Mumbai, July, 2026 : On
Saturday evening, 18th July 2026, Istituto Marangoni Mumbai, the renowned
Italian fashion and design school, unveiled 'Astitva’, its annual student
showcase featuring the work of its second-year Fashion Design students. More
than a fashion presentation, the showcase brought together deeply personal
narratives expressed through contemporary fashion, celebrating the journeys,
experiences and perspectives that shape each designer's creative voice.
Derived from the
Sanskrit word meaning identity or existence, ‘Astitva’ invited
audiences to reflect on the many influences that define who we are. Through
nine distinctive collections, students explored themes ranging from memory and
family to resilience, grief, heritage and transformation, demonstrating how
fashion can become a powerful medium for personal storytelling.
Inspired by Mumbai — a
city where cultures, traditions and aspirations coexist — the showcase
reflected the dialogue between heritage and modernity, intimacy and ambition.
This year’s runway installation echoed that spirit, juxtaposing raw industrial
materials with reflective surfaces and sculptural lighting to create an
immersive environment where fashion, architecture and emotion converged.
“With Astitva, our
students have demonstrated that great design begins with authenticity,” said
Mr. Tarun Pandey, COO — Istituto Marangoni, Mumbai. “This year's showcase is a
celebration of identity, not as something fixed, but as something continually
shaped by memory, culture, lived experience and transformation. Each collection
reflects a deeply personal journey while speaking to universal ideas of
belonging, resilience and self-discovery. At Istituto Marangoni Mumbai, we
encourage our students to look inward before they look outward, because the
strongest creative voices are those rooted in individuality. As they graduate
into an increasingly global fashion landscape, Astitva is a testament to their
ability to translate personal narratives into contemporary design with
confidence, purpose and originality” he added.
The collections
showcased at Astitva reflected the culmination of each student's creative
evolution at Istituto Marangoni Mumbai, nine emerging designers unveiled three
looks each, translating deeply personal narratives into distinctive
contemporary fashion expressions. Rooted in themes of identity, belonging and
transformation, the showcase celebrated not only technical excellence and
creative innovation, but also the emergence of a new generation of designers
ready to contribute to the global fashion conversation.
The students who
showcased their collections at ‘Astitva’ were [in alphabetical order]:
- Anshika Yadav [Ecdysis]: The
collection explores transformation through the symbolic journey of a bird,
tracing five stages—origin, expectation, conflict, struggle and
liberation. As the bird evolves from nest to flight, it becomes a metaphor
for human growth, resilience and the pursuit of self-definition.
- Anushka Puranik [Anchors of Immanence]:
The collection explores how family remains as anchor despite physical
distance. Inspired by the balance between isolation and support, it
translates their presence into life-sustaining elements of nature.
Structured silhouettes and layered forms reflect a deeply personal journey
of finding strength, stability and belonging, even from afar.
- Diya Gupta [Unfinished Rooms]:
Inspired by the designer’s childhood room, Unfinished Rooms
explores how the spaces we grow up in continue to shape us. Though the
room remains unchanged, she has evolved within it. The collection reflects
a journey of quiet growth, self-discovery and becoming—where unfinished is
not incomplete, but a state of continual transformation.
- Drishti Bachwani [Alexithymia]:
Inspired by the psychological condition that makes it difficult to
identify and express emotions. It reflects her experience of carrying
countless thoughts and feelings that rarely find words. Through this
collection, the designer explores the disconnect between what she feels
and what she shows—a deeply personal expression of everything I've kept
inside.
- Natalia Kumar [Inheritance Adorned]: Inspired
by Indian jewellery and precious gemstones, Inheritance Adorned traces the
evolution of adornment through five acts—from innocence to quiet radiance.
Rooted in the bridal world, each ensemble explores how ornament transforms
into an expression of identity, memory and personal evolution.
- Paarvi Khullar [Learning to Breathe
Again]: The collection draws from the designer’s journey through
anxiety, self-doubt and emotional loss over the past two years. Inspired
by the feeling of holding everything in, it traces a gradual path towards
healing, vulnerability and self-acceptance.
- Pallavi Singh [REVIVE]: Inspired
by the resilience of Kutch after the 2001 Bhuj earthquake, REVIVE celebrates
the revival of Bhujodi weaving, Ajrakh block printing and Kumaoni
hand-knitting. Reimagined through contemporary winter wear, the collection
honours India's living craft traditions and the communities whose
determination continues to preserve them.
- Tarini Kakar [La Révolution]:
Inspired by the phrase, “From dust you are and to dust you shall return,” La
Révolution explores transformation as a continuous cycle of creation,
rupture, renewal and transcendence. Through evolving forms and textures,
the collection celebrates impermanence, not as loss, but as an essential
passage towards resilience, beauty and becoming.
- Vanya Gupta [Fleeting Grief]: The
collection explores the lasting impact of losing her mother to cancer at
sixteen. Through light, fluid silhouettes and a muted palette, it traces a
journey from grief to acceptance, transforming a deeply personal
experience into a story of resilience, healing and becoming.
