United Arab Emirates
Designers Riccardo Audisio and Yago Goicoechea met while studying fashion design at Istituto Marangoni in Milan in 2010; two years later, they dropped out of university to start their own brand. Though the concept was born in Italy, it took on a sartorial shape in the UAE and was officially launched in 2013.
The Dubai-based womenswear brand combines the Spanish word “Taller,” meaning manual work, and the Italian word for marble, “Marmo,” and aims to bring together European elegance and Middle Eastern charm. The designers’ vision to blend the two cultures comes across in their Italian tailoring and minimal approach. With Audisio from Italy and Goicoechea from Argentina, the brand’s aesthetic has a multicultural dimension.
1. What does the Style.com/Arabia – DDFC Fashion Prize mean to you?
Being one of the 10 brands selected from across the region to compete in the first major fashion prize with a focus on the Arab world is one of the biggest honors in our career. The Fashion Prize would be an opportunity for our brand to grow in the right direction.
2. What message are you trying to convey with your designs?
Our duty from the beginning has been the pursuit of beautification of life through clothes. During every design process, we look towards modernity balanced with understated beauty. One of the main reasons why our collections are always influenced by the Arab culture is that we believe there is a need to shape a contemporary Arab fashion identity and we feel that Taller Marmo is our small contribution to that cause.
3. Why do you think that you are best-suited to win the Fashion Prize?
Considering the large-scale international attention that comes with winning the Fashion Prize, we humbly think that Taller Marmo is most suited to receive this prize because our dedication to the development of high-quality products will allow us to compete with other international brands. We will also be able to present our collections in the global fashion calendar, which will allow us to bring the Middle East fashion scene into the spotlight. Additionally, we would also reflect the global and modern spirit of Dubai, the city where we—an Argentinean and an Italian—moved to follow our dreams.
4. Which designer most inspires you?
Mila Schön for her approach to simplicity (Audisio) and Paul Poiret for his understatement of luxury (Goicoechea).
