We present LA MODA by Marta Griso and Jenny Monteiro, alumnae of Istituto Secoli.
We went to discover their new studio-laboratory in Corso S. Gottardo in Milan, and there were many surprises!
The Showroom opening took place last December, attracting numerous industry professionals for the presentation of the S/S 2013 collections, which were a great success; the laboratory is open to the public not only for the sale of Marta and Jenny’s clothing but also for pattern making and other services.
Marta Griso
The refined style of Marta Griso, a young Milanese artist at work creating her feminine fashion, stems from the fusion of art and nature. Each of Marta’s collections tells a story and bears the mark of her experiences, travels, and passions. However, two elements dominate every garment: art and nature merge to give life to a unique and sophisticated style that, in its essentiality, manages to enhance the femininity and personality of the women who choose her clothes. Her creative vein is expressed through three constants: the continuous search for geometric cuts that follow the silhouette, the contamination and combination of colors and textures to create chromatic contrasts and balances, and the use of natural fabrics. Her garments represent a synthesis of the various cultures she has encountered over the years, although attention to detail, a sartorial approach, and Italian character remain dominant traits. The result is of such artistic effect that Marta can be defined first and foremost as a true artist—an artist who communicates with and through her creations. In designing her collections, she seeks a dialogue with the world: every dress contains a message that anyone can capture but, above all, reinterpret through their own personality.
Jenny Monteiro Prestes
Born in 1971 in Brazil, where she completed her university studies. The fact that her family was active in the clothing sector brought her close to the world of tailoring and garment construction from a very young age. The years of family apprenticeship were instrumental in helping her learn and perfect the fundamental techniques of artisanal cutting and sewing. During those years, Jenny began to develop an idea that has always stayed with her and has become a deep conviction over time: clothing should not just be a means to dress and protect the body, but also a way to allow the wearer to express their personality. The choice to gain experience in a world considered the center of fashion and design became an inevitable consequence of this mindset. She has lived in Italy for more than 15 years, where, following a path that was not always linear, she combined tailoring experiences—necessary for her livelihood but also useful for maintaining contact with the dimension of “knowing how to create”—with various types of theoretical learning. She attended courses and internships focused on different areas, ranging from stage costume design to women’s lingerie, design, and pattern making. Jenny says: “Within my path of professional growth and learning, the most solid point of reference is certainly Istituto Secoli in Milan, and not just because I attended nine of their courses over a period of seven years.” There, she learned not only to give shape and substance to her ideas but also to engage with different cultures, as Istituto Secoli is attended by students from all over the world. She learned that technical skill is not everything, but that perseverance, effort, and self-confidence are essential. Jenny lives in Milan, where she works in her Atelier at Corso San Gottardo 18. Her activity is currently focused on the design, pattern making, production, and sale of women’s clothing. Her creative idea, though evolved from ten years ago, has remained fundamentally the same: attention to the choice of materials, care for details and finishes, so that any woman wearing a garment JMonteiro can feel the confidence of wearing something personalized just for her, even in a ready-to-wear context.
– SHOWROOM Corso S. Gottardo, 18 (in the inner courtyard).
