The Vogue Talents event, sponsored by the City of Milan, dedicated to the international scouting of creatives and designers from the new generation is back
The platform will be available to access online by invitation only on February 24 , and will be opened to the international public from the following day. The first edition, launched in September 2020, proved to be incredibly popular, garnering over 100,000 visits to the platform and more than 130,000 page views.
“After the success of the first digital edition, Vogue Talents is proud to be returning, now with an even richer and more comprehensive lineup. An essential tool for professionals, the platform in this edition - which features new creative solutions - also provides news and ideas to the general public to wholeheartedly embrace the issue of sustainability, with a view to encouraging people to make more conscious, informed choices in everyday life,” comments Emanuele Farneti, Editor-in-Chief of Vogue Italia.
“Vogue Talents continues to push its boundaries and commitments. We have a duty to continue to support the new generation in all its creative forms. This edition is dedicated to social responsibility, featuring a selection of international designers along with plenty of initiatives and suggestions on how we can all live more consciously”, commented Sara Sozzani Maino, Deputy Director of Vogue Italia and Head of Vogue Talents.
To mark the launch of the platform, Vogue Talents will unveil a partnership with one of the leading educational institutions operating on the art scene. It’s been a harsh time for the arts and entertainment industry, forced to an extended interruption due to the Covid-19 crisis. Vogue Talents, in line with its commitment in supporting talent in all its forms, has decided to lend a hand by offering global visibility to the students of the renowned Civica Scuola di Teatro Paolo Grassi. Guests will be greeted with an exclusive video featuring the artists of Milan’s prestigious Civica Scuola di Teatro Paolo Grassi in two dance performances: “Entanglement - Seven Brief Lessons on Physics”, choreographed by Manuela Victoria Colacicco and performed by Martina Di Prato and Rafael Candela, and “Vertigo”, choreographed and performed by Serena Zimolo, together with Tommaso Cavalcanti. The performers will be styled by italian designers: Act n°1, Agglomerati, Alessandro Vigilante, Calcaterra, Garbage Core, Marcello Pipitone, Persia, Simona Marziali - MRZ e Vièn. Since it was founded in 1951 by Paolo Grassi and Giorgio Strehler, the Civica Scuola di Teatro Paolo Grassi - which now has Tatiana Olear at the helm - has been an educational landmark in the world of Italian theatre for seventy years. Managed by Fondazione Milano since 2000, it is the only institution in Italy to offer training courses for all the main professional profiles in the field of theatre and live performance.
The “Spotlight on Talents” section is dedicated to the creativity of designers who share a responsible approach to their craft, boasting a range of collections from Korean Kwun Hyuk Kim from Anchovi; Caes, by Dutch designer Helen de Kluiver; Commas, designed by Australian creative Richard Jarman; Italian-American Jezabelle Cormio’s creations for Cormio; Mossi, by Frenchman Mossi Traoré; two brands - Ssōne and S.S.Daley - designed by British creatives Caroline Smithson and Steven Stokey-Daley, respectively; Uniforme, by French duo Hugues Fauchard and Rémi Bats; and Yuzefi, by Iranian designer Naza Yousefi.
“Awareness Manifesto”, meanwhile, is the area dedicated to various issues relating to sustainability. This segment is divided into two parts, with the first dedicated to an in-depth exploration of the topic, including a series of Q&As on the most frequently-asked questions about a responsible approach, formulated with contributions from the most influential figures on the fashion scene, including Orsola De Castro, Founder and Global Creative Director of Fashion Revolution, and Francesca Romana Rinaldi, professor at Bocconi University and author of “Fashion Industry 2030”. The second part is devoted to the creativity of Matteo Ward (of design studio WRAD) who, flanked by the artistic and graphic support of Sara Guazzarini, uses an illustrated manifesto to convey the importance of environmental sustainability in the fashion system, highlighting the key issues that affect it and offering more concrete, responsible techniques for steering it down a more ethical path.
One of the new additions for the event in 2021 is the “How to Buy Responsible” section, which will offer a whole host of online shops, production companies, brands and places to explore and visit - including through virtual tours - with a special focus on the environment and the drive to innovate.
This edition will also see the introduction of a “Mentoring” section, including videos dedicated to burgeoning creatives and young people with their careers ahead of them, who can absorb words of wisdom from headhunters interviewed in video webinars about the key steps required to find work in the fashion world: everything from how to make their CV and fashion portfolio work to tips for tackling job interviews. “Editorial Contents” is the home of video contributions including successful stories of designers that have been spotted by Vogue Talents in their early stage, exclusive interviews and a selection of podcasts. These two areas will see new content added on a regular basis.
