ITS Contest 2016 – Utopia
International Talent Support was launched in 2002 and throughout its 21-year history it has developed into the most highly recognised platform to showcase & support the strongest young talents on the planet. Most importantly, it created agrowing network made of emerging designers, fashion industry leaders, artists, stylists, photographers and editors. In addition, by collecting items from each finalist it has established a unique collection tracing the history of fashion evolution, early works of designers who are re-shaping today’s industry.
Special Project: ITS Made in FVG
The ITS Made in FVG project used creativity to highlight the excellence of the manufacturing capabilities of the Friuli Venezia Giulia region in Italy. Bianca Chong, former ITS finalist, was challenged to conceive futuristic jewelry capable of measuring data like time, vital signs and more from the wearer's surroundings. An artistic speculation based on the idea of wearable technology.
This conceptual project was developed working side by side with Eurotech a company from the region working internationally on Artificial Intelligence at the highest level. Present-day available technology will represent the jumpstart to imagine an open future where these technological barriers will have disappeared. Eurotech supported Bianca Chong offering its immense scientific and technological know-how as well as its visions. Prototypes were developed with the support of Eurotech and displayed in a dedicated corner at ITS 2016 with a thorough description of the development process.
"Creativity becomes innovation in a fertile environment."
The idea to carry out a shared project between the Friuli Venezia Giulia Region and ITS was first conceived in 2014 within the development of reforms relating to industrial politics started with the Piano di sviluppo del settore industriale (industrial sector development plan) and later with the RilancimpresaFVG law in 2015, when the regional government committed itself to supporting the manufacturing sector in particular. "The Region-ITS initiative – commented Sergio Bolzonello, Vice President of the Friuli Venezia Giulia Region and regional minister for industrial policies, tourism and cooperation is consistent with the regional strategy that aims at favoring with concrete initiatives a technologically advanced and innovative manufacturing sector, capable of creating added value. The conversation between art and enterprise is a remarkably fecund terrain for the creation of the “innovation” we need: the interaction between diverse production lines is where the spark of genius/innovation is started, and not by chance. Offering services, infrastructures and support to creativity: this is our task in Friuli Venezia Giulia and in this direction we are channeling our energies. Successfully combining aesthetic values and profitable production requires new interpretations and a new fast approach on the LTC and eco-compatible economy scenario. The ITS project in this sense is a case in point: looking to the future and anticipating the un-seen and even the un-imagined is a challenge, and we cannot be caught unprepared".
Sergio Bolzonello
Vice President of the Friuli Venezia Giulia Region and Regional Minister for Industrial Policies, Tourism and Cooperation
Computers today are sophisticated elements that give human beings the means to augment exter nal reality and their comprehensive presence on the inter net. Progress will be such that we will no longer see computers as computers, but as an integral part of our world, as an extension of ourselves. Existing technologies can really change the man/computer relationship, making their co-existence increasingly symbiotic and enabling a new era of sustainable living on planet Earth. In order to fully exploit such potential, we need to close the gap between our human body and the computers. Making computers wearable is a way to achieve that, which requires a focus on esthetics, ergonomics and user experience rather than on computing and communication power. This is why we established this collaboration with ITS: to explore the merging of digital technologies with both emotions and a sense of usefulness.
Roberto Siagri
President & CEO
Special Award: Generali Future Award
Generali established in 2015 the “Generali Future Award” with the aim to ensure that one designer from ITS would have the proper support to grow entrepreneurial wings. There is a point in the career of these talented designers in which creativity by itself is not enough. They have to develop a feeling for the business side of their profession.
In 2015 the award was assigned to Aitor Throup.
The 2016 winner Justin Smith was chosen among the 550 finalists represented in the ITS Creative Archive by a committee including Simone Bemporad (Generali Group Director of Communications and Public Affairs), Barbara Franchin (ITS Director), Simone Marchetti (Fashion Editor D.Repubblica.it, La Repubblica, Repubblica.it), Angelo Flaccavento (Indipendent Fashion Critic and Curator) and Sara Maino (Senior editor of Vogue Italia and Vogue Talents).
