THE ITS 2012 JURORS!
July 10, 2012
We are more than honoured and proud to introduce the jurors who will judge our GOOD finalists as well as our EVIL finalists. Regardless of their inclinations, they will evaluate impartially and come up with this year’s winners. Not forgetting that at ITS, all finalists are winners, as you know well by now...
ITS FASHION JURY
Renzo Rosso
(DIESEL owner and ONLY THE BRAVE president)
Born in 1955 in Northeast Italy, he founded Diesel in 1978, creating an iconic brand thanks to the unique products and the innovative, provoking tone of voice of its marketing. Today, Diesel is part of OTB (Only The Brave) Group which has incorporated along the years brands such as Maison Martin Margiela, Viktor & Rolf, and Staff International – the Italian company that manufactures and distributes brands such as DSquared, Just Cavalli, Marc Jacobs Menswear, Vivienne Westwood, Maison Martin Margiela and Viktor & Rolf.
Barbara Franchin
(EVE/ITS Founder and Director)
Barbara Franchin, after entering the fashion world with her own atelier with which she felt the urge to research, identify and support creativity, her innate ability to create work teams made her conceive an event to give support and visibility to young talents all over the world. In the Nineties she started her first project and later on in 2002 she founded the EVE agency, organizing ITS - International Talent Support - widely recognised as the place where tomorrow’s young talents are discovered.
Marina Abramovic
(Performance Artist)
Since the beginning of her career in Belgrade during the early 1970s, Marina Abramovic has pioneered performance as a visual art form, creating some of the most important early works. The body has always been both her subject and medium. Exploring her physical and mental limits in works that ritualize the simple actions of everyday life, she has withstood pain, exhaustion and danger in her quest for emotional and spiritual transformation.
Carlo Bach
(illy Art Director)
Carlo Bach is an active artist who had numerous exhibitions in Italy and elsewhere. Since 1999 he has collaborated with the art projects of illycaffè and in 2005 became the firm’s company’s art director. He develops collaborative relationships with leading exponents of contemporary art and with emerging talent, working on experimental artistic projects and subsequently seeking to translate the experience acquired into the realisation of the illy Art Collections. He is also responsible for the projects the company develops in the field of communication and design such as Galleria illy.
Susie Bubble
(Fashion Blogger)
Susanna Lau, also known as Susie Bubble, is a writer and full-time blogger living and working in London. Lau started her blog ‘Style Bubble’ in March 2006. She works full-time on her blog and other freelance projects, including writing for magazines and newspapers such as Pop, The Guardian and Elle UK and contributes to Dazed Digital and SHOWstudio. She is currently working on a book that will sum up the ethos and essence of Style Bubble.
Mark Fast
(fashion designer ITS#SEVEN finalist)
Mark Fast is a Canadian-born knitwear designer, he studied at Central Saint Martins, then completed his BA there and went on to complete his MA in February 2008. He was awarded the ‘Fashion Collection of the Year’ prize at International Talent Support (ITS#Seven). Mark’s fascination with the cinema drives his creative process as he channels the energy of the characters who inspire him into his work. His constant dramatic approach to fashion has led him to dress some of the most influential women in entertainment like Rihanna, Nicki Minaj, Kylie Minogue and Jessie J.
Deanna Ferretti
(Maglificio Miss Deanna, Modateca)
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 has a wide experience in textiles and knitwear but she cannot be called neither a fashion designer nor simply a business woman. Every three or four years her company supports a new young talent. Miss Deanna is a symbol of originality and quality.
Valentina Maggi
(Director of Design Practice Floriane de St Pierre)
Graduated in Architecture from Milan’s Politecnico, Valentina Maggi began her professional career at the Conservation and History of Architecture Department of Milan’s Politecnico. 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.
Sara Maino
(Fashion Editor Vogue Italia and Vogue.it)
Sara Maino joined Vogue Italia as an intern in 1994. She loves photography and doing research, which she considers 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. In addition, she is Senior Editor for Vogue Italia.
Nina Nitsche
(MMM)
She studied at Studio Berçot in Paris with a first training course at Maison Martin Margiela. From 1991 to 1993 she followed the realisation of Maison Martin Margiela’s knitwear collection. From 1993 to 1996 she was R&D responsible for MMM at Staff International. In 1997 she became Chief designer in charge of the MMM women’s line in Paris. Since 2006 she has been the Collection Director for both menswear and womenswear in Paris.
