On February 24th, Polimoda’s top final-year Fashion Design students presented their debut collections remotely to industry insiders and an international jury of influential figures on the opening night of Milano Fashion Week Women’s Collection.
Human Poetics, Polimoda’s first-ever Fashion Movie, shared a delicate fusion of much-needed art, nature and architecture, transporting viewers back to the heart of human creativity and delving into the shapes and lines of 20 Florentine locations.
20 expressive collections were presented during Milano Fashion Week Women’s Collection, but one in particular shined brighter; young Italian designer Serena Schettino won Best Collection of Human Poetics for her womenswear collection titled Twelve Pairs of Linen Sheets.
When asked to describe her work, Serena said, “Filtered glare through the laundry of an ordinary day. It is twilight, the scent of wet cotton spreads in the air. Yesterday’s thoughts between the embroidery, today’s thoughts among the corners of these contemporary shapes. My collection is the development of an idea. It is the journey of a past day that crosses old fabrics, memories and shapes to become a day of today.”
“When I was stuck in my apartment in Florence during the first lockdown, I had no materials so I just kept on working and surprisingly, I made the most iconic piece of my collection, the pillowcase shirt,” continues Serena. “So maybe when we are living a difficult period, we can find new solutions. And maybe we need more tactility and less visuality.”
Featured in the February 2021 issue of Vogue Talents, Twelve Pairs of Linen Sheets was selected Best Collection of Human Poetics by a jury of influential contemporary fashion figures including: Brendan Cannon, Stylist and Founder of The Cannon Media Group; Carlo Capasa, President of Camera Nazionale della Moda Italiana; John Dean, Founder and CEO of Renowned Clothing; Angelo Flaccavento, Journalist; Stefano Galassi, Managing Director of Fashion Tech Global Acceleration Program; Massimiliano Giornetti, Director of Polimoda; Hirofumi Kurino, Co-Founder and Senior Advisor for Creative Direction at United Arrows; Olga Karput, Founder of Concept Store Kuznetsky Most 20; Sara Sozzani Maino, Deputy Editor-in-Chief of Vogue Italia and Head of Vogue Talents and Laudomia Pucci, Deputy Chairman and Image Director of Emilio Pucci.
“Serena Schettino’s collection is a poetic composition. It reminds us that no day is ever the same and every day can be the beginning of something new,” explains Massimiliano Giornetti. “This is how I interpret Serena’s aesthetic. It is the ability or rather the gift of giving new life to our daily gestures. It is an embroidered bed sheet, some hand-finished pillowcases with rounded corners and lace that are reminiscent of a family trousseau. This collection looks at sustainability and upcycling with unwavering sophistication.”
“I went over and over the video many times. I really fell in love not only with the title—that is perfect for this series of short videos—but also with the narrative of these complementary moments. It is so wonderfully entertaining and delicate, yet full of energy and ideas throughout,” shares Laudomia Pucci, Deputy Chairman and Image Director of Emilio Pucci. “Congratulations to all of you who have accomplished an important body of clever work, and yes, it was difficult to pick winners. I think you all deserve a big bravo.”
Serena Schettino will be awarded an editorial in an international fashion magazine to showcase her winning collection. “One of my dreams was to do this collection and I can say that there were a lot of feelings and emotions, maybe tears, but we don’t have to let the tears stop us from focusing on what is important to us.”
Congratulations to our final-year Fashion Design students who made their official debut in the fashion world during Milano Fashion Week. Thank you to everyone who watched, shared, commented and liked. We’ll see you soon!