The section will feature the launch of the second edition of “Vogue YOOX Challenge - The Future of Responsible Fashion”. This project is run by Vogue Italia and YOOX in support of designers, creatives and start-ups which, through innovative projects, have bravely decided to invest in a responsible, sustainable approach to fashion and - as a new addition for this year - design. For Vogue Italia and YOOX, supporting the latest generation of creatives continues to be a challenge that must be faced in order to pave the way for a better future and raise awareness within the textile, design and clothing system. The 2021 edition will be announced on 22 February on vogue.it and yoox.com.
The virtual building will play host to the special initiatives and projects created exclusively by Vogue Talents.
The “Tailored Creativity” section will feature:
The interactive story of the Limited Edition UNO®, interpreted by VIVETTA. To mark the fiftieth anniversary of UNO, officially the world’s best-loved card game, Italian designer Vivetta Ponti has been selected by Vogue Talents to put her own creative spin on the iconic deck. As such, she has given UNO a brand-new look, reinterpreting both the packaging and the back of the cards through the lens of her own personal style.
The Limited Edition UNO® by VIVETTA will be on sale at unicef.it/carteuno, and all proceeds will be donated to the programmes run by UNICEF to ensure that thousands of children around the world have access to the healthcare, nutrition, high-quality education and protection they deserve.
Meanwhile, Xiaomi is renewing its partnership with a tailor-made initiative created to present its latest smartphone: the Mi 11 | 5G, which offers incredible, high-performance photo and video features, firmly positioning it as a premium device. Francesco Murano, winner of the 2020 edition of “Who is on Next?” and Alfredo Cortese, creator of his brand AC9, have both been selected by Vogue Talents to create exclusive artwork inspired by their personal stylistic signatures for the packaging of the manufacturer’s newest model, which is set to raise the bar for the entire smartphone sector. Guests will be able to explore the features of the Mi 11 - on sale from March 2021 - along with the inspirations for its limited-edition packaging.
In the area dedicated to “Special Initiatives”in cooperation with a selection of brands:
The launch of “Reshaping The Future”, the scouting project by Alcantara and Vogue Talents to support students, designers and creatives. They will be challenged to imagine a more conscious future, creating their own stylistic vision and testing their skills with the countless highly-versatile material which is Alcantara. The scouting project is set to last until April 30 2021 just three young creatives will be offered the opportunity of an internship at Alcantara’s style office.
The presentation of Sara Wong’s new Autumn/Winter 2021-22 collection, creative director of the eponymous brand. “Tartary – Shades of Mongolian” is inspired by the cultural contamination that occurred in China during the 19th century. Bold shapes, bright colours and daring techniques characterise 39 looks crafted especially to represent the personality of the designer, who has selected Vogue Talents as her platform to launch “A Cultural Fashion Clash”: a video story in which she takes the audience on a journey through her life, her passions, and the creation of her latest collection.
The Yellow Hour playlist on Spotify, created by Veuve Clicquot. This playlist perfectly represents the identity - encompassing style, elegance and boldness - of the Maison which has chosen a language that is personal and universal in equal measure - namely music - to accompany the guests visiting the platform, enfolding them in its radiant world of warmth and sunshine. This initiative is part of the brand’s push to support creativity and young talents who use their unique visions to convey messages of positivity, beauty and courage: a tribute to Madame Clicquot herself, who revolutionised the world of Champagne with her unrivalled perseverance, intuition and creativity.
White Milano will be featuring a talk entitled “A Conscious Approach to Fashion” with its founder Massimiliano Bizzi, and two designers: Federico Cina, menswear designer and winner of “Who is on Next?” 2019, and Monica Sarti, heir to the famous Faliero Sarti and creator of fine, handcrafted scarves. These three guests, in conversation with Elisa Pervinca Bellini of Vogue Talents, will lay out their visions of the future of Italian-made products, exploring the potential of networking and creating a system.
For this edition, the event will once again be hosted in an imaginary building created exclusively for Vogue Italia by MONOGRID. With an overhauled look, the location - divided into explorable themed area - has been conceived as a symbolic venue for the initiative, which is entirely dedicated to responsible, sustainable creativity. Through the use of creative techniques and interactive experiences, MONOGRID’s exceptional work has dressed the usual Vogue Talents event in a shiny new digital outfit that promises to give participants a truly innovative experience.