How do you say Jacquemus in Italian? Here is a glue. In France, the 33-year-old fashion designer born in Salon-de-Provence, but also creators like Alexandre Mattiussi or Marine Serre have proven in ten years that it is possible to sign a coherent and commercial wardrobe, to be successful without giving in to sirens of the big houses. Meanwhile, on the other side of the Alps, no equivalent exists. Moreover, for the past fifteen years, foreign critics have often returned from Milan fashion week, pointing out the lack of young shoots capable of enriching the landscape and preparing for the future, while emphasizing the overwhelming omnipresence of Gucci, Prada, Armani and other Dolce & Gabbana, globalized giants born in the XXe century.
“For a long time, the success of famous houses played an ambivalent role vis-à-vis young talents. On the one hand, they created a favorable environment to enable them to obtain opportunities in these structured groups. On the other, they overshadowed any new name that emerged., observes Emanuela Scarpellini, professor of contemporary history at the University of Milan. France, on the other hand, is more lenient with the last-born, providing scholarships and prizes; when the proposal is worth it, the Fédération de la haute couture et de la mode gladly reserves a slot for them on the official calendar of Paris fashion week.
Admittedly, in Italy, regenerating labels, such as MSGM or Sunnei, founded in 2009 and 2014, have slowly emerged. But it is above all in the last three years that a real revival has finally taken hold. Internationally, things have started to float, for example, the wardrobe diverted from Tyrolean folklore by Jezabelle Cormio, 31, the bohemian audacity enhanced by Bolognese craftsmanship by Marco Rambaldi, also 31, or, more recently, knitwear ” upcycled” by Vitelli, founded by Mauro Simionato and Giulia Bortoli, 40 years old.
Of course, we are still far from strong businesses, like that of a Jacquemus which achieved 100 million euros in turnover in 2021 and aims to reach 500 million by 2025, data which he has just revealed to the specialized media The Business of Fashion. The new Italian guard, it sketches its first steps, in parades still confidential and especially presentations in parallel with the barnums of the mastodons.
For Veronica Leoni, launching her brand “was not an ingrained ambition: I had never even thought of it”. The 37-year-old Romaine with the brush cut has been sailing in the ready-to-wear industry for fifteen years. Her taste, minimalist and distinguished, coupled with her ability to design functional products, earned her a first-class CV in the luxury sector without ostentation, passed by Jil Sander, Celine, and responsible since 2018 for the women’s permanent line. from Moncler.
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