LVMH Celebrates Italian Artisanal Masters at Milan Fashion Week

The third edition of the LVMH Maestri d'Eccellenza (Masters of Excellence) awards recently celebrated its four distinguished winners: Domitilla Biondi, Marta Benet Morera, Lucia Massei, and Elham M. Aghili. The prestigious award ceremony, marking the opening day of Milan Fashion Week, was held on the 39th floor of the Lombardy regional administration skyscraper in Milan, underscoring the event's significance within the Italian fashion landscape.

LVMH, through its head of HR Maud Alvarez-Pereyre, reiterated its profound commitment to the preservation and promotion of artisanal expertise and craftsmanship. Alvarez-Pereyre stated, “LVMH is confirming its commitment to protecting and promoting artisanal expertise and craftsmanship. This mission is central to our project. The award is a springboard for Italian artisans, who passionately defend their craft every day, making a fundamental contribution to the Italian fashion industry.” This highlights the award's role in bolstering the foundational skills that drive Italy's renowned fashion sector.

Domitilla Biondi was honored with the prestigious ‘Master Artisan of Excellence’ award. Biondi made a significant career shift in 2013, moving away from visual communication and digital design to pursue her passion. Since 2016, she has dedicated herself full-time to "paper poetry," an innovative artistic technique involving carving bas-reliefs on paper or porcelain with a surgical scalpel. Her unique practice blends meticulous craftsmanship with a meditative approach.

The ‘Emerging Master Artisan of Excellence’ award was bestowed upon Marta Benet Morera, an artisan and multidisciplinary artist. Morera's work masterfully combines ceramics and textiles, utilizing traditional techniques and natural materials to sculpt idealised forms. Her practice consciously embraces sustainability and celebrates imperfection as a form of beauty, all while maintaining a keen awareness of contemporary influences and aesthetic exploration.

Lucia Massei earned the ‘Master for Excellence in Innovation’ award for her distinctive work. Primarily working with precious metals, pigments, and silk, Massei predominantly employs traditional techniques honed through her training as a jewellery artisan and her studies in painting at the Florence Academy of Fine Arts, showcasing a rich blend of artistic and technical expertise.

Carlo Capasa, president of CNMI, underscored the deep-rooted connection between Italian fashion and its Renaissance "bottega" heritage. He remarked, “Italian fashion is rooted in the Renaissance bottega... This award is concrete proof of the vitality of artisanal craftsmanship, and of how excellence and uniqueness are values that are highly regarded by the new generations too. We must work harder and harder to bring younger people closer to the power of craftsmanship, to make them understand what craftsmanship is, and why its unique worth must be preserved and handed down to future generations.” His statement emphasizes the critical need to engage younger generations in the preservation of these invaluable skills.

In a special recognition, the Masters of Excellence jury, led by this year's chair, film director Ferzan Özpetek, acknowledged Elham M. Aghili, an Italian-Iranian artist. Aghili's work seamlessly blends art, fashion, and design through an artisanal technique she developed herself, which involves weaving yarns recovered from offcuts and the residual stock of yarn manufacturers. Drawing inspiration from Persian culture and oneiric gardens, she creates captivating installations and wearable sculptures that merge natural iconography with her distinct hybrid cultural perspective.

Jury chair Ferzan Özpetek also highlighted the inherent link between art and craftsmanship, stating, “Art and craftsmanship very much come together also in my most recent film, Diamonds. Tailoring is the main example of hand-made artisanal craftsmanship. My congratulations to all the winners and participants in this edition of the award.” His words resonate with the core values celebrated by the LVMH Maestri d'Eccellenza awards.

Beyond the accolades, each winner of the LVMH Maestri d'Eccellenza awards receives substantial support. They are awarded a cash prize of €10,000, intended for reinvestment in their businesses, and will benefit from a mentoring period of up to one year with the staff of Thélios. Thélios, the LVMH company sponsoring this year's edition which saw over 350 artisans participate, will also invite the winners to visit its factories, offering invaluable insight into its manufacturing processes and the extensive know-how of its artisans and technicians.

Looking ahead, Bulgari has been announced as the esteemed partner for the fourth edition of the award, scheduled for 2026, promising continued recognition and support for artisanal excellence in the years to come.