Who selects the ITS 2018 Generation? A closer look at the Jury selecting the finalists
19 April 2018
The biggest responsibility at ITS quite possibly lies in the hands of the jurors. It is in the next few days that they will be going through hundreds of portfolios, to decide which projects are the strongest and come up with the names of the finalists. It will be a “blind view”, in other words they will be judging only the quality of the projects, without being influenced by who the designer is, which (if any) school he/she attended and in what country. This is the most honest and democratic way, in our opinion.
Who are this year’s professionals called for such a difficult task? As usual, they are insiders from the fashion world, from renowned journalists to celebrated influencers…
Check them out below!
Barbara Franchin – Founder & Director ITS
Barbara Franchin is the founder and soul of ITS – International Talent Support.
She was born and raised in Trieste, a privileged point of view due to its peripheral and eccentric position: unlike the established capitals of design, it allows an ideal perspective for a pure and unfiltered view, free from conservative visions of the world. In 2001 she launches EVE, a one-of-a-kind agency with a key strength: an eclectic, dedicated and passionate team. The following year she launches the first edition of ITS, a creative platform based on a deep and widespread research of talent offering support, visibility and opportunities for young designers coming from all over the world. Selected trough a long and rigorous process, they are then hosted in Trieste for a grand final event which sees the presence of over 400 guests: journalists, trendsetters, opinion leaders and major representatives of the fashion system.
Her love and will to preserve, catalogue and bring completion to this research journey led to the creation of the ITS Creative Archive, a unique collection which traces the history of contemporary fashion evolution, endlessly and fluidly evolving. The ITS Creative Archive holds 16,000 projects from over 80 countries, 220 outfits, 120 accessory and 80 jewelry pieces and over 700 digital photography projects.
Bryan Yambao – Fashion Influencer
Bryan Yambao, popularly known as Bryanboy, began his eponymous blog bryanboy.com in 2004. A regular attendee in fashion weeks around the world, Bryan remains a front-row fixture in key capitals such as New York, Milan and Paris. Known for his unique personal style, humor and witty commentary, Yambao has created a strong online presence that has resulted in a wide range of digital initiatives with a diverse range of brands, from high fashion to blue chip commercia, such as: Gucci, Hugo Boss, H&M and Diet Coke. He’s been featured on both real life and digital ad campaigns such as Carolina Herrera and Prada fragrances, Uniqlo and serves as endorser of American Express in the USA, Apa Dentistry (USA) and Belo Medical Group (Philippines).
Bryan has contributed to The Sunday Times (UK), Glamour (USA), Teen Vogue (USA), Tank Magazine (UK), Harper’s Bazaar (Germany), GQ (China) and served as a panel judge for two seasons of America’s Next Top Model, working side by side with Tyra Banks. He’s been featured in countless media and press outlets around the world including American Vogue (Power Issue), International New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Financial Times and more. Blog: bryanboy.com (1.8 Million Unique Visitors per Month) – Instagram: @bryanboycom (603k followers) – Twitter: bryanboy (587K followers) – Facebook: bryanboy (99k followers) Core Demographic: 65% Women, 35& Men, age 18-44 United States, Philippines, United Kingdom, Hong Kong, China, Singapore and Thailand.
Sara Maino – Deputy Editor in Chief Vogue Italia, Head of Vogue Talents
Sara Sozzani Maino’s first experience in fashion began in the early 90’s while working at the newly opened Corso Como 10 boutique in Milan before joining “Vogue Italia” as an intern in 1994.
She is now deputy editor of Vogue Italia and head of Vogue Talents, project born in 2009 in support of emerging designers. Far from being a simple editorial project that comes out twice a as a supplement to Vogue Italia, Vogue Talents is a network that scouts and supports the best creative talents in womenswear, menswear, accessories and fashion photography. Vogue Talents is a platform that creates connections between designers and the fashion industry, supporting the growth of opportunities and new collaborations.
A regular attendee at global talent spotting shows, she has served as a judge in several fashion competitions, including the LVMH prize, International Talent Support, the Designer’s Nest Award, the H&M Award, the Berlin Fashion Film Award, among others. She is a frequent flyer, travelling around the world from one fashion week to the next, from Asia to America, going through Africa and Australia and everywhere she finds time and attention to offer to each upcoming designer.
The number of new initiatives dedicated to talents and signed by her is increasing: The Next Talents, in collaboration with yoox.com which this year was focused in sustainability, Who is on Next? and Vogue Talents are just two of the scouting events held in the beautiful Palazzo Morando, in Milan, organized by “Vogue Italia”.
Valentina Maggi – Director of Design Practice at Floriane de St. Pierre et Associés
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.
