ITS#NINE Preselections
April 09, 2010
- Barbara Franchin - Talent Scout and Director of EVE/ITS
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She was born in Trieste, Italy, and living in a border zone has led to her openness and curiosity in terms of interfusion in all its forms. She took her first steps in the fashion world establishing an atelier with a friend aimed to the creation of extravagant womenswear clothing. Her propensity for exchange, comparison, curiosity and the search for the creative spark lead her to create and organise in 1993 Mittelmoda, a projects created to provide space for the elaboration and search for talent within the fashion world.
Barbara left it after the 2000 edition to launch a new and autonomous entrepreneurial project in Trieste; an agency, EVE, of which she is Director & Project Supervisor. As director of EVE she has been organising ITS - International Talent Support since the very beginning.
- Bernadette Wittmann Glittemberg - Founder and Head of BWG S.L.
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Bernadette Wittmann Glittenberg can look back on over 20 years of experience in the fashion industry.
With her company BWG S.L. Bernadette is mainly working in creative consulting, commercial guidance, marketing and sales strategy, as well as concept and production of fashion events. During her international career she worked with renowned fashion designers and houses such as Dries Van Noten, Rochas by Olivier Theyskens, Bread&Butter Design and guided emerging talents to develop their businesses in a creative and commercial way.
BWG S.L. works together with international fashion schools as well as organising exhibition projects and has expanded its network to the visual and performing arts.
BWG S.L. also collaborates in one-off projects, including performances, installations and exclusive events having a link to fashion and fashion design.
BWG S.L. acts as a bridge between fashion designers and the industry, drawing upon a well-established database.
- Deanna Ferretti - Entrepreneur
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Deanna Ferretti Veroni started her career in Reggio Emilia, Italy more than 30 years ago. She has since then successfully collaborated with some of the most important designers of this past century. She met Kenzo when she was barely 25 years old and with him she worked successfully for over 20 years. During the 70’s she collaborated with Yves Saint Laurent (Tricot e Variation), Rena Kraft, Chiwitt, Frapp, Luis London, Blaky Dress, Giorgio Correggiari, Popy Moreni and Michelle Bruyere.
In the 80’s she started to have her first licences with Adrienne Vittadini, Armani and Joseph. Their collections were drawn by John Galliano and John Richmond.
In the 90’s, she worked for Martin Margiela, Gai Mattiolo, Valentino, Neil Barret and for many others brands. She has a wide experience in textiles and knitwear but she cannot be called neither a fashion designer nor simply a business woman. Actually, she is an atypical figure born to realise almost every designer’s dream. Now, every three or four years her company supports a new young talent. Deanna also continues to collaborate with several schools and always loves to work with young people. Miss Deanna is a symbol of originality and quality.
- Elisa Palomino - Fashion Designer and Vice President of Design for Diane Von Furstenberg
- Elisa Palomino was born in the late sixties in Valencia, Spain. She discovered fashion in her eccentric grandmother's attic. Elisa attended St.Martins College of Art, where she completed a Masters degree in Fashion Design. After several years at Moschino, developing their whimsical style, she moved to Paris. During eight years she she was Head of Studio at John Galliano, collaborating at the Haute Couture at Christian Dior. In 2008 Elisa moves to New York to become VP of Design for Diane Von Furstenberg. In February 2010 she launched her own line with a first catwalk-show at the NY Fashion Week.
- KATARINA (KAT) NADJ - UK HR Manager, Gucci Group Services Ltd
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Katarina (Kat) Nadj has an honours degree in Sociology.
After the studies she went travelling for 16 months and came back and decided to start her own small womenswear business with a friend. They were sponsored by the Prince's Trust which is a trust fund run by the Prince of Wales. They put forward a business plan and were awarded the funds to start.
The company was called Dahlia and sold its apparel at Portobello Market, Topshop and Urban outfitters.
After THREE years Kat decided to sell her share and went to work for the Soho House Group for TWO and a half years...
