It was in the quiet of a rich and precious archive — among fine fabrics and vibrant colours — that the story of NABA x ARCHIVIO MANTERO: Future Makers began. The project gave voice to the threads of memory and the curiosity of a new generation, transforming the silk foulard — an emblem of tradition and craftsmanship — into a field of experimentation capable of speaking the language of the future.
The initiative was developed within the NABA Mentorship Project with Mantero, a programme launched in 2021 that each year allows students from the MA in Textile Design to engage directly with the historic Como-based company Mantero Seta, exploring its manufacturing heritage and its continuous drive towards innovation. Over time, this collaboration has evolved into far more than a workshop: it has become a dialogue between disciplines, generations and creative imaginaries.
Year after year, this exchange has taken the shape of a true laboratory of ideas — a reflection on the value of corporate heritage as a source of inspiration for future fashion professionals. It is within this context that NABA x ARCHIVIO MANTERO: Future Makers emerged, a multidisciplinary experience involving not only the students of the MA in Textile Design — Chiara Ardoli, Cielo Fiordi, Gianluca Pizzicato, Alessia Quondamatteo — but also those from the BA in Fashion Design — Riccardo Aggio, Simone Addamo — and the BA in Set Design — Giorgia Carrara, Martina De Michelis, Morena Milani, Sara Scrosati — at NABA’s Milan campus.
Under the supervision of Gianmarco Porru (workshop tutor, visual artist and NABA lecturer), the students engaged with the heritage of the Archivio Mantero, reinterpreting it through contemporary languages. In this process, the silk foulard—a defining element of Mantero’s manufacturing history—evolved from a cult accessory into a medium connecting art, fashion and design, becoming the centrepiece of an exhibition project focused on creative processes and expressive research. The exhibition was coordinated by Colomba Leddi (Fashion Design Area Leader), Luca Belotti (Fashion Design Area MAs and Academic Masters Course Leader), Intissar Bouhi and Daniele Mattiuz (NABA Fashion Design Area Academic Assistants).
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Contact us hereThe starting point of the project was a series of six foulards inspired by the Nancy Martin Stetson Kimono Archive, previously created during the mentorship by the MA in Textile Design students (Anna Rosa Confuorti, Cielo Fiordi, Gianluca Pizzicato, Yingjun Ren, Yuan Song, Yin Jiaai) under the supervision of Maria Nielsen (textile and fashion graphic design consultant and NABA lecturer).
These six pieces became the creative foundation for six evolving projects, conceived without product constraints and as open, inspirational works shaped by the students’ individual visions and sensitivities. Drawing on different media — sculpture, installation, drawing, video and performance — the students reinterpreted the codes and visual cues of the textiles through contemporary expressive languages.
