Istituto Marangoni Dubai Unveils First Graduates

Istituto Marangoni Dubai officially unveiled its first graduating cohort in Fashion Design & Accessories this week, marking a defining milestone for the institution since opening its regional campus in 2022.

For JDEED, the showcase carried a special resonance. Before completing a master’s degree in journalism at London College of Fashion, our founder studied Fashion Design at Istituto Marangoni Paris — making it a rare and reflective moment to witness the school’s newest generation presenting their work here in Dubai, years later, as the brand completes its global loop from Europe to the Middle East.

The intimate press preview highlighted the creativity of five graduating designers: Frederico Chiminazzo Assumpcao, Iva Ajtoski, Khadija Kalla, Ibrahim Yakubu, and Sara El Youssef, each presenting collections shaped by strong conceptual narratives and contemporary craftsmanship.

Frederico’s JetStream took inspiration from the emotional pull of aviation and his pilot father’s career, translating movement into technical silhouettes and fluid construction. Iva’s deeply personal collection explored generational creativity and the pressures surrounding inherited artistic legacies. With 56, Khadija bridged literature, film references, and South African-sourced materials into a layered narrative on identity and memory. Ibrahim’s Hana blended floral motifs with architectural streetwear elements as a tribute to growth and resilience, while Sara’s Gilded Tension explored illusion and perception through honeycomb textures, layered structures, and material experimentation.

The showcase was held in a sensorial setting, accompanied by a bespoke fragrance developed in collaboration with Symrise, reinforcing the multi-dimensional approach Marangoni Dubai is cultivating across its creative programs. Footwear for the collections was supplied by Marangoni alumna Nish Shewak, a nod to the institution’s global alumni network.

Founded in 1935 in Milan, Istituto Marangoni has trained over 45,000 fashion professionals worldwide and continues to educate approximately 5,000 students from 108 countries across its international campuses, including Milan, Paris, London, and now Dubai, establishing the city as an increasingly important hub for fashion education in the region.

Seeing these collections debut locally highlights how Dubai’s fashion ecosystem has matured — shifting from a consumer capital to an emerging platform for talent creation. Marangoni’s first graduating class is a reflection of that evolution: globally trained, conceptually driven, and ready for the next stage of the industry.

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