LVMH launches the fourth edition of the Maestri d’Eccellenza Award to support Italian craftsmanship and savoir-faire

LVMH announces the launch of the fourth edition of the Maestri d’Eccellenza Award, an initiative organized and created by Métiers d’Excellence LVMH with Confartigianato Imprese and Camera Nazionale della Moda Italiana.

This year’s edition is held in partnership with Bulgari through Fondazione Bvlgari, which supports initiatives in the fields of savoir-faire, culture and education.

This award reaffirms the Group’s commitment to protecting and promoting Italian savoir-faire and the artisanal excellence of Made in Italy. Artisans may apply from February 24 to May 31, 2026 through the website https://youandme.lvmh.it/premio-maestri-deccellenza. At the end of the application phase, nine finalists will be selected, three for each category.

On February 24, the launch event of the fourth edition of the Maestri d’Eccellenza Award was held at Pasticceria Cova in Milan. Within the evocative Garden Cova, the works of the winners of the previous edition were exhibited:

• Maestro Artigiano d’Eccellenza: Domitilla Biondi, product: bas-reliefs on paper and porcelain
• Maestro Emergente Artigiano d’Eccellenza: Marta Benet Morera, product: ceramics
• Maestro dell’Innovazione d’Eccellenza: Lucia Massei, product: jewelry
• Special Mention Maestri d’Eccellenza Award 2025: Elham M. Aghili, product: textile art.

As highlighted by Marion Bardet, Group VP Métiers d’Excellence LVMH: “With the Maestri d’Eccellenza Award, we reaffirm our commitment to giving visibility to artisans who, through passion and dedication, keep exceptional savoir-faire alive and inspire future generations.”

Jean-Christophe Babin, President of Fondazione Bvlgari, commented: “As Fondazione Bvlgari, we are pleased to announce our partnership with LVMH for the establishment of the 2026 Maestri d'Eccellenza Award. A project of great significance that celebrates and promotes the culture of "savoir-faire", fully aligned with one of the pillars of our Fondazione: preserving and passing on to future generations the invaluable heritage of craftmanship, recognized as a true form of art. The Maestri d'Eccellenza Award embodies the essence of this dialogue between generations, expressing every artisan's calling to refine their talent, pursue excellence and innovate, leaving a tangible mark destined to endure over time.”.

Also in this edition, the competition is divided into three categories:

• Maestro Artigiano d’Eccellenza: aimed at professionals and companies with at least 10 years of experience in creativity and technical expertise applied to the use of local raw materials, also with a focus on protecting the supply chain.
• Maestro Emergente Artigiano d’Eccellenza: for those representing a promising artisanal project created within the 10 years prior to applying to the competition
• Maestro dell’Innovazione d’Eccellenza: for professionals and companies distinguished by their capacity for innovation, while preserving historical knowledge and skills, and reinterpreting them in a modern way.

The applications will be evaluated by an exceptional jury, which will determine the winner of each category; the jury will be made up of prominent figures from the four partner organizations, as well as external collaborators, including:

• Quayola (Digital and President of the Jury)
• Maud Alvarez-Pereyre (Group Chief Human Resources Officer, LVMH)
• Toni Belloni (Advisor to LVMH CEO & President LVMH Italy)
• Marion Bardet (Group VP Métiers d’Excellence, LVMH)
• Laura Burdese (Deputy CEO, Bvlgari)
• Massimo Di Valentini (Product Development & Innovation Senior Director & Virtuoso 2021, Bvlgari)
• Carlo Capasa (President, CNMI)
• Marco Granelli (President, Confartigianato Imprese)
• Moreno Vignolini (President, Confartigianato Moda)
• Manuela Ravasio (Editor in Chief, Elle Italia)

Artisans will have the opportunity to submit their application from February 24 to May 31, 2026, via the website https://youandme.lvmh.it/premio-maestri-deccellenza. Each artisan or company may submit an application for only one of the three categories.

Each of the winners will be awarded:

• €10,000, to be awarded by Métiers d’Excellence LVMH and reinvested in the recipient’s business;
• Media exposure through articles;
• Up to 3 mentoring sessions with professionals from Bulgari Group, on topics and schedules to be agreed with the Maison;
• Dedicated visits to Maison Bvlgari production sites, according to arrangements and schedules to be communicated later by the Maison, aimed at gaining deeper insight into the production processes and the savoir-faire of the artisans and technicians involved, as well as the possibility of exploring potential collaborations between the Maison and the winning artisans.

The winners will be announced during the awards ceremony, which will be held on September 14 at the Bvlgari Hotel in Rome.

As part of its broader commitment to the transmission of savoir-faire, Métiers d’Excellence LVMH will also launch a new edition of the You&ME tour in March 2026, aimed at raising awareness of artisanal métiers among younger generations.

The tour, which successfully began in France with over 6,000 visitors in Paris and Clichy-sous-Bois, and another date in Lyon on February 25, will arrive in Turin at Nuvola Lavazza on March 18, and will reach the Museo di Pietrarsa in Naples on March 26. Registrations for this free event will open soon on the official page of the tour https://youandme.lvmh.it/youandme-tour.