Talking about this
year's showcase, Kristian Steinberg, Director of Education — Istituto Marangoni
Mumbai, said, "At Istituto Marangoni Mumbai, we encourage our students
to embrace their own stories and cultural identities as the foundation of their
creative practice. ‘Astitva’ reflects that philosophy beautifully, with
each collection demonstrating how personal experiences can be transformed into
contemporary fashion that is both locally rooted and globally relevant."
Pallavi Singh was
awarded Istituto Marangoni Mumbai’s ‘The Designer of the Year 2026’ for her
‘REVIVE’ collection that she showcased at the event.
Additionally, this year
for the first time, Istituto Marangoni Mumbai conferred Anushka Puranik with
the ‘The Sustainability Award 2026’ for her collection, ‘Anchors of
Immanence’, which explores the enduring value of craftsmanship, conscious
creation, heirloom design, and mindful luxury.
The excellent
reputation enjoyed by the school lies in the distinctive elements that have
marked its identity since its foundation; first of all, the enhancement and
promotion of ‘Made in Italy’ values, combined with a strong international
vocation, and expressed through an educational system of proven quality and
effectiveness, which makes use of the contribution of, and the established
collaboration with, the most prominent fashion companies of the world.
Appreciations:
●
Show Creative Direction: Kristian Steinberg,
Director of Education, Istituto Marangoni, Mumbai.
●
Studio:
Lianne Trowbridge, Abhishek Gaherwar, Ashay Chaturvedi, Jeetinder
Sandhu.
●
Style Direction: Kayaan Contractor (assisted
by Abhinav & Manu Lodhi).
●
Show Director(s): Vahbiz Mehta, Delnaz
Daruwala, & Kamal Mehta.
●
Founded in 2002, Amal Embroideries creates
handcrafted embroideries for leading European couture and luxury fashion
houses. Committed to preserving traditional artisanal techniques, the studio
also supported this showcase by contributing handcrafted embroidery to selected
student looks.
●
Salon academy, Daniel Bauer Academy, supported
the hair and makeup curation for the fashion showcase.
●
Fragrance partner ŚASVA is a modern luxury
fragrance house rooted in India and founded in 2022 by Istituto Marangoni
alumnus Sriman Subramanian. Drawing on a 70-year family legacy, the brand
creates contemporary fragrances inspired by Indian art, culture, landscapes and
heritage, reimagined for a global audience.
●
The Source by Sula offers fresh, elegant, and
delightful wines, globally recognized as among the best Indian wines,
representing sustainable winemaking and the purest expression of select Nashik
valley vineyards.
Istituto
Marangoni:
Istituto
Marangoni was founded in 1935 as Istituto Artistico dell'Abbigliamento
Marangoni in Milan and has over 85 years of experience in shaping fashion, art,
and design experts. The institute has educated students from 5 continents over
four generations and launched the careers of over 45,000 luxury professionals,
including Domenico Dolce, Alessandro Sartori, Paula Cademartori, Gilda
Ambrosio, Julie de Libran, and Nicola Brognano. According to a recent Doxa
survey, Istituto Marangoni has an impressive employability rate of 91%, demonstrating
the high quality of its educational programmes and the career readiness of its
graduates.
Istituto
Marangoni welcomes around 5,000 students annually from 108 different countries
across its schools in Milan, Florence, Paris, London, Mumbai, Shanghai, Dubai,
Riyadh, Miami*, and Shenzhen*. The institution has been ranked among the top
100 universities in the world in its disciplines, according to the QS World
University Ranking 2025.
*
Licensed schools
ŚASVA Parfums:
Founded in 2022 by
Istituto Marangoni alumnus, Sriman Subramanian, ŚASVA is a modern luxury
fragrance house rooted in India and created for the world. Drawing on a 70-year
family legacy in South Indian architecture and boutique hospitality, the brand
crafts contemporary fragrances inspired by India's poetry, art, cinema,
landscapes and cultural richness. Reinterpreting India's olfactory heritage
through a refined global lens, ŚASVA creates distinctive scents that celebrate
craftsmanship, creativity and modern luxury.
Daniel Bauer Academy:
The Daniel Bauer
Academy is India's largest and most respected makeup and hair training academy.
Founded in 2017, the brand operates fully-owned academies across India in
Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata and Bangalore. They specialise in the development and
placement of makeup and hair artists from India and Internationally.
Amal
Embroideries:
Founded in 2002, Amal
Embroideries is a design and embroidery studio specialising in the creation of
exquisite, handcrafted embroideries for leading European couture and luxury
fashion houses. Working closely with internationally renowned fashion brands,
architects, interior designers and artists, Amal combines exceptional
craftsmanship with creativity, precision and innovation. Rooted in a deep
respect for artisanal heritage, the studio is committed to preserving
traditional craft through ethical partnerships with its artisans while
delivering uncompromising quality and transparency.
The Source by Sula
The Source by Sula is
an ode to sustainable winemaking, and the purest expression of select vineyards
in the Nashik valley. Made with craftmanship in mind, our wines are today
considered among the best Indian wines available, locally and internationally.
Fresh, elegant and delightful, they have been produced with love and with the
upmost respect for the environment.
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