MILAN — A parachute-like frock stole the spotlight — and scooped the top prize — at the ninth edition of the Loro Piana Knit Design Award, which challenged applicants even more than in past editions.
The LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton-owned Italian luxury brand tasked participating students with reinterpreting the use of linen for the “Winter Legacy” theme, the challenge of the job lying in the reinvention of the typical summer fiber for winter- or all-season-appropriate knitwear.
“It’s a material that is a symbol of our maison’s endless quest for excellence, for transforming the finest yarns into the most beautiful product, the most beautiful pieces, but always, always with a touch. With the famous Loro Piana touch,” said the brand’s chief executive officer Damien Bertrand on Wednesday morning here.
As reported the executive is to officially pass the CEO baton to Frédéric Arnault on June 10 to become deputy CEO of Louis Vuitton. Arnault was also in attendance at the award ceremony.
Last year Loro Piana introduced its finest linen yarn yet, a 110-Number-metric-thin thread that can be spun to up to 110 kilometers with only one kilogram.
“This exceptional yarn is the fruit, is the work of our very talented team who continuously research to achieve the most refined, the most beautiful fibers, to create the most beautiful blends that everybody is very happy to go to the Loro Piana stores [to buy],” Bertrand offered, with a chuckle. “It is this innovative and creative spirit we really want to foster with the Knit Design Award,” he said, praising the Loro Piana HR team for jump-starting the initiative in 2016.
Morgan Boyce and Simone Rizzato from Milan-based Accademia Costume e Moda scooped the award — redesigned as a gleaming golden yarn spool-like trophy — with their “Parachute” soft-knit midi dress with a multilayered skirt crafted from a linen and cashmere blend. Highly conceptual in its inspiration, drawn from World War II’s parachutes made from linen and oftentimes repurposed into clothing after wartime, the number exuded a crafty artisanal feel that won the jury over.
The winners will receive a scholarship from Loro Piana, consisting of 5,000 euros per student, a contract to work for the company and the opportunity to develop their samples to turn them into viable garments with help from the house’s knitwear team. The final products will be showcased at the upcoming edition of textile trade show Pitti Filati, to be held in Florence from July 1 to 3.
They were short-listed from a panel of seven applicants hailing from international fashion and design schools such as the Beijing Institute of Fashion Technology; École Duperré Paris; the FIT State University of New York; the Hong Kong Polytechnic; London’s Royal College of Art, and the Swedish School of Textiles.
For the past six months short-listed applicants have been able to visit Loro Piana factories, to discover production processes and stores to delve into the Italian luxury brand’s heritage.
“Every year [the award] takes even more importance, and in the years to come it will be even more important,” Bertrand said to all students. “Today we have a new generation of talents with true passion for knitwear. We are a textile company. We are a knitwear company, and we share the same passion… it’s so inspiring to see young people like you putting innovation and technical skill at the heart of your approach. What you do every day in your school will serve you for your future… This idea of always pushing the limit is really what we do every day at Loro Piana,” the executive offered.
“You are the future. You are making the future of this category, and that is very important for us. And whether you win today or not, you have to leave with this in mind. You are contributing to the future of this by innovating, by breaking the limit,” he said.
Bertrand presided over the jury panel, which included Pauline Dujancourt, founder and creative director of the namesake brand; fashion editor, stylist and creative consultant Anna Dello Russo; Satoshi Kuwata, founder and creative director of the Setchu brand, and curator and creative consultant Kimberly Drew, among others.
A special mention recognized the project presented by Léa Delwarde and Loic Bonneau, students of the École Duperré Paris school.
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