Istituto Marangoni Firenze, Pardgroup and Cartier have collaborated for the second edition of the project “Dis-Cycling • The seductive allure of creativity in sustainability“, an initiative on sustainability that blends art, fashion and innovation.
The first edition of the project, which took place in 2023, saw the students of Istituto Marangoni Firenze collaborate with New York designer Sarah Coleman and the Fendi brand.
This year, students of the Multimedia Art, Arts Curating and Fashion Styling courses had the opportunity to work with Cartier under the expert guidance of the famous photographer Maurizio Galimberti, famous for his iconic mosaics made with Polaroids.
The aim of the project was to create artistic micro-installations using waste materials from the brand’s previous retail installations made available by Pardgroup – promoting a creative upcycling approach. Like last year, the central idea of the project was to promote the reuse of waste materials, rethinking and deconstructing them, giving life to new, valuable objects.
“At Pardgroup, we strongly believe in sustainability and social commitment to a circular economy,” commented Francesca Rapisardi, General Manager of the company. “Our collaboration with Istituto Marangoni Firenze stems from this need.”
The students were split into groups so that they could work on different creations. At the end, Cartier selected the project that best represented the identity of the Maison – presented on the occasion of Pitti Uomo 2024, entitled “L’amore muove il tempo“. At the heart of the project are three of the brand’s iconic watches: Santos de Cartier, Tank and Balloon Bleu de Cartier.
From an educational point of view, this project undoubtedly represented a fantastic opportunity for the students, allowing them to experiment with different styles, becoming familiar with different materials and applying upcycling design to the world of luxury.
The installations created by the students enlivened the three windows of the Cartier boutique on Via Strozzi in Florence.
Galimberti immortalised the students’ works in a photo shoot in one of the most historic and fascinating settings in Florence.
The mosaics were displayed in the elegant windows of the Cartier store on Via Tornabuoni during Pitti Uomo in January 2024.
