When fashion technologist and founder Hatem Ben Hassine entered Polimoda Talent, Syncroni was an early-stage concept designed to simplify backstage operations. Today, the platform has been tested during international fashion shows and is preparing for its next stage of growth. In this conversation, he reflects on product development, entrepreneurship and building innovation for the fashion industry.
What did Polimoda Talent give you?
Polimoda Talent helped create the space to look at the project with more distance, structure, and discipline at an important stage of its development. As a casting director and creative technologist bridging fashion, sustainability, and technology, it was valuable to step outside the day-to-day pressure of casting, building, and testing, and to translate the project into a clearer entrepreneurial language. The program pushed me to define priorities more sharply: what we solve first and why, how it creates value, and how it can grow without losing its purpose. The mentoring context was useful because it challenged me to communicate with precision, not just passion. It helped me present Syncroni as serious, heavy-duty infrastructure for runway operations, designed to support casting, production, styling, agencies, and backstage teams with more clarity and trust. For me, the experience was a checkpoint: visibility, reflection, and stronger focus for the next phases.
What has been the biggest challenge you've faced, and how did you get through it?
The biggest challenge has been deciding what not to build first. Syncroni responds to many real backstage needs: model auditions, communication, legal compliance, timing, waste, budget management, decision-making, and coordination between teams. Because I know these problems from inside the room, the temptation was to solve too much too early. The important step was defining the MVP with discipline: what creates immediate value, what needs to be tested first, and what can grow later without weakening the system. That process was challenging, especially when we were deciding whether the project was ready to enter coding. I am now glad we took that step with consistency and diligence. We worked modularly, spoke with experts in our circle, tested repeatedly, and translated feedback into clear milestones. Releasing the beta during SS26 allowed us to test both the software and the onsite equipment prototype in real conditions. It confirmed that the strongest innovation is not the loudest, but the one that works quietly under pressure.
What is the current status of the project, and what are your future goals?
Syncroni is now moving from beta testing toward GA (General Availability), planned for later this year during SS27. Through hb. creative agency, it has already powered 10 official calendar shows worldwide, giving us a strong understanding of how the system behaves in real backstage conditions, across different teams, cities, timings, and working cultures. This stage has been about refinement: making the experience faster, clearer, and more reliable without making the workflow feel heavier. The next phase is intentionally selective. We have secured exclusive collaborations with leading directors who will use Syncroni and contribute to its development. In parallel, we are engineering our first modular workstation, planned for launch before SS28. It will bring the digital workflow into a more complete onsite environment, from automated check-in and image capture to legal coordination, usage tracking, and compliance. Our ambition is to build trusted runway infrastructure through proof, precision, and quiet consistency.
Project Information
- Founder: Hatem Ben Hassine
- Project: Syncroni
- Founded: 2025
- Industry: Fashion Technology & Casting
- Polimoda Talent: Winner 2025
- Website: syncroni.app
- Instagram: @syncroni.app
- LinkedIn: Hatem Ben Hassine
- Models:Â Hatem Ben Hassine
Highlights
Media
- Vogue Italia: Tra cultura street e alta sartoria prende forma la grande ossessione di Domenico Orefice
- The Impression: Domenico Orefice
- Say Who: Domenico Orefice porta in passerella una casa vissuta
Milestones
- Milan Fashion Week
- International retailers
- Independent atelier
Founders stories
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