📰 Polimoda’s Talent 2025 Awards Honour Craftsmanship & Digital Innovation

Polimoda has crowned Luigi Simonetti and Syncroni by Hatem Ben Hassine as the winners of Talent 2025, the institute’s prestigious programme dedicated to nurturing entrepreneurial visionaries in fashion. The initiative supports students and alumni in transforming bold ideas into viable, future-focused businesses, combining creativity, sustainability and innovation.

After a six-month journey of mentorship, development and design support, the finalists presented their projects in Florence on October 30 before industry experts, students and professionals. This year’s winners represent two distinct yet complementary paths in contemporary fashion — one rooted in artisanal heritage and material experimentation, and the other driving technological evolution and sustainable workflow solutions.

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✨ Luigi Simonetti: Reviving Italian Craft Heritage

Simonetti’s project draws inspiration from the borderland between Campania and Molise, where cultural memory and everyday ritual shape a poetic design language. His work intertwines craftsmanship, regional identity and cutting-edge material research, honouring Southern Italy’s heritage while reimagining it for the future.

Working with local craftswomen to preserve rare artisanal skills, Simonetti modernises traditional techniques such as bobbin lace and weaving. His material innovations feature fibres derived from marble, lotus flower and spider silk, resulting in textiles that blend ancestral wisdom with avant-garde science.

Described by Polimoda as a vision of “emotional luxury and cultural sustainability,” his approach positions fashion as a shared ritual — where memory becomes material and innovation honours heritage.

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🌐 Syncroni by Hatem Ben Hassine: Digitising the Fashion Backstage

Syncroni, created by Tunisian designer Hatem Ben Hassine, is a cloud-based casting platform designed to revolutionise runway production. By eliminating manual systems and scattered tools, Syncroni brings casting directors, producers and creative teams into a unified environment — overseeing everything from model selection to lineup approvals in real time.

The system reduces printing waste, streamlines workflow and ensures transparency, efficiency, and reduced environmental impact. Tested during Milan Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2026 across three official shows, Syncroni is now moving toward international deployment and aims to establish a global standard for backstage management.

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🎓 Supporting Fashion Entrepreneurs

The Talent programme provides each winner with mentorship, strategic support, workspace access and a €10,000 contribution to accelerate their ventures — making Polimoda one of the few global institutions that financially backs emerging talent.

Last year’s winner, Domenico Orefice, has since gained major recognition, including a place as a finalist for the CNMI Fashion Trust and a spot at Milan Fashion Week, underscoring the programme’s role as a launchpad for rising fashion innovators.