Three questions for the former student, from the three-year Fashion Design course to Conte of Florence.
The success of a Fashion School is to be evaluated in close relation with the world of work. One of the flagships of Istituto Modartech training proposal is the three-year course dedicated to the formation of the modern fashion designer.
We asked three questions to Irene Gonnelli, from the Fashion Design course to the style office of the historic Tuscan brand Conte of Florence.
1. Who are you and what do you do?
I am Irene Gonnelli, I am 23 and I live in Florence.
After the three-year course in Fashion Design I had the opportunity to start an internship in the style office of Conte of Florence and Dekker, working closely with art director Riccardo Coppola on the creation of Dekker’s women’s outerwear collection.
During these months I was able to face many different situations: I could see the whole process of creating a collection, from research to the prototyping up to the exhibition at Pitti Uomo 93. I witnessed the styling and shooting of the summer campaign; in general I got involved and learned a lot.
Now that stage has turned into an internship and I continue to work among the style-graphic-product areas, doing research and developing digital drawings, simulations and graphics.
I’m very satisfied with what I do!
2. What brought you to Istituto Modartech and why did you choose it?
I would say that it was above all the desire to express myself, to listen to my creativity, which led me to choose this school! Since I was a child I have always designed, painted, read a lot of books, and in general I have always been a “very curious” with a great desire to learn.
I do not deny that at first I was really afraid to choose this path because I came from 5 years of scientific high school and starting a course at the university would have been the easiest decision to make, and many advised me, but in the end I followed the passion and I threw myself into this beautiful adventure!
I think it was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made, despite the initial difficulties and the obstacles that we had along the way, because at Modartech I had the opportunity to learn a lot and get to know extremely available people, but above all I started to discover so many things about myself and to grow.
The satisfactions have been so many: first of all in creating something real starting from an idea, up to seeing one’s own leaders parading at the end of year Fashion Shows; take part in the competitions but above all in the “Moda di moda” column conducted by Stefano Dominella in the Rai 2 program “I fatti vostri” with my outfit created for the 70th anniversary of Vespa; visit trade fairs such as Pitti, Milano Unica or Première Visiòn; make costumes with recycled materials in collaboration with SCART for the Cavalleria Rusticana, show of the 11 Lune Festival in Peccioli.
3. What advice would you give to those who want to pursue a career like yours?
I think that most of all in this work we need passion, the desire to learn, commitment and even a little healthy ambition: we must always be reactive, because stimuli are everywhere, and we never stop discovering new things , this is why curiosity is essential.
The effort is not lacking, because you never really take your head off from what you do, but if you face everything with the right spirit and desire to do, sooner or later the satisfactions arrive!