Creating a universe of creative expression and art that could give a voice to everyone was a priority for Moreno Cicoria. This is why Morage came to life, the brand that bears in its name the courage of the young entrepreneur, who left his comfort zone aside to begin this adventure based on teamwork and innovation.
How did your passion for jewelry begin?
My passion for jewelry has deep and emotional roots, dating back to my childhood. I remember playing with my grandmother’s jewelry, secretly wearing her long pearl necklaces in her bedroom. Instead of scolding me, she enthusiastically captured those moments by taking lots of pictures. In my family, although no one worked in the jewelry industry, jewelry always had great sentimental value: every important occasion was celebrated with a precious gift. I lovingly keep many of my grandmother’s vintage pieces, which often serve as inspiration for my work. My passion for pearls, in particular, arose from those cherished memories.
When was your brand born, and why did you decide to embark on this journey?
My brand was born in March 2024 after a year and a half of trial and error. I surrounded myself with professionals who are also close friends, and together, we laid the foundations for Morage. My goal was to create something that represented me, showing the world that even those who start from nothing can succeed. The message is clear: alone we are small, but together we can be great. The brand’s name was inspired by the concept of courage. We started with this idea and transformed it into something with a more international tone, arriving at Morage. I felt the need for courage myself, which is why the brand’s name includes the first letter of my name. The brand’s logo, on the other hand, is an artistic transformation of the first letter of my surname. Creating my brand and turning it into my profession was my top priority — it was more than just a dream; it was a personal necessity rooted in my artistic and human background. When I finally decided to pursue a career in goldsmithing, I felt at home. I was eager to carve my path, but I wanted to start with a solid foundation to build the credibility that would make all the difference.
What educational path did you follow to develop the skills necessary for your work?
I believe that this profession requires not only an artistic background but also organizational and economic skills. While creating my brand, I pursued my studies, earning a bachelor’s degree in communication and multimedia, followed by a master’s degree in economics and marketing. These studies have been crucial for managing the administrative and business side of my brand. My professional artistic training as a goldsmith and stone setter comes from Scuola Orafa Ambrosiana in Milan. I took bench goldsmithing courses at their Via Tadino location in late 2018, followed by professional stone setting courses at their Via Tortona location in 2019. Scuola Orafa Ambrosiana is a true institution in the city and a national excellence, for which I am very grateful. Due to my family situation at the time, I couldn’t study in another city, and without this school, I wouldn’t be a goldsmith today.
What is your brand’s mission and core values?
Morage was born out of a personal need, and it was essential to me that the brand, in all its forms, spoke about me and the human facets closest to my heart. To me, art is a powerful social tool for advocacy — it belongs to everyone and speaks for everyone. That’s why every creation I make carries a concept, a “why.” A beautiful piece of jewelry can captivate the eyes, but a piece that speaks to the masses creates a stir and touches the soul. Wearing it becomes a manifesto. My mission is to create a brand that isn’t just beautiful to wear but also sparks conversation and gives courage to those who need it, allowing them to express their full potential through jewelry that reflects not only their beauty but also their state of mind. Morage speaks strongly to the Queer community, of which I am a part, but I aim to ensure no one feels excluded from the brand’s fundamental message: to be yourself at all costs and fight against prejudice. This value is conceptually embodied in the Nipples Power jewelry — a stylized representation of a nipple inspired by Roman lorica armor. Like the lorica, it serves as protection against prejudice, empowering the wearer to express themselves freely.
What have been the most significant challenges for your brand?
Since the brand is new, challenges are a daily occurrence. Before even defining the concept of Morage — or simply its name — I had to understand who I was and where I wanted to go. It wasn’t easy to dive deep into myself and identify the key elements to build on. I wouldn’t have succeeded without the people who supported me and encouraged me to believe in myself and my potential. One of the biggest challenges for any brand is maintaining consistency in its message. It’s essential to create pieces that are harmonious and aligned with the brand identity. Straying from this can confuse the audience and weaken the central message that initially drew them to the brand. Another key aspect is listening to feedback. Currently, I am working on expanding production and developing not one but two full-fledged collections. I’m focusing not only on aesthetics but also on conceptual depth. I feel time is on my side, so I’m not in a rush — I want to enjoy the journey and all it brings. A particularly rewarding milestone was participating in the Milano Jewelry Week this past October, where I had the opportunity to showcase my work at the Artistar exhibition.
What advice would you give to a young person wanting to follow this path?
Don’t be afraid to make mistakes! I know it sounds cliché, but it’s the key to success. Without mistakes, you can’t achieve the best results, and believing you’re already perfect or have everything figured out leads to failures that teach you nothing. Another piece of advice is to surround yourself with professional collaborators who excel at their craft. As creatives, we can’t do everything ourselves — we’re not experts in all fields. Lastly, my most important piece of advice is to remain humble and collaborate with other creatives. I often work with emerging brands like mine, creating initial content together. This is what I enjoy most because it allows me to learn from others — things I hadn’t considered before. Behind every collaboration, friendships and valuable connections are formed that can become vital for future projects. I believe in quality over quantity: it’s far better to do one thing exceptionally well than to do a hundred things mediocrely.
What do you dream of for the future?
I want to live off this work. For my future, I hope to achieve every milestone along the way, step by step, and for my brand to become a beacon for those seeking to identify with something meaningful. I also have a clear project in mind called Morage Studio: a physical space where aspiring professionals in this field can showcase their talents and create their ideas. It would be a community for creatives — a sort of incubator for emerging talent, aimed at fostering collaboration and artistic creation. This kind of space, where artists can create, sell, and collaborate, is not a given. I would love to pioneer a tangible movement that values young talent. The goal would be to support them not only through training and access to tools but also in the crucial post-training phase. I hope the future holds many satisfactions. One day, I want to be able to look in the mirror and say, “Well done! You had courage.”
