Can linen really work for winter? Meet the young designers who convinced Loro Piana it can.
Loro Piana announced the winners of its ninth annual Knit Design Award over the weekend at Milan’s Casa degli Artisti, spotlighting a new class of knitwear innovators. Since launching in 2016, the international competition has consistently drawn top fashion students worldwide, challenging them to reinterpret the brand’s celebrated yarns into fresh knitwear pieces.
This year’s theme, “Winter Legacy: Translating Linen into Heritage Knitwear,” asked designers to reinvent linen as a viable option for winter apparel. Participants utilized Loro Piana staples including Cashmere 2/27, Coarsehair, Wish®, Equilibrio, and Libeccio, crafting garments that balanced advanced technology, elegance, and longevity. Among the international schools represented were Ecole Duperré, FIT New York, London’s Royal College of Art, and Beijing Institute of Fashion Technology.
The award went to Morgan Boyce and Simone Rizzato from Accademia Costume & Moda in Italy for their innovative “Paracadute” design. Additionally, Loro Piana confirmed it will expand its blockchain-based traceability system to cover 100 percent linen items beginning with the Spring/Summer 2025 collection, further strengthening its commitment to transparency in production.
