Hi everyone!

My name is Oliwia. I am a fashion designer, philosopher, and future entrepreneur. I recently graduated from an extended biology-chemistry-mathematics program at IV High School in Rzeszów, Poland. On April 29, 2024, I won the "Music & Fashion: a creative balance" contest organized by Istituto Marangoni Milano in partnership with Vogue Italia. My project "Hippolyte" received a €3,000 scholarship to the Foundation in Fashion at Istituto Marangoni Milano!  This is a great success for me and my career.

Sadly, I faced a major problem. Despite the scholarship awarded to me, I’m unable to cover the rest of the fee, amounting to € 11,300 (€ 14,300 - € 3,000). The estimated living expenses in Milan are also beyond my reach - approximately € 1,500 per month (apartment rent, living costs, fabrics, painting supplies). For my mom and I, these are inaccessible costs.

That's why I'm turning to you. From the bottom of my heart, I’m asking for financial support. I hope you’ll get inspired by my passion for discovering the world through fashion and help me conquer Milan.

Let's prove that no matter where you come from, you can achieve amazing things!

Hippolyte:

Balancing between Voi che sapete and Bad Romance, I looked for common ground by experimenting with traditional 18th-century patterns and unhemmed lace. Describing the project, I explained how musical waves and visual stimuli, through individual nerves, cumulate in the frontal lobe – home to the imagination – home to my project “Hippolyte”. 

About me:

Quoting Plato's Symposium, the love of beauty is caused by its absence in life. Many hardships marked my childhood. I lived in three different homes with my mom, having witnessed domestic violence, a criminal hearing, and finally peace. I understood that I can’t change my past but can shape something beautiful – my future. 

To have a shot at breaking through the fashion industry, I needed to learn English, French, and Italian, as London, Paris, and Milan are the three key fashion capitals. Language schools and tutors were beyond my reach because my mom was the only source of income for our small family, and our financial standing wasn’t the best. But it didn’t stop me - I first learned from YouTube, and when it stopped being sufficient, I turned to literature. To this day, I read over 20 books in English, 3 in French, and fragments in Italian.

Last June, I participated in the John Locke Institute Global Essay Prize 2023, partnering with Oxford and Princeton. I wrote an essay, answering the question from the philosophy category "How many genders are there? How should the scientists proceed?” I used neurobiology and genetics to discuss intersex people and recalled feminist history, the source of the term gender. In July, I received a Commendation and was invited to Oxford University for an academic conference. My essay was one of only 100 recognized out of 20,000 total submissions.

My place in fashion lies between business and fashion design. I’m excited to plan complex marketing strategies while working on slowly diffusing menswear and womenswear into one line and developing the art of tailoring through new silhouettes. I want to draw inspiration from various fields such as astrophysics, history, biology, and painting, which I’ve been discovering myself so far. I want to create something new! 

What's next?

Foundation in Fashion at Istituto Marangoni Milano be my first step into the Italian fashion industry. It will introduce me to Fashion Styling, Fashion Business, and Fashion Design. I’ll gain experience during Milan Fashion Week and through the school’s countless collaborations with Vogue, LVMH, and many international brands. Perfecting my Italian and getting inspired by Italy’s ancient spirit, I’ll create a unique portfolio, allowing me to apply for a bachelor’s degree in Fashion Design at Marangoni, Polimoda, or Accademia Costume & Moda. 

Costs:

Tuition fee payable once until 02/07/2024: € 11,300 (€ 14,300 – € 3,000)

Monthly living costs in Milan: € 1,500

Total per year (09/2024 - 07/2025): € 27,800

I create art because I cannot express myself through words. But now, I have to use words to defend my art:

“From the bottom of my heart, I’m asking you for financial support. You’re the decisive factor that will allow me to unveil the secrets of the Made in Italy label.”

Thank you for every donation and share!