Rocco Iannone and Pietro Terzini on creativity, risk, and the future of fashion
Ferrari’s Rocco Iannone and artist Pietro Terzini discuss creativity, risk, and vision, inspiring the next generation and shaping fashion’s future
What brings Rocco Iannone and Pietro Terzini into a room filled with aspiring designers and fashion professionals? Simply put: answering questions in the dark and sparking a conversation about what creativity really means.
Iannone and Terzini took part in a talk during Open Day at Istituto Marangoni Milan, held at the newly inaugurated Palazzo Turati campus on Via Meravigli 7. Throughout the week, students had submitted questions to a “question box,” which the duo responded to on the spot—without knowing what would come next.
Rocco Iannone, an alumnus of Istituto Marangoni’s Fashion Design course, has built a career working with a roster of high-profile brands and now leads as Ferrari’s Creative Director. Alongside him was artist Pietro Terzini, a cultural phenomenon with a vast Instagram following, celebrated not only for his digital presence but also for collaborations with Tiffany, Stella McCartney, Palm Angels, and Istituto Marangoni itself. For the school’s 90th anniversary, Terzini recently created the “Creative State of Mind” claim, now featured across its milestone celebrations.
Here’s what they had to say.
Pietro Terzini and Rocco Iannone joined Istituto Marangoni Milano’s Open Day, sharing insights and answering students’ questions on the meaning of creativity
Rocco Iannone: Haute Couture Meets Performance
Balancing fashion with movement and energy
“How do you balance haute couture with performance without losing the essence of either?” someone asked Rocco Iannone.
He explained: “Haute couture, unlike prêt-à-porter, is built around the individual. It’s about performance—how the body interacts with fabric—and craftsmanship, research, and savoir-faire that go far beyond ready-to-wear. The secret? Integrate the principle of performance into your work while leveraging your expertise.”
Inside Ferrari’s Music World Collaborations
From runway to stage
Ferrari is investing heavily in music and celebrity collaborations. “Any names to make us dream?” comes the question.
Rocco Iannone shared, “The music world came naturally to us. Performance is our common language. We work with artists who move on stage, needing both visual impact and functional support. Lisa from Blackpink, Maluma, Annalisa, Elodie, and Damiano David—just to name a few. Music has always been loyal to Ferrari, shaping our imagery alongside legends like Kate Bush.”
Ferrari creative director Rocco Iannone described Haute Couture as a performance uniting body, fabric, craftsmanship, and research
The Secret Behind Ferrari’s Iconic Style
How do you know it’s Ferrari?
“When working on a piece or an image, how do you know it’s unmistakably Ferrari?”
Rocco Iannone answered, “It’s all about brand identity. Every designer imagines a woman who is beautiful, powerful, and charismatic—never diminished. When I’m shaping a project, I weave together emotions that ultimately communicate energy, confidence and elegance. That’s my personal vision.”
Pietro Terzini on the Next Generation of Creatives
Learning from youth
“If you taught a class at Istituto Marangoni Milano for a day, what would you have students do?”
Pietro Terzini replied, “I’d have them teach me. I’d ask them about everything they love, all their influences. Inspiration often comes from younger generations, so I’d dive into their world—what excites them, what they’re exploring—and then let them create.”
Visual artist Pietro Terzini, with a background in architecture, emphasised the importance of drawing constant inspiration from new generations
Pietro Terzini on Creating Viral Fashion Moments
Anticipated or surprising?
Students asked: “When you post content that goes viral, can you sense it immediately?”
Pietro Terzini laughed, “I’m always surprised. You can never predict what will truly resonate. Often, the posts that go viral aren’t my favourites. That’s the magic of social media.”
Rocco Iannone’s One-Word Creative Philosophy
Harmony in contrast
“If you had to sum up your creative philosophy in one word, what would it be?”
Rocco Iannone didn’t hesitate: “Harmony of contrasts.”
For Ferrari’s Creative Director, two decades of experience have shown that complexity and balance lie at the very heart of his vision.
Where Rocco Iannone Finds Inspiration
The mental space of creativity
“Rocco, when you need inspiration, where do you turn—physically or mentally?”
“Creativity is about filling empty space—physical, emotional, or mental,” Rocco Iannone reflected. “When I’m overloaded, I step back to create that space. The sea is where I find it most: walking along the shore, immersed in its vastness and depth, I discover the mental clarity I need for new ideas to emerge.”
The conference, moderated by journalist and Istituto Marangoni lecturer Angelo Ruggeri, explored creativity through an engaging dialogue between Iannone and Terzini
Pietro Terzini’s Ultimate Tools for Curiosity
Feeding the creative mind
“Today, we have countless tools to feed curiosity—probably too many—and time is limited. How would you rank your preferred sources: social media, work experiences, newspapers, books, and so on? Pietro?”
“I’m a huge fan of monographs. I don’t read much fiction, but I collect books on photography, architecture, fashion—all sorts of disciplines,” Pietro Terzini shared. “I keep the TV and radio on at home, and Instagram is a constant source of inspiration. Contemporary creatives use their social media profiles as their portfolios, so there’s always something new to see and learn.”
In a room brimming with future creatives, Rocco Iannone and Pietro Terzini offered more than answers—they revealed a blueprint for success: curiosity, courage, and the freedom to let inspiration flow from the most unexpected sources.
Silvia Tarini
Editor