Interview with Armando Costa

Armando Costa is a talented designer first graduated at Istituto Marangoni and then at DAMS in Bologna in Art History. After graduating, he moved to Paris and for ten years now he's  working in the fashion world, a medium through which he cleverly manifests his passions, or as he calls his "universes",  as well presented in Horror Vacui, his first collection shown at Milan Moda Donna thanks to I’M Alumni Collections Revolution.

The approach to the world of work for a young fashion designer is not always easy or straightforward: we talked with Armando Costa to tell us what he sees to see his own collection going on the catwalk but also to find out how life is after life, academy.Among concerns, ambitions and hard work, here's what has to tell someone who had see his dream come true. 

#1 You are a Marangoni graduate, how did studying in Marangoni contributed to your training and your professional career?

Marangoni Institute has played a fundamental role in my professional life through a pedagogy focused on the development of a personal creative universe, but never disconnected from the current landscape of the "fashion system" and the companies that make it, both in Italy and abroad. The comparison with other students from different countries has enriched the study experience and has given me the push to move abroad after my graduation.

#2 Once graduated as a young fashion designer, how was the first impact with the work world outside the Institute? How is the life after graduating in a reality like the Marangoni Institute?

It was not easy because the job market is extremely competitive and there needs to be a great motivation, but above all the skills needed to carry out their projects. Marangoni Institute has opened up his network, as he does with all his students. The ability to practice internships in well-established companies and thus to work with professionals from the industry was an indispensable experience, complementing my years of study.

#3 Ten years after the end of your academic career, you were selected by the Institute as a deserving student at the launch of a new, incredible project, which led you to present Horror Vacui your first collection, during Milano Moda Donna SS18. Tell us.

The crowning of a path and a new beginning. I was contacted by Istituto Marangoni to take part in a selection of former students in view of the launch of a new project I did not know much about but which was already known to be oriented towards the creation of a collection with the support of the school. I was selected and at that point, it seems to me that the pace has accelerated. It was not easy because the expectation was high: getting off during the FW in Milan is very prestigious and very challenging. You really feel the pressure! But seeing outfits was like a dream come true.

#4 How important was Marangoni's support in making your collection?

Collaboration with Istituto Marangoni did not just allow me to realize a project that I really wanted, but it imposed a severe discipline and tested my tenacity and my real motivation. Marangoni Institute has been leveraging its network to allow me to realize my project and this was especially important for the collection.

#5 Talk to us behind the scenes: what lies behind the design of a collection and the organization of a parade? How did you experience this experience?

Threatening to seem trivial, but the ten / fifteen minutes of the show, where everything seems pervasive of lightness and ease, involve months of hard work. I found myself confronted with obstacles and constraints and a constant need for concentration to coordinate project actors. My determination and the support of Marangoni Institute made the miracle possible.

#6 What advice do you feel about giving young people who are facing the fashion designer's career? And what is the best lesson you learned by working in the industry?

Never give up on your own projects, do not let yourself be distracted by your professional and personal goals, insist and be aware of your strength and limits.