French luxury giant LVMH has announced the nine finalists for the third edition of the Maestri d’Eccellenza awards, including one finalist from China.
According to LVMH, each of the selected finalists demonstrates a profound commitment to excellence in craftsmanship, cultural heritage, and creative reinvention. The winners will be revealed at an awards ceremony in Milan in September 2025.
This year’s competition continues to highlight the pivotal role of craftsmanship in preserving cultural heritage and driving innovation within the luxury and fashion industries, receiving a total of 350 applications. The award is organized in partnership with Confartigianato Imprese (Italian Confederation of Artisans), the National Chamber of Italian Fashion, and Maison Thélios.
The jury for this edition includes renowned Italian director Ferzan Ozpetek; Toni Belloni, Advisor to the CEO and President of LVMH Italy; Alessandro Zanardo, CEO of LVMH-owned eyewear company Thélios; Carlo Capasa, Chairman of the National Chamber of Italian Fashion (CNMI); and Stefania Lazzaroni, General Manager of Italian luxury association Altagamma, among others.
The awards are presented in three categories:
Master Craftsman of Excellence
This award honors professional artisans who demonstrate exceptional quality in their projects, career paths, development strategies, and the preservation of skills related to Italian tradition and cultural heritage. It is open to professionals and companies with at least five years of experience.
Emerging Master Craftsman of Excellence
This award is dedicated to emerging talent working in artisanal crafts. Applicants must have founded a promising project within the five years preceding the application.
Master of Innovation of Excellence
This award recognizes companies and professionals known for their innovative capabilities in reinterpreting historical knowledge and skills in a modern way while preserving their essence.
Three finalists were selected in each of the three categories:
— Master Craftsman of Excellence —
Pietro Barbini (AAV Barbini srl) – Product: Mirrors and Murano glass.
AAV Barbini srl is a creative and multifaceted workshop specializing in glass engraving and the production and restoration of Venetian mirrors. All processing takes place on Murano Island. This family-owned company brings together the expertise and artistry of three generations of master glassmakers.
Domitilla Biondi (Paper Poetry) – Product: Relief on paper and porcelain.
In 2013, Domitilla Biondi left her career in visual communication and digital design to fully dedicate herself to her passion. Since 2016, she has worked full-time on “Paper Poetry,” an innovative art technique that involves carving reliefs into paper or porcelain with a scalpel—an approach that blends meditation with craftsmanship.
Patrizia Fabri (Antica Manifattura Cappelli srl) – Product: Millinery.
Patrizia Fabri is both a designer and a brand specializing in handcrafted hats. Her workshop, located near the Vatican, uses traditional wooden molds to press and shape hats. She collaborates with leading international designers and works in the film and theater industries, producing headpieces for some of the most prestigious theaters in Italy and abroad.
— Emerging Master Craftsman of Excellence —
Marta Benet Morera – Product: Ceramics.
A multidisciplinary artisan and artist, Marta Benet Morera combines ceramics and textiles in her work, weaving traditional techniques and natural materials into minimalist forms. Her philosophy embraces the beauty of imperfection and explores contemporary aesthetics with a careful, sustainable approach.
Youlin Li – Product: Lunéville embroidery.
A graduate of Nanjing Institute of Technology, Youlin Li is a designer specializing in Lunéville embroidery. She trained professionally at École Lesage in Paris. After years of study and refinement, she established her own atelier in Milan, where she teaches and promotes this technique, making it more accessible and inspiring a new generation of artisans.
Bianca Sannolo (Bianca Hodselle) – Product: Embroidery and painting.
Bianca Sannolo’s artistic expression is characterized by two distinctive elements: techniques inspired by traditional values and the symbolic themes she draws and embroiders. She uses oil paints, watercolors, and embroidery materials on canvas, partially embroidering her paintings to add depth and tactile richness, blending two ancient and contemplative techniques.
— Master of Innovation of Excellence —
Elham M Aghili – Product: Textile art.
Elham M. Aghili is an Italian-Iranian artist who merges art, fashion, and design through a unique technique that repurposes defective yarns and surplus materials from yarn producers. Inspired by Persian culture and fantastical gardens, she creates installations and wearable sculptures that embody the connection between nature and her hybrid heritage.
Lucia Massei – Product: Goldsmithing.
Lucia Massei primarily works with precious metals, pigments, and silk, employing traditional techniques while drawing inspiration from other applied arts, methods, and materials. She creates hybrid forms through fusion. Her jewelry-making training is enriched by her background in painting at the Academy of Fine Arts in Florence.
Barbara Ricchi (Giorgio Linea srl) – Product: Leather goods.
With over 30 years of industry experience, Barbara Ricchi is an expert in the craft of luxury leather goods made in Italy. Her broad perspective has led her to collaborate with art studios, combining artistic sensibility and innovative technology. She redefines traditional leatherwork, transforming fine materials into unique accessories that perfectly balance form and function.
｜Source: Official press release, Fashion Network, Luxeplace archives
｜Image Credit: Official competition website
｜Editor: LeZhi