Caterina Salvador
(Fashion Coordinator COIN group)
After completing her studies in languages in 1983 she started working for Giorgio Armani as an assistant for womenswear in the style office, then later in 1986 she became the style office responsible. In 1996 she moved to New York as Development Director for Calvin Klein Collection. She came back to Italy in 2003 as the Head of the Dolce & Gabbana Style Office until 2011. In January 2012 she joined the Coin Group as Fashion Coordinator, responsible for the collection development of the group’s brands (OVS, Coin, Upim).
Shaun Samson
(ITS#TEN winner)
Shaun Samson is a menswear designer with his own label since 2011. His personality and approach comes from growing up in the laid-back suburban surf-Mecca of San Diego, where throughout his youth he was inspired by the surrounding myriad of street-styles. In July 2011, Samson was awarded ‘Fashion Collection of the Year’ at the International Talent Support (ITS#TEN). He debuted his Spring/Summer 2012 collection at the FashionEast/Topman MAN show during London Fashion Week in September 2011.
Letizia Schatzinger
(Fashion Director D-La Repubblica)
Letizia Schatzinger, born in Milan, after artistic studies began her career in Grazia which she leaves when D is created, as supplement of the newspaper La Repubblica of which she is currently Fashion Director. A journalist who was born on paper, though passionate about the new digital media, she is always on twitter (@letiziaschatzi), Instagram and on FashionPark, the blog of the fashion department of D on Dweb.
Robbie Spencer
(Senior Fashion Editor Dazed&Confused)
Robbie Spencer is Senior Fashion Editor at Dazed and Confused magazine, he has been a member of the fashion team at Dazed since 2005. He also contributes to AnOther Magazine, AnOther Man, Vogue Italia, Vogue Hommes International, Vogue Hommes Japan, V, Vman, the NY Times - T Magazine and Nowness. Robbie styles shows and consults for designers Neil Barrett, McQ Menswear, Wooyoungmi, J.W.Anderson and Richard Chai. Other clients include Topman, Burberry, Sunspel, Levis and Liberty of London and J Lindeberg.
Aithor Throup
(Fashion Designer ITS#FIVE winner)
Graduated from the Royal College of Art in 2006 with an MA in Fashion Menswear, in 2008 he began working as Creative Consultant with Umbro, creating both concept and design of the England teams’ football kits for 2010 World Cup. In July 2011, he was appointed Creative Director of rock band Kasabian. He has won various awards at ITS#Five (International Talent Support), and has worked as an art director and stylist with: i-D, Arena Homme +, and VMan, amongst others. Throup has finally launched his long-awaited menswear product line in June this year.
Tim Voegele-Downing
(Global Creative Director Avery Dennison)
He is Global Creative Director at Avery Dennison | Retail Branding and Information Solutions. Prior to joining Avery Dennison Tim held leading creative roles at Burberry Japan, Gucci, Christian Dior, Sonia Rykiel and Onward Kashiyama. Tim’s obsessive passion for brands is evident in his work as a creative director, designer and consultant for companies like Burberry, Gucci, Christian Dior, Hermes, Mulberry, Polo Ralph Lauren, Daks, Onward, Rapha, Brooks, Sunspel, Mulberry and Cheaney.
ITS ACCESSORIES JURY
Kei Kagami
(Fashion Designer and Consultant for YKK)
He initially studied architecture but later discovered his true vocation and promptly enrolled at Tokyo’s Bunka College to study tailoring. In 1989 he joined John Galliano’s studio in London working very closely with his mentor, then enrolled at the prestigious Central Saint Martins and showed in London for several seasons, presenting his catwalk show also in Milan until 2007. Kagami’s first shoewear 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.
Elisabetta Barracchia
(Direttore di Vogue Accessori / Gioiello)
After her humanistic studies, she decided to step in the advertising world as an art director, dealing with clients from the fashion world and luxury products. At the start of the Nineties she began a collaboration as Fashion Image Director working for the Antonio Fusco fashion house. Moreover, since 1999 she has been part of Condé Nast, first as responsible for special projects and as Vice-director of Vogue Pelle, then as director of Vogue Accessory. Since March 2012 she has been also directing Vogue Gioiello.
