Bellandi X Polimoda

This year, we have renewed our commitment in supporting young designers by promoting new talents and creativity, thanks to the collaboration with Leather&Luxury and Polimoda students with the second edition of the project “BE YOUR FABRIC”. The initiative was born with the aim of allowing students to express their identity and concepts through the creation of garments with our fabrics, with the added support of partners to enhance their designs and skills. This year the project was done with Year2 students of the course Design Management, starting in February and ending in May.

In the first appointment of the project, students visited our headquarters and production facilities to learn about the company’s history and fabric creation processes. After a brief introduction and a tour, students browsed our warehouses and selected different fabrics to create their garments. By starting from the fabric, and only after that proceeding with the idea of the garment and the sketches, the students were challenged to think creatively and design a garment that was inspired by the fabric itself, rather than just starting with a preconceived idea.

After the fabrics were chosen, a small kind of “fair” was organised at Polimoda where all the other partners presented to the students the techniques (such as embossing, printing, laser cutting, etc) they could apply on the fabrics, as well as all of the other components needed to finish the piece of clothing (such as buttons, zips, etc) in order to make their garments as complete and innovative as possible.

After both fabrics and all of the other components were decided, the student’s initial concepts were presented to a jury, who chose the top 5 students who got to further develop their designs and create a final garment with the guidance of Polimoda’s professors, together with us and the support of the partners.

Over following months, students worked closely with partners and brought their designs to life by cutting and sewing them into garments, gaining valuable experience in meeting deadlines, problem-solving, and working in a professional environment.

The final presentations took place at Polimoda’s headquarters, where the five students showcased their creations to the final jury, including their concept boards, sketches, and process details, alongside the finished garment. The jury then evaluated the garments, selecting Beatrice Paperini’s innovative rock-inspired corset jacket as the winner.

By having won the BE YOUR FABRIC contest, Beatrice will have the opportunity to be featured in Leather&Luxury magazine and also be provided, by Bellandi, with the necessary fabrics to create her final collection for her final project next year. This is an important chance for Beatrice to gain exposure and build her portfolio.

Beatrice’s winning jacket will be showcased at the Milano Unica event in July, where it will be displayed at our stand in Hall 2, Stand F06-F10.