Elena Salmistraro on the Istituto Marangoni Milano scholarships

Mentorships and scholarships for undergraduates: can you tell us about your collaboration with the School of Design of Istituto Marangoni?

Elena Salmistraro: “The collaboration involves a mentorship project dedicated to bacherlors: I will follow the students during the first year of Interior Design, Product Design and Visual Design, supporting them along their path. This program is accompanied by the scholarships initiative, open to all young talents: to access them, prospective students must present a moodboard (see all the information here), inspired by my work and approach.

How will you evaluate the students' work?

Elena Salmistraro: “In evaluating the students' projects I will look for their identity: I am for authorial design; therefore, I want the kids to express themselves freely, to bring out what's inside. I don't care if they copy my work, I want to see something unique, their character, they have to talk about themselves".

In your role as mentor, how will you support students?

Elena Salmistraro: “I will follow the students throughout the first year, from October to June. I will present a brief and invite the students to start their work with a research part. I want them to talk about themselves, starting from their roots, from their experience, from their passions, in short, from their universe. After this first phase of research, I will invite them to draw, to make sketches, then they will have to develop the projects with renderings and models, also working by hand. It might seem like a difficult path, especially for first year students, but together with the teachers we will follow the students in everything, we will give them all the tools to draw, render, create models manually, conceive and interpret a project. It will be a great adventure."

It is the fifth year that you have been collaborating with Istituto Marangoni, how did this adventure start?

Elena Salmistraro: “Initially they contacted me to mentor the masters in Product Design, Surface Design and Interior Design. This year, for the first time I'm interacting with the very young first-year boys, I'm very enthusiastic, it's a great responsibility for me".

Why did Istituto Marangoni choose you as a model and guide for young aspiring designers?

Elena Salmistraro: "I represent a bit of a transversal figure in the world of design, I move with ease between different disciplines, from fashion to furniture, also thanks to my hybrid background. By choosing me, Istituto Marangoni wants to explain to the kids that the designer of the future, but also of the present, must be capable of working in many fields. In the past, there was the designer who dealt only with interiors, the planner who followed the more technical issues, who only designed the product. Today, however, the designer must be competent in everything, he must know how to design, but also know how to promote and communicate; I wanted to draw not to talk, actually I actually talk more than I draw. Furthermore, previously movements and trends were followed, Memphis, rationalism, minimalism, now design has a thousand facets, there is a lot of freedom and space for everyone; therefore, it is essential to identify and be able to communicate one's own style”.