The future of knitwear in the latest edition of the Loro Piana Design Award

The fashion industry has always exerted a proverbial charm on students who choose a fashion institute each year in hopes of realizing their dreams in the sector. However, this dream is not always easily achievable: amidst intense competition, rising inflation, and geopolitical tensions disturbing the global economy, finding one's path in the fashion industry is not always straightforward. But this is where awards like the Loro Piana Design Award come into play, an initiative launched by the brand for the first time in 2016 and an international competition aimed at allowing tomorrow's designers to best express their creativity through Loro Piana's iconic yarns. The goal is to safeguard and enhance savoir-faire, transmitting to new generations a passion for craftsmanship excellence. This achievement was successfully reached in the case of the winning students Pierre Sauvageot and Björn Backes from École Duperré, one of the eight schools invited to give their interpretation of Loro Piana's iconic yarn.

The theme for 2024, the Maison's centenary year, was “Fast Forward Heritage”, a conversation between past, present, and future. The task was to create a new knitwear icon, designed to Loro Piana's standards with unique sensorial qualities and attention to functionality. The expert jury that selected the winners included representatives from the brand, such as CEO Damien Bertrand as President, and prominent figures like Sara Sozzani Maino, Creative Director of Fondazione Sozzani and International New Talent and Brands Ambassador; Alexander Fury, Fashion Features Director of AnOther Magazine and Men's Critic at the Financial Times; Gilles Denis, Editor-in-Chief of Le Point; Anders Christian Madsen, fashion critic and creative consultant; Beka Gvishiani, founder of StyleNotCom; Pauline Dujancourt, founder and creative director of her eponymous brand; and Anna Dello Russo, creative consultant, fashion stylist, and former editor of Vogue Japan.

The winning project drew inspiration from the noble lineage of ancient knights: "They wanted to create cashmere armor, inspired by sportswear textures", commented the designers during the award ceremony at Palazzo Gallarati Scotti in Milan. By combining the softness of fibers with the strength of iron, they created an iconic piece that pays homage to the past while pushing the boundaries of innovation. “Cavalieri” represents the synthesis of tradition and modernity, commemorating Loro Piana's 100th anniversary by infusing cashmere with new vitality and a dynamic spirit. The awarded students received the prestigious Loro Piana Knit Design Award 2024 trophy, handcrafted in silver, a scholarship, and a job contract with the company. Furthermore, they will complete their design project in the historic knitting laboratories of the Maison in Piedmont, working alongside artisans who will share their experience and savoir-faire. The finished product will be exhibited at Pitti Filati in Florence from June 25 to 27.

All students from the eight participating schools gave extremely personal interpretations of the theme: on one hand, students from Accademia Costume e Moda combined wool and linen with the goal of "pushing the limits and textures of traditional yarns by experimenting with crochet horse stitch and foil prints". At L'Institut français de la mode, the project explored the link between fashion and nature, in a quest that could be described as almost spiritual: "many of our designs take circular forms, making them a kind of meditation for us". The brand's yarns were developed through natural dyes, elaborating dreamcatchers and bedding sets. Creative ideas that have skillfully explored Loro Piana's centuries-old heritage, combining craftsmanship, technical skills, and exceptional materials to produce an icon of future knitwear. Each piece created by the participating students was made with the extraordinary yarns Loro Piana - Cashmere 2/27, Coarsehair, Supercashmere, Royal, Wish®, Clan®, Sopravisso, and Equilibrio - expertly combining technological innovation, functionality, and unparalleled texture quality.