On the occasion of its 90th anniversary, Istituto Secoli celebrates the talent of the Designer to Watch: thus begins an artistic collaboration with photographer Lucia Giacani, one of the most original voices in contemporary fashion photography. Designer to Watch, active since 2018, is the project that highlights the most talented graduates of Istituto Secoli who have the opportunity to present their creations on the most prestigious fashion runways. For the exhibition, seven emerging talents have been carefully selected – Anna Bettoli (Perseverance, expression of potential), Andrea Edna Gobbi (The sound of memories), Ilaria Nolli (Vacuous), Ilaria Pansera (Like indelible marks), Elena Rasia (Outerdot), Claudia Romeo (Photopsia) and Vittorio Visentin (Caligo) – whose collections, expressions of creativity and innovation, span both womenswear and menswear. The Institute has chosen to entrust Lucia Giacani’s visionary and refined gaze with the interpretation of its talents’ work, using images to narrate not only the school’s educational excellence but also the history of Italian fashion. This gave rise to “Surreal Identities. Lucia Giacani Fashion Photography from 2007 to 2025,” an exhibition open to the public and curated by art historian Angela Madesani, professor of History and Criticism of Contemporary Fashion at Istituto Secoli, which unfolds within the Institute’s spaces in a visual dialogue between past, present, and future. The exhibition has a dual nature: on one hand, previously unpublished images created by Giacani that showcase the most representative garments of Secoli talents; on the other, a selection of historical photographs from the photographer’s archive, published over the years by the most prominent international fashion magazines. Alongside the photographic works, the creations designed by the young designers are on display: a project that celebrates emerging creativity and pays tribute to a leading figure in the Italian visual landscape.
To learn more, read the press release dedicated to the exhibition!