LVMH Métiers d’Excellence launches the third edition of the Maestri d’Eccellenza Award to promote Italian craftsmanship

LVMH Métiers d’Excellence announces the launch of the third edition of the Maestri d’Eccellenza Award, an initiative carried out in collaboration with Confartigianato Imprese, Camera Nazionale della Moda Italiana. Thélios, representing the excellence of LVMH in eyewear, has been chosen as this year’s partner Maison.

This award confirms the Group’s commitment to preserving and promoting Italian savoir-faire and the artisanal excellence of Made in Italy. Artisans can apply from February 27th to May 31st 2025, on the website. At the end of the application phase, nine finalists will be selected, three for each competing category.

On February 27th, at Pasticceria Cova in Milan, the launch event of the third edition of the Maestri d’Eccellenza Award took place. Inside the evocative Cova Garden, the works of the winners from the previous edition were exhibited:

·       Maestro Artigiano d’Eccellenza: Antonio Dattis, cabinetmaking

·       Maestro Emergente Artigiano d’Eccellenza: Rinalda Bonazza, embroidery

·       Maestro dell’Innovazione d’Eccellenza: Fabio Molinas, cork-based fabric

·       Premio Creatività Artigianale: Francesco Ballestrazzi, headwear

Inside the exhibition space was a four-level 3D zoetrope, an artisanal object that perfectly represents the world of savoir-faire, one of the oldest historical tools for creating the illusion of movement. Through animation, this zoetrope allows the guests to immerse themselves in the heart of four métiers key to the Group: leather goods, tailoring, watchmaking, and viticulture.

The Maestri d’Eccellenza Award is one of the many initiatives created by LVMH to safeguard and put the spotlight on Italian artisanal skills; in Italy, over 7,000 artisans are employed by the Group's Maisons in craft professions.

Alexandre Boquel, Director of LVMH Métiers d’Excellence, highlighted: “We are proud to continue this journey in support of Italian craftsmanship. Know-how and local skills are an invaluable heritage, unfortunately at risk of disappearing. With this award, we want to give a voice to the artisans who, with passion and dedication, carry forward the tradition of Made in Italy.”

Alessandro Zanardo, CEO of Thélios commentend:  "We are proud to partner with Métiers d’Excellence for this wonderful initiative, which helps to discover and showcase the hidden gems among Italy’s many talented craftsmen and women. Thélios is firmly committed to promoting 'Made In Italy,' and we are thrilled to mentor this year’s winners to help them develop their businesses."

This edition of the competition is divided into three categories:

·       Maestro Artigiano d’Eccellenza: for professionals and businesses 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 supply chain protection.

·       Maestro Emergente Artigiano d’Eccellenza: for those representing a promising craft project established in the 10 years prior to applying for the competition.

·       Maestro dell’Innovazione d’Eccellenza: for professionals and businesses that have distinguished themselves through the ability to innovate, preserving historical skills and knowledge while reinterpreting them in a modern way.

Applications will be evaluated by a distinguished jury that will determine the winner of each category. Once again, the jury will be composed of prominent figures from the four partner organizations, as well as external collaborators, including:

·       Maud Alvarez-Pereyre (Group Chief Human Resources Officer of LVMH Group)

·       Toni Belloni (Advisor to LVMH, CEO & President of LVMH Italy)

·       Alexandre Boquel (Director Métiers d’Excellence)

·       Alessandro Zanardo (CEO of Thélios)

·       Carlo Capasa (President of CNMI)

·       Marco Granelli (President of Confartigianato Imprese)

·       Moreno Vignolini (President of Confartigianato Moda)

·       Stefania Lazzaroni (CEO Altagamma)

·       Simone Marchetti (Editor in Chief Vanity Fair)

Artisans will have the opportunity to submit their applications from February 27th to May 31st 2025, through the website. Each artisan or company can apply for only one of the three categories.

Each winner will receive:

·       €10,000 to reinvest in their business

·       Media exposure

·       Up to three mentoring sessions with professionals from Thélios, on topics and timelines to be agreed upon with the Maison

·       Dedicated visits to Thélios facilities, according to methods and timelines to be subsequently communicated by the Maison, with the aim of deepening the knowledge of production processes, savoir-faire of involved artisans and technicians, and exploring potential collaborations between the Maison and the winning artisans.

The winners will be announced at the award ceremony which will take place during the Milan Fashion Week in September 2025.