ITS 2020 Jury’s version. This Year’s edition through the eyes of the International Jury.

A demonstration of resilience. In the midst of a pandemic ITS 2020 reinvented itself and was live streamed on October 23rd. The event reached an audience far beyond its fashion network of reference, with 2,5 million impressions and 150,000 views of the livestream. Hightlighting the strong bond with the regional territory, viewers flew over wild landscapes of Friuli-Venezia Giulia to finally reach Trieste.

We asked the ITS 2020 International Jury, comprised of leading personalities from the fashion, art and desing industry, about their experience with this unprecedented version of ITS 2020.

An extremely varied group of finalists that showed us particular bravery and strength in experimenting with different materials, production technique and a greater understanding of sustainability in terms of production and sourcing of raw materials. All of that said what I loved the most was that this increased awareness did not dampen the sense of story telling and color. It was a group of finalists that were as enjoyable to discover as they were inspiring.

MIKA
Singer & Songwriter

Once again, the finalist projects of ITS 2020 proved to be very heterogeneous in terms of stylistic codes, chosen forms of expression, and final aesthetic results. The influences that guided each designer’s creative path were clear, with one common thread: the awareness of sustainability, both from an environmental and ethical point of view. There is a greater attention to material, giving importance not only to its aesthetic aspect, but also to the tactile and finishing aspect, a trend that comes after a long period in which the visual part dominated, often at the expense of refinement in the fabrics and in processing. Today we return to appreciate the contact with the product as well as the richness in the finishes. The gender of the collections is no longer a theme, everything is extremely transversal in how it is conceived, created and presented. The format used during the live streaming on October 23rd gave good prominence to the collections (…).

RENZO ROSSO
President of OTB

The projects ranged from high level engineering in pattern cutting, to experimental styling, creative use of sustainable materials/colors, romanticism & editorial narrative, packaging design and the importance of very info-graphic storytelling (…). The live streaming was really nice and smooth (…). Despite this everything was handled very well!

ANDREA ROSSO
Creative Director Diesel Licensed Products & Founder of MYAR

As always, creativity and the ability to excite are the strongest and most impactful characteristics of the ITS project. This year in particular, sustainability as a criterion for participation added the element of discovering solutions and the ability of true talents to transform an “issue” into a creative development and a positive solution. For the Artwork section, I can’t say it was the best year: too many projects have simply replicated what they do in fashion or accessories. It will be important to remember this for the future. Beyond expectations: the ability to communicate and excite remains intact. According to the comments of those who do not know the behind the scenes, an extraordinarily professional but lively and “true” job.

CARLO GIORDANETTI
Management Swatch International, CEO Swatch Art Peace Hotel

Being able to evaluate the creativity of the young ITS finalists was a magical experience, once again. All the projects have demonstrated an innovative approach by integrating tradition, technology and attention to sustainability, proposing a green and responsible vision of the fashion universe that gives us hope for the future. This year’s experience, with a new digital format, was even more challenging but at the same time it was able to stimulate the creation of new creative content and a cinematic storytelling with a strong visual impact.

CARLO BACH
Art Director illycaffé

I was very impressed by the finalists of this edition, I found everyone’s collections very creative and well executed. I was happy to see several countries represented and to recognize a particular attention to sustainability, an important sign that young people today have this value in their creative DNA. In this difficult moment, digital is an essential ally, it allows us to amplify our messages and reach an ever wider audience. Barbara’s great work and the emotion of the winners were not lost in this digital event, rather they were enhanced by it. My congratulations to the whole ITS team for carrying out an incredible job, despite the difficulties, proving that digital can be a bridge that brings us closer and that passion and emotion are transmitted at any distance.

CARLO CAPASA
Chairman of Camera Nazionale della Moda Italiana

Rich in creativity and inventiveness and with a message that is always evocative of social responsibility. A strong narrative and a vision that infects with enthusiasm. The fragility of emotions is accompanied by an iron determination, study and application. Wonderful, everything! A fluid and fascinating presentation. Ability, competence and professionalism for each frame. Real industry of charm.

LUCA JOSI
Head of Brand Strategy, Media e Multimedia division of TIM

High-level projects both for creativity and for the search for sustainable materials and concepts. While it’s not easy to keep the excitement of a live event, the live streaming worked great. Congratulations to participants and organizers.

STEFANIA RICCI
Director of Museo Salvatore Ferragamo and Fondazione Ferragamo

It was very interesting to see the designs people made (…) I, in my mind, was looking at things that have a possibility of being produced. But I saw from the voting that I don’t know what makes people within fashion excited about the designs. That was sort of interesting to me. It made me feel a little conservative (…) It was certainly remarkable to see all of these new young fashion enthusiasts in the same space as all of these accomplished leaders in their profession.

KIKI SMITH
Artist

We were very impressed with the finalists for this year’s ITS competition. The commitment to innovation and sustainability both the fashion and accessories finalists was evident. We feel fortunate to have gotten a glimpse of the current state of fashion and are pleased with its direction. These young designers are not only experimenting with new materials, but they are also thinking about sustainability expansively-understanding that centering local communities, craft practices, and manufacturing is key to an ecologically minded design process. All of this, without ever sacrificing aesthetic quality. While we would have hoped to physically participate in the jury process, we were very impressed by the seamless online voting process and livestream coordinated by the ITS team. We remain grateful for their continued assistance and support.

PAOLA ANTONELLI
Senior Curator, Department of Architecture and Design, The Museum of Modern Art
&
ANNA BURCHARDT
Curatorial Assistant, Department of Architecture and Design, The Museum of Modern Art

I was positively impressed by the projects. I did not expect such a high level of the collections presented and it was somehow difficult to select the best ones because each of them had a valid idea and language. I really appreciated the video presentations of the products, they kept the pace very high during the live broadcast.

PATRICIA URQUIOLA
Architect & Designer

The beauty of ITS is the ongoing support to real creative talent. All the designers arriving from different parts of the world bring their visions, passion and creativity with pureness and at the same time determination. Listening to their stories and dreams is so inspiring and just makes you think that we are all working for a better future.This year was challenging, but I was happy and thrilled to be part of a live streaming. Seeing the reactions of the designers was emotional, even through a screen! We cannot stop supporting talent and any form of communication can become the right tool to put them in the spotlight.

SARA SOZZANI MAINO
Deputy Editor in Chief Vogue Italia, Head of Vogue Talents & International Brand Ambassador Camera Nazionale dell Moda Italiana

The finalists for this edition were a varied and interesting selection of creatives doing their best in this time of utter uncertainty. I liked the way they confronted important themes like environmental responsibility, and the fluidity of the outcoming result.The live streaming was fun and engaging: the best way to deal with the moment. I particularly enjoyed the talk-show style of the award ceremony. Can’t wait to be back the real show, though.

ANGELO FLACCAVENTO
Independent Fashion Critic and Curator