Angelo Flaccavento – Independent Fashion Critic and Curator
Angelo Flaccavento is an independent fashion critic and curator. He works out of Sicily, constantly traveling on assignments for Italian and international publications. He is a columnist for The Business of Fashion, Vogue Italia and Il Sole 24 Ore and a regular contributor to L’Officiel Italia, Fantastic Man, The Gentlewoman, Studio. He curated the exhibition Il signor Nino for Fondazione Pitti Discovery in Florence in 2015 and with the mentoring of Pitti Immagine he created the TV series Le Italie della Moda broadcasted by Sky Arte HD in the autumn of 2014.
Simone Marchetti – Fashion Editor La Repubblica
Following studies in Aesthetics at the Università Statale di Milano, he begins working first in the contemporary art market and then as a journalist for newspapers and magazines of editorial groups like Mondadori and RCS. In 2006 he starts at Velvet, monthly publication of the newspaper “La Repubblica”. In 2008 he decides to leave the printed press and commit to digital press. For Repubblica.it he collaborates on the development and launch of websites dedicated to fashion and to the female world, like Seidimoda and D.Repubblica.it. Internationally, he was the first in 2008 to report fashion shows in Milan and Paris on the web, with live reviews and pictures, even before streaming. From 2011 to 2012, with Repubblica.it, Google and Huffington Post America he presents in real time – with the possibility of live interaction for users – interviews with renowned designers as Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana, Donatella Versace and Giorgio Armani, the day before their fashion shows. Alongside his commitment with repubblica.it, today he writes for La Repubblica, Affari&Finanza (with a weekly column named “Backstge”) and D la Repubblica delle donne. From 2016, he has been working on a new docu-film fashion format for La Repubblica and curating art exhibitions. From 2018, he has been fashion editor for the newspaper La Repubblica.
Stefano Martinetto – CEO of Tomorrow London Holdings Ltd
Holdings Ltd, a group of companies investing in creative industries as a unique multibrand, multiservice business model that includes showroom, manufacturing and a logistics centre, as well as consulting, marketing and digital arms. Fourth generation in fashion, Martinetto started his career in the family agency which was then representing Fendi, Valentino, Dior and Montana among others before starting his own venture by partnering with designers such as Walter Van Beirendonck, Dirk Bikkembergs and Helmut Lang. Between 1997 and 2010, he was at the forefront of the luxury denim and designer sneaker movement in the distribution of brands such as Evisu, Superfine, Puma Mihara, Neil Barrett and Mc Queen whilst becoming Raf Simons’ distribution partner between 2005-2010.
In 2011, Martinetto’s vision lead to the merger between his Italian operation and Saturday Group, creating Tomorrow London Ltd, which he and his business partner Giancarlo Simiri then took over in November 2015 via MBO.
Tomorrow London Holding Ltd 2017’s projected gross sales are an estimated €70 million, growing 30 percent since 2016. Operating offices and showrooms in the world’s key fashion capitals: London, Milan, Hong Kong, Paris and New York, it currently employs more than 120 people across four continents.
Riccardo Vannetti – Tutorship Director PITTI Immagine
Born in Tuscany and raised in Florence, Riccardo Vannetti earned his degree in History of Art from the University of Siena with a major in the History of Contemporary Architecture. A freelance journalist, contributing to important fashion publications such as L’Uomo Vogue, MF Fashion and L’Officiel Hommes, Vannetti held various management-level positions with international firms and then joined Lagente, a Milan-based company engaged in managing fashion designers and creative profiles, and offering strategic advisory services to companies and personal brands. He served as Chief Operating Officer and Executive Vice-President of Lagente. In January 2016 Riccardo Vannetti was appointed to his current post, Director of Tutorship, at the new division of Pitti Immagine.
Carlo Giordanetti – Creative Director Swatch International
Carlo Giordanetti was named Creative Director of Swatch Ltd. in October 2012, responsible for a unified brand identity across product, communications and store design. He is also charged with developing the Swatch Art Peace Hotel in Shanghai as a strategic element of the overall brand program. He comes to Swatch from Montblanc (2007-2012), where he served as Creative Director for all product groups and achieved notable success. Previously, as Co-Founder and Creative Director of Brand DNA (2000-2007), he specialized in the development of branding concepts and brand (re)positioning in the luxury goods market. Mr. Giordanetti also brings extensive experience at Swatch to his new role. For ten years (1987-1992 and 1995-2000) he served in a variety of positions, including Vice President, Marketing, contributing actively to numerous projects involving art, brand-building events, new product development and the Atlanta 1996 Olympic Games. He was also a member of the team that founded both the Milan and New York design labs of Swatch. From 1992-1995 Mr. Giordanetti worked at Piaggio, makers of Vespa scooters, where he established a new retail concept and directed the company’s first international communications campaign. Mr. Giordanetti is fluent in several European languages and has lived and worked in Milan, Florence, New York, Paris, Hamburg and Zurich. He earned a degree in business from Bocconi University in Milan.
For the Finals on the 28th of June many other names will be joining the above to compose the Jury that will be selecting the winners among the ITS 2018 finalists. Keep an eye on our website and on our SN channels, we will be presenting them all as we approach the event!