LVMH Métiers d’Excellence and Thélios Launch Third Edition of Italian Craftsmanship Prize
MILAN — LVMH Métiers d’Excellence on Thursday launched the third edition of the “Maestri d’Eccellenza Award” craftsmanship competition, dedicated to Italian master artisans.
Partnering with the group’s eyewear manufacturer Thélios on the initiative, which has involved Fendi and Loro Piana in its first two iterations, the prize will again acknowledge three master artisans from all backgrounds across three categories, dedicated to established artisans with 10 or more years of experience, emerging ones with under 10 years of experience and innovators, respectively.
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The project was launched in 2023 in Italy and developed with Camera Nazionale della Moda Italiana and the Confartigianato association, aiming to raise awareness around the importance of local craftsmanship and its preservation, attracting media attention to the cause and offering financial aid to some of its exponents.
The winners will be selected from among nine finalists, three for each category. Applications opened Wednesday and run until May 31 on a dedicated website.
The three winners will be revealed at an event in September during Milan Fashion Week, with each bestowed with a prize of 10,000 euros to reinvest in their business as well as media coverage and mentoring sessions with Thélios professionals.
“Our ambition has remained unchanged. It’s aimed at offering visibility and a voice to artisans contributing to the success of Made in Italy. All past winners have had great success,” Alexandre Boquel, director of LVMH Métiers d’Excellence, told WWD at the kick-off event organized at pastry shop and cafè Cova, also owned by LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton.
“All the group’s maisons are always looking for competencies….I see this prize also as an opportunity for our brands to expand their creative prowess and expand the artisanship they boast internally with external know-how to make even more exciting products,” he said.
Boquel explained that the selection of Thélios as the project’s third partner was hinged on the eyewear company’s ability to combine legacy artisanship with innovation. “I am very proud to have onboard this young, dynamic brand, which brings a very modern vision of artisanship in Italy,” he said.
“We are proud to partner with Métiers d’Excellence for this wonderful initiative, which helps to discover and showcase the hidden gems among Italy’s many talented craftsmen and women,” echoed Alessandro Zanardo, chief executive officer of Thélios.
Zanardo and Boquel will sit on the jury that will review applications and name winners. The panel will also include Toni Belloni, adviser to LVMH and CEO and president of LVMH Italy; Maud Alvarez-Pereyre, LVMH’s group chief human resources officer, and Camera Nazionale della Moda Italiana’s president Carlo Capasa, among others.
Italy is home to six of the more than 75 brands within the LVMH portfolio, including Bulgari, Acqua di Parma, Pucci and Cova, in addition to Loro Piana and Fendi.
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