Mario Celentano, ACM Alumnus, Designs the Look for Valentina Gargano at the Festival di Sanremo 2026

It is Mario Celentano, an alumnus of Accademia Costume & Moda, who designed the creation worn by soprano Valentina Gargano during the second evening of the Festival di Sanremo 2026, on the Ariston stage alongside Achille Lauro.

A graduate of the BA in Costume & Fashion, Mario represents a generation of professionals able to combine design expertise, visual culture and strong theatrical sensibility. The look created for Sanremo was not simply a dress, but a project conceived in dialogue with the performance, the music and the television setting, designed to enhance presence and narrative impact.

His journey demonstrates how the education received at Accademia Costume & Moda translates into tangible expertise, ready to engage with high-profile opera, theatre and television productions.

Mario’s achievement reflects the broader vision of the Costume Department at Accademia Costume & Moda, a recognised point of reference for education in costume design for theatre, opera, film and performance. From the BA in Costume & Fashion to the Master’s programme in The Art and Craft of the Costume Designer, the Academy’s pathways combine design methodology, historical research, material culture and ongoing dialogue with leading artistic institutions.

Seeing one of our alumni contribute to the visual identity of one of Italy’s most iconic television events confirms how costume is language, identity and stage construction — and how a strong educational foundation can become the first step towards nationally recognised stages.