manuela catania
fashion & jewellery design | styling | interior design
the designer
we are surrounded by energy and vibrations and I believe that emotions guide us to make new relations and new design
Manuela Catania is an Italian designer, based in Mumbai, India, she graduated in Architecture with 110 cum laude at the University of Architecture in Palermo.
"I've always been in love with the world of fashion and jewellery, my father was an Italian goldsmith-gemologist and he passed on to me the art of making by hand, the balance of colour in precious stones and the elegance of the shape of gold and silver" and in 2008 she moved to Milan for a Master Degree in Jewellery and Accessories Design in Domus Academy, and in 2009 she completed a Master of Arts at University of Wales. She explored the design world and she specialised in Fashion Design at IED Moda Lab in Milan and in Fashion System at European Design Institute in Venice. In the meanwhile she has developed her first collection of jewels made by Murano glass and showing it during the Milan Design Week. She created her personal jewellery collection in Venice.
In 2012 she lived in Brazil, São Paulo, where she has explored the design of this fascinating country.
She had a lecturer experience at IED in São Paulo about design in Italy "A experiencia IED Milão/Veneza/São Paulo".
Her most relevant working experience as lecturer has been at ESMOD University in Kuala Lumpur, where she was teaching fashion design.
"My passion for design and the desire to discover new cultures led me to work in different countries, where I investigated the design in relation with the identity of the place"
She has developed a sustainable design project called visionupia, bringing in several countries her experience and creativity. She has been a textile designer in Dubai for interior design companies.
In 2017 she was the coordinator of the International Workshop "Hong Kong | Palermo Fluid Cities" between Raffles Design Institute Hong Kong and the Polytechnic School of Palermo. The International Workshop was based on a new methodology of Urban Design developed on Skype between students in Hong Kong and in Palermo. She was teaching Fashion Design at L&S Global Fashion Design Academy in China. She has been Fashion Design and Fashion Marketing Programme Coordinator at Raffles Design Institute Hong Kong teaching Interior Design, Fashion Marketing and Fashion Design; and Introduction to Interior Design at The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Division of Humanities.
In 2020 she was teaching the final year project of Interior Design - University of Derby Module Bachelor of Arts (Hons) in Interior Design with Raffles Design Institute Guangzhou. She was coordinating and teaching online the Sustainable Fashion Design Workshop in collaboration with Art Program HKUST+Vibes - The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology.
In 2020 and 2021 she was Visiting Academy at the University of Saint Joseph - USJ Creative Industry Macao, teaching Interior Design Studio focusing on Sensory Hospitality Design.
In 2021 and 2022 she was Jewellery Design Lecturer at AVA Academy of Visual Arts, Hong Kong Baptist University, teaching also Sustainable Design Thinking and Wearables Design and she was coordinating the Sustainable Design Workshop "The Art of Plastic" in collaboration with Art Program HKUST+Vibes at The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology.
In 2021 she was the Curator of the Hong Kong Pavilion at The Biennial Countless Cities 2021 "People Live Here - A More Human Approach", Farm Cultural Park, Favara, Italy.
Currently she is teaching at Istituto Marangoni Mumbai, and she is Unit Leader for Interior Design and Product Design Courses.
Since 2017 she is coordinating a Sustainable Fashion Design project in Bali with kids of the Children's House La Rosin, the project is called The Shapes of Dreams.
"I move in design to create emotions and feelings between objects and people, between people and spaces. I like mixing the details of the jewellery with the elegance of the interior design, the sensitivity of textile with the functionality of the product. I believe that every trip can be a chance to discover a new design inspiration"