Then she joined Gucci Group in Jan 2006 and work as HR Manager for all brands within the UK and globally for McQueen and McCartney Her main focus is recruitment in all areas - from store to the creative teams.
- Mandi Lennard - Director, Mandi's Basement
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Mandi Lennard heads Mandi's Basement a recently launched brand consultancy, whose clients include: Barbie (Mattel), Bistrotheque, LOVE Magazine, M·A·C Cosmetics, Oasis, and Peanuts (comic strip). She set up Mandi Lennard Publicity in 1998, following a successful retail career that includes 6 years as a Buyer and Merchandiser for London store Browns. Her agency became reputed for launching the newest creative talent into the international style marketplace, and recognised for promoting the creative hotbed of London's East End.
In December 2009, Mandi Lennard was listed within 'The Power 25', a list of the 25 most powerful players in British fashion today — released by the British Fashion Council to coincide with their 25th anniversary — alongside such industry figures as Sir Paul Smith and Dame Vivienne Westwood. Mandi's Basement is also the name of her blog on Colette's website.
- Sara Maino - Fashion Editor Vogue Italia/Vogue,it
- Sara Maino was born and raised in Milan. She studied at an English school from nursery to high school and started to work at 10 Corso Como boutique immediately after. She then entered in Vogue Italia as a stageur in 1994. She loves photography and doing research, which she considers as the only way to stimulate the mind. Sara spends most of her time hunting for new talents, as the Head of the talents area of Vogue.it website and of the “Vogue Talents” guide published once a year.
- Valentina Maggi - Director of the Design Practice at Floriane de St. Pierre
- Graduated in Architecture from the Politecnico di Milano, Valentina Maggi began her professional career in the Conservation and History of Architecture Department of the Politecnico di Milano. With her passion for Design in the wider sense, Valentina Maggi joined FLORIANE DE SAINT PIERRE & ASSOCIÉS in 1999 and has headed up the Design Practice since 2000.
- Vladimiro Baldin - Creative Centre Coordinator at Diesel
- Vladimiro Baldin,. "Vlady”, as he is known, was born in Padua, Italy, in 1974 and after tasting the flavour of clothing, fabrics and textures during his 3-year experience in a “total look” casualwear Italian company, he landed on Planet Diesel in 1998. Since then, Vlady’s career in Diesel has touched Sourcing & Buying management and the direction of Product Development that ultimately got him to the Creative Centre which he manages since 2006, working closely with the founder of the company, Renzo Rosso, as well as with the Creative Director Wilbert Das. The creativity of Diesel and its constant innovation are what keep Vlady in love with his work, assets that are naturally part of a project like ITS.
- KEI KAGAMI - Fashion Designer
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Kei Kagami initially studied architecture and worked as studio assistant to the pre-eminent figurehead of Twentieth Century Japanese building design, Kenzo Tange. During this period Kagami realised his true vocation and promptly enrolled at Tokyo's Bunka College to study tailoring. Building a bridge between the two disciplines, the move into fashion was a sort of logical progression. In 1989 Arriving on the doorstep of John Galliano's studio in London his talent and determination were instantly recognised and Galliano put him to work without hesitation, and he remained there as Galliano's studio assistant for three seasons working very closely with his mentor.
In 1990 with the help of Shiseido, Kagami enrolled at the prestigious Central Saint Martins. In 2001, his first catwalk show was held off-schedule at The Bulgarian Embassy in London. He has shown in London for several seasons and presented his catwalk show in Milan till 2007. Kagami's first shoe-exhibition was held at a gallery in Milan in 2003.
Transcending fashion, Kagami's intricate, structural designs have been displayed in museums and galleries across the world including the Museum of Modern Art (Belgrade), Au Musée du Textile et des Costumes de Wesserling (France), Design 21 exhibition ( New York), triennale (Milano ), Rooms (Tokyo) 'The Fashion of Architecture ' (London and New York), 'Body Extensions' (Switzerland). Gothic dark glamour (New York) , Arnhem Mode Biennale (Holland).
