2016 KEDGE graduate Marine Santoni currently heads her own company: "La folie des grandeurs"

1️⃣ To begin, tell us about your educational background. What did you study, both before and at KEDGE?

I got a degree in Design, and a Master in Design & Innovation Thinking from KEDGE. I got degrees in events organisation and wedding planning while I was at KEDGE. Then, during my third year, I did an Erasmus in Manchester specialising in architectural design and retail.

KEDGE BUSINESS SCHOOL

2️⃣ Tell us what you did after your studies were finished. What positions have you held? What did you learn in those positions?

After I got my Master, I left with a bag on my back,  a lot of dreams in my head and headed for London! I've always had unconditional love for this city. I didn't know anyone, I had no job, no apartment – it was a real adventure. Within 24 hours I found my first job as a Creative Designer in a company that works for Lacoste and Moët & Chandon. There, I developed and honed my knowledge and passion for luxury design. Six months after that experience, I had the chance to be a design manager for luxury hotels. I’ve designed 80 hotels throughout England, including creating a mansion with an Alice in Wonderland theme. Thanks to my proposals and design strategies, the hotel went from 100 euros per night to 1,100 euros per night.

A creative and strategic designer is a real asset for your projects! After my experience working in luxury hotel design, I decided to go back to my first love: scenography and event design. I was taken on as a set designer for the National Museum of Scotland and The Edinburgh Castle. After that great position, I went back to London and decided to open my own business.

3️⃣ What are you doing/what is your situation today? What gave you the idea and why do you want to do what you’re doing today? 

I’m currently Creative Director & Designer Consultant for retail, exhibition, and luxury events. I started my business in London at the age of 27, without a client portfolio and through hard work and dedication. I’ve worked for brands such as Chanel, Hermès, Malone Souliers, Tiffany & Co, Moët & Chandon, and many others, creating and developing their projects from concept to completion of boutiques, window displays, pop-up stores, parties, openings, exhibitions, and various events. My goal in each of my designs is to bring a unique experience to life for visitors. I called my design studio La Folie des Grandeurs. Anyone who knew me at KEDGE - students or teachers - will agree that this name fits me like a glove. I've always had “delusions of grandeur”: an ambition without any limits, ideas for projects that are each crazier than the next, originality in my work,  and my personality!

LA FOLIE DES GRANDEURS   INSTAGRAM

4️⃣ What are your development plans for the future?

My company in London is now one year. I’m going to continue there, but have also decided to expand in France and find new clients there. I’ve been working for clients in Paris since May, and I’m continuing to propose strategies and new design creations for projects that I’m passionate about.

5️⃣ If you were to give advice to any KEDGE graduate who wants to do something similar, what would it be? 

Believe in your dreams. Stay true to yourself. Be stubborn, focused, and dedicated!

I wrote two theses at school:

• The first: How design can influence our behaviours and emotions.
• And the second: On the fact that design can influence criminal behaviour.

Design then becomes a tool to lower crime rates in our society. I always use the strategies I developed in my first thesis when I create a project.

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