AZ Academy, the innovative educational initiative born from a partnership between the Richemont Group’s Creative Academy and Rome’s Accademia Costume & Moda, has announced the 19 finalists for its Business for Designers program.
The program, which will begin in January, offers a comprehensive one-year curriculum covering essential aspects of the fashion industry. Courses in management, innovation, sustainability, production, finance and marketing will be held at Accademia Costume & Moda’s Milan campus, providing the finalists with a well-rounded education in the business side of fashion.
An esteemed 18-member jury, including renowned designers Isabel Marant and Lutz Huelle, as well as Richemont executives Nicolas Bos and Philippe Fortunato, carefully selected the finalists. These selected designers come from a variety of backgrounds, ranging from recent graduates of international fashion schools to independent designers already making their mark in the industry.
The international scope of the program is evident in its diverse roster. Finalists hail from countries such as Spain, the United Kingdom, Germany, the Philippines, China, Mexico, South Korea, France, Slovakia, and Indonesia. This global representation ensures a rich exchange of ideas and perspectives within the program.
Among the finalists is Clementine Baldo, a London-based womenswear designer with experience at Jean Paul Gaultier and winner of the 2024 ITS Contest in Trieste, Italy. Another standout is Merle Breuker, a German designer who showed her collection at Berlin Fashion Week.
The list also includes Spanish menswear designer Brais Albor Rodriguez; British sustainable fashion designer Rose Brown; Filipino designer Sandra Jao, a graduate of Tokyo’s Bunka Fashion College; Lei Jiang, a graduate of London’s Royal College of Art; Milan-based Mexican designer Eduardo Juarez Camacho; Seoul-based Yeaji Lee, founder of the It’s Yeah brand; Chinese fashion designer and ceramist Liwen Liang; Manon Marcelot, a French designer who has worked for Chanel, Goyard and Louis Vuitton, among others; Milan-based shoe and accessories designer Adria Mirabelli; Rome-born Caterina Moro, a trained opera singer who turned to fashion; Paris-based Mexican designer Ricardo Sanher, who launched his eponymous brand in 2022 after stints at Berluti and Sonia Rykiel; Andrey Savin, designer and founder of House of Savin Limited, a British luxury bridal brand; Slovakian designer Viktoria Skrek; Milan-based designer Yulia Voytenko, who moved to Italy in 2005; Helsinki-based jewelry designer Ildar Wafin; Taiwan-born Wei-Sheng Wang, a Parsons graduate; and Indonesian designer Theo Weiren.
AZ Academy‘s Business for Designers initiative aims to bridge the gap between creative talent and business acumen in the fashion industry. By providing these 19 finalists with the opportunity to develop their business skills, the program aims to create a new generation of fashion entrepreneurs equipped to navigate the complex landscape of the industry.
At the end of the academic year, participants will have the opportunity to pitch their business proposals to potential investors and potentially launch their careers to new heights.
This educational platform grew out of the fashion brand AZ Factory, which was originally conceived as a project for the late designer Alber Elbaz. After Elbaz’s untimely death in April 2021, the brand was transformed into a collaborative hub before eventually becoming the educational initiative it is today.