Antonella Bertagnin
(Coordinator of the “Trend Selection” Fashion Committee – LINEAPELLE)
Since 1998 Antonella Bertagnin has been the Coordinator of the “Trend Selection” fashion committee. She is Art Director of the “Trend Selection” area of the LINEAPELLE Fair in Bologna as well as for the Milan fair ANTEPRIMA. For both LINEAPELLE and ANTEPRIMA she organises every year the Trends Area and workshops on the fashion trends of leather goods and footwear in the cities of Paris, Canton, Tokyo, New York and Moscow.
Marco Grandi
(Direttore Commerciale YKK)
Since 1990 (that’s over 22 years) he has been working with YKK Italy first as a salesman in the area of his hometown Bologna, then in Florence where he opened a YKK branch, finally becoming Marketing Director and working mainly for the Milan and Vercelli branches. Most of his time by the way is devoted to commercial expansion in all of Italy.
Gaetano Perrone
(Footwear Designer)
He started experiencing shoes with Antonio Berardi, who introduced him into a world of creativity. He later headed the shoe design department at Salvatore Ferragamo and devoted the last ten years to shoes and leather goods. Perrone has now worked for many labels including Sergio Rossi, Kenzo, Iceberg, Gianvito Rossi and Christian Dior and spent his last three years at Alexander Mc Queen setting up shoes and leather good collections.
Oliver Ruuger
(ITS#TEN Accessories winner)
Shortly after graduation Oliver was awarded the ‘Accessories Collection of the Year’ in July 2011 at ITS#TEN. This led to establishing his accessories label in August 2011. His London-based studio is specialized in highly labour intensive luxury fashion accessories which border between sculpture and product. The use of exquisite materials coupled with a high level of multidisciplinary craftsmanship results in desirable and visually striking luxury products which can be presented as objects of contemplation. Oliver Ruuger produces the collection in house, with a small team of skilled craftspeople.
Isabella Zegrini
(Christian Dior Haute Couture Accessories)
After studying fashion at IED – Istituto Europeo di Design - she started working for designer Chiara Boni. She then began designing bags for the Fendi brand. Afterwards she designed very technical pieces for Mandarina Duck and also for Moschino. In 2000 she became womenswear and menswear accessories design responsible for Miu Miu, then worked for Christian Dior in Paris, then back in Italy she worked for Dolce & Gabbana and finally went back to Dior again where she is currently working travelling to Milan, Florence and Paris.
ITS JEWELRY JURY
Ute Schumacher
(Vice President Trend & Design SWAROVSKI ELEMENTS)
After a lengthy career as a spectacles designer and trend expert for renowned designers such as Jil Sander, Ute Schumacher became the Head of Trend and Design at D. Swarovski KG, in the department for Crystal Fashion Components in 2003. After heading the central Trend Research department at D. Swarovski KG and the Art Direction for SWAROVSKI ELEMENTS, today she continues to lead the team of enthusiastic trend researchers whose work explores future trends in all four corners of the globe as Vice President of Trends and Design.
Vicki Sarge-Beamon
(Co-founder and Creative Director of Erickson Beamon)
Vicki Beamon is part of the celebrated jewellers Erickson Beamon, who are renowned all over the world for their cult jewellery and innovative design. Their high-profile clients and artists include Lady Gaga, Michelle Obama, Beyoncé, Rihanna and Kate Moss, who favour the luxury brand’s famous chandelier earrings and statement necklaces. Continuously featured in high-end editorials for magazines such as Vogue and Harper’s Bazaar, each piece is meticulously handcrafted in the Belgravia store and the coveted collections are sold in the world’s most prestigious boutiques.
Gitte Dyrberg and Henning Kern
(Founders of Dyrberg-Kern/Denmark)
They met in 1985 at the Copenhagen School of Design and started their productive cooperation. After designing women clothes with matching accessories, in 1990 they decided to focus exclusively on fashion jewellery. Today Dyberg Kern has 101 retail shops, of which 30 mono-brand, in more than 30 countries. To celebrate 25 years of their love for jewellery, Dyberg-Kern launched the Sterling Silver collection in Scandinavia in 2011.
Simon Harrison
(Jewellery Designer)
For more than 30 years he has designed and made luxurious jewellery ranges for an impressive list of international fashion brands, helping to establish jewellery as a dynamic category within the fashion industry. From their design studio in London Simon and his team are committed to excellence; their mission is to create expressive and inspiring jewellery that uplifts the soul of the wearer.
