the Fashion Design Award from an international jury chaired by Luca Lisandroni, CEO and Executive Board Member of Brunello Cucinelli. The jury included influential fashion industry figures such as Carlo Capasa, President of Camera Nazionale della Moda Italiana; renowned fashion journalist Suzy Menkes; Sara Sozzani Maino, Talent Curator and CNMI Brand Ambassador; Roberta Benaglia, CEO of Style Capital SGR; and Mariella Elia, Managing Director of Rinascente. This prestigious achievement reinforces Istituto Marangoni Firenze's excellence in nurturing emerging fashion talent, recognising the quality, creativity and technical innovation of its graduates.
From Umberto Eco to Historical Menswear: The Inspirations Behind the Collection
The starting point for La Forma del Sentire was an essay by Italian writer and philosopher Umberto Eco, Il Pensiero Lombare, which provided the first conceptual reference for Bonechi's creative research.
As the designer explains:
“My name is Matilde Bonechi and my collection is titled La Forma del Sentire. My first inspiration was an essay by Umberto Eco, Il Pensiero Lombare.”
From this initial inspiration, Bonechi turned her attention to menswear silhouettes from the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, studying historical approaches to clothing and drawing inspiration from garments traditionally associated with everyday life.
Particular attention was given to denim, a material that occupies a central position in the collection. Beyond its practical qualities, denim carries a history of use and transformation, changing in appearance and character as it is worn over time.
“Subsequently, I was inspired by menswear silhouettes from the late 19th and early 20th century, focusing in particular on denim, a fabric used in everyday life and one that evolves over time.”
Through this research, Bonechi approaches denim not simply as a fabric, but as a material capable of expressing the passage of time, connecting historical references with contemporary fashion design.
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Aran Islands Knitwear: Where Traditional Craftsmanship Meets Contemporary Fashion
A further source of inspiration came from the traditional clothing worn by fishermen from the Aran Islands, off the western coast of Ireland.
Known for their distinctive knitted garments, these traditional forms of clothing introduced a new dimension to Bonechi's exploration of materials and construction techniques.
By studying the fishermen's clothing, the designer developed the knitwear component of La Forma del Sentire, creating a connection between two materials with different characteristics and histories: denim and wool.
“Afterwards, I studied the clothing of the fishermen of the Aran Islands, from which I drew inspiration for the knitwear section of the collection.”
This encounter between traditional knitwear and historical menswear helped shape the collection's material identity. The relationship between structured garments, knitted surfaces and tactile qualities became an important element of Bonechi's creative language.
Textile Experimentation: Blending Denim and Knitwear Through Weaving
One of the most distinctive aspects of La Forma del Sentire is its exploration of hybrid textile development, where traditional weaving techniques become a tool for contemporary experimentation.
Rather than treating denim and knitwear as separate components, Bonechi sought to bring their characteristics together through the creation of a new textile.
Using a loom, she experimented with wool yarns to reproduce the texture and appearance of denim, developing a hybrid material that connects the visual identity of denim with the properties of knitwear.
“Finally, I decided to use the loom to create a hybrid textile that blends denim and knitwear, recreating the same texture of denim through wool yarns.”
This process highlights the role of material research in fashion design, demonstrating how established textile techniques can be reinterpreted to achieve new creative results.
The resulting textile becomes an expression of the collection's broader concept: bringing together different traditions, materials and construction methods within a contemporary design language.
“La Forma del Sentire”: A Personal Exploration of Fashion, Memory and Materiality
Through La Forma del Sentire, Matilde Bonechi demonstrates how fashion design can emerge from the interaction between intellectual references, historical clothing and hands-on material experimentation.
The collection moves from Umberto Eco's writing to historical menswear, from the everyday evolution of denim to the knitted garments of Aran Islands fishermen. Each reference contributes to a creative process that culminates in the development of an experimental textile.
By combining traditional craftsmanship with a contemporary perspective, Bonechi offers an interpretation of fashion design in which materials become an essential part of the creative narrative.
Her achievement at Milano Moda Graduate 2026 recognises a project defined by research, experimentation and technical sensitivity, reflecting the importance of developing an individual design identity.
For Istituto Marangoni Firenze, Bonechi's collection represents an example of how creative investigation, textile knowledge and an understanding of fashion heritage can contribute to the development of emerging designers and new approaches to contemporary fashion.