Finalists and Winners
Alyssa Lee
Jewellery finalist
WINNER
ITS 2016 OTB Award
ITS 2016 Modateca Deanna Award
Birute Mazeikaite
Fashion finalist
Biyuan Zhang
Accessories finalist
Cheng Zong Yu
Fashion finalist
Chinami Tokizawa
Jewellery finalist
Chu-Ting Lee
Accessories finalist
Elizabeth Lee
Jewellery finalist
Flora Miranda
Fashion finalist
Garance Brandely
Jewellery finalist
Gisela Febrina Juwono
& Larasati Dewangga Putri
Jewellery finalists
Han Kim
Artwork finalist
Hayk Gabrielyan
Fashion finalist
Hazuki Katagai
Artwork finalist
Helen Kirkum
Accessories finalist
WINNER
ITS 2016 ACCESSORIES Award
ITS 2016 Vogue Talents Award
Ilaria Fiore
Accessories finalist
Jana Zornik
Accessories finalist
Karan Torani
Artwork finalist
Le Roni Sachelaridi
Accessories finalist
Marco Baitella
Artwork finalist
WINNER
ITS 2016 ITS ARTWORK Award
Masaki Shimizu
Jewellery finalist
Mayako Kano
Fashion finalist
WINNER
ITS 2016 ITS FASHION Award
Melanie Lewiston
Accessories finalist
Niels Gundtoft Hansen
Fashion finalist
WINNER
ITS 2016 OTB Award
Olesya Serchenko
Fashion finalist
Sari Räthel
Jewellery finalist
WINNER
ITS 2016 ITS JEWELRY Award
Séro Oh
Fashion finalist
Sheila Pazos
Artwork finalist
Shinhwan Kim
Fashion finalist
Stefanie Tschirky
Fashion finalist
Tatiana Lobanova
Jewellery finalist
Tsugumi Eikawa
Accessories finalist
Wenxin Lee
Artwork finalist
Woo Jung Jung
Accessories finalist
Xi Xia
Jewellery finalist
Young Jin Jang
Accessories finalist
WINNER
ITS 2016 YKK Award
Yuanjing Dong
Jewellery finalist
Fashion & Accessories Jury
Carlo Capasa
President of the Camera Nazionale della Moda Italiana
Marie-Claire Daveu
Chief Sustainability Officer and Head of International Institutional Affairs, Kering
Floriane de St Pierre
Floriane de Saint Pierre & Associés, Eyes On Talents
Deanna Ferretti
Maglificio Miss Deanna
Angelo Flaccavento
Independent Fashion Critic and Curator
Barbara Franchin
Founder & Director ITS
Barbara Grispini
Director to D/ARK, Designer Brand Development Consultant to the British Fashion Council, LONDON show ROOMS Curator
Demna Gvasalia
Founder and Artistic Director at VETEMENTS and Artistic Director at Balenciaga
Kei Kagami
Designer & YKK Consultant
Karchun Leung
Editor in Chief of Numerò China
Sara Maino
Senior Editor Vogue Italia and Head of Vogue Talents
Simone Marchetti
Fashion editor D.Repubblica.it, La Repubblica, Repubblica.it
Colin McDowell
International Fashion Commentator
Sarah Mower
Chief Critic, Vogue runway.com and BFC Ambassador for Emerging Talent
Anna Orsini
British Fashion Council Strategic Consultant
Giovanni Pungetti
CEO Maison Margiela
Andrea Rosso
Creative Director Diesel Licenses
Valerie Steele
Director and Chief Curator of the Museum at the Fashion Institute of Technology
Riccardo Vannetti
Tutorship Director Pitti Immagine
Silvia Venturini Fendi
President AltaRoma
Lotta Volkova
Fashion Stylist and Consultant
Artwork Jury
Nicola Bonaventura
Creative Director Safilo, Italy
Michele Ciavarella
Deputy Editor of Style Magazine Corriere della Sera, fashion content and fashion critic of style.corriere.it - Italy
Carlo Giordanetti
Creative Director Swatch International
Alessandra Laudati
Architect and Freelance Writer
Mats Nilsson
Creative Leader, Ikea of Sweden
Jewelry Jury
Vivienne Becker
Jewelry Historian
Harry Eisenberger
Head of Jewelry Design at Swarovski Professional
Ute Schumacher
Director Creative Direction and Design Network Swarovski Professional
Iris Van Herpen
Fashion Designer
Kim Young-Seong
Head of Fabrics at CHANEL