Creative Forces
Italian concept store 10 Corso Como and Central Saint Martins have joined forces for a new project, inviting students of the school's MA fashion course to create a genderless capsule collection bearing the retailer's logo.
Earlier this month, 40 international students were briefed by 10 Corso Como's chief executive officer Gianluca Borghi on the initiative, encouraging them to reinvent the shapes and colors of the store's accessories collection, as well as to play with the logo, reinterpreting its signature rounded patterns in a contemporary way.
In mid-April, at an interim review, five finalists will be selected. They will continue to work on their projects to develop final prototypes that the following month will be examined by a guest jury. International industry experts will join Borghi, 10 Corso Como's president Tiziana Fausti and Central Saint Martins' MA fashion course leader Fabio Piras in selecting a winner, whose design will be produced and sold in the retailer's network. An additional opportunity to sign a collaboration agreement with the store for the design of the 10 Corso Como Signature collection also will be offered to the winning student.
“I am proud to collaborate with Central Saint Martins, an excellence in creative education and the foremost incubator of emerging design talent worldwide,” said Borghi. “By challenging their students who one day will be shaping the fashion creativity, this project aims to further strengthen our Signature collection with a young, fresh and contemporary touch.”
Piras underscored the two parties' “natural synergy,” describing both as “cultural icons which pioneer innovative ideas
in the world of fashion and design.” He added the collaboration “is only surprising because it has not happened sooner.”
The partnership is part of the retailer's increasing focus on enhancing its brand awareness globally. Founded in 1991 by Carla Sozzani, the retailer was acquired by Fausti in September 2020 and unveiled the first signs of its all- encompassing renovation work at its historic location in Milan by opening the revamped Galleria and Project Room spaces during fashion week last month. As reported, the whole building is undergoing a makeover, which is set to be unveiled in stages.
Since her takeover, Fausti tasked Borghi with the expansion of the concept store's brand worldwide as well as its outposts via 10 Corso Como pop- ups in Milan's Central Station, at Forte dei Marmi and Forte Village, Italy. In addition to the landmark Milanese store, 10 Corso Como operates two units in Seoul, opened in 2008 and 2012, respectively.