Istituto Marangoni Firenze explores fragrance through student-led installations and Pitti Fragranze talk

Istituto Marangoni Firenze is exploring the role of fragrance beyond traditional perfumery through two projects connecting students and alumni with the worlds of design, hospitality and sensory experience.

At Aquaflor in Florence on September 11, students and alumni contributed to a multimedia installation created around two new fragrances. The project translates the scents’ ingredients and references to India into moving images and sound, offering an example of how olfactory concepts can be developed through visual and audio design.

The school is also participating in Pitti Fragranze with a September 12 talk, “The Scent of Hospitality,” examining how fragrance is being used in hotels, resorts and destinations to shape identity, memories and perceptions of place. Speakers include Magna Pars General Manager Barbara Rohner, brand and olfactory designer Ilaria Legato, and Firmenich maître parfumeur Sophie Labbé.

For fashion and design education, the projects demonstrate how fragrance can become a cross-disciplinary area of study, linking creative direction and sensory design with branding, hospitality and cultural storytelling. The initiative places student and alumni work within an industry context while expanding the ways designers can communicate experiences beyond visual formats.