Alessia Ancillotti wins YKK award at Milano Moda Graduate 2023

Instituto Marangoni Firenze graduating student Alessia Ancillotti has won the YKK award at Milan Fashion Week (MFW) SS24, as per a news article on the website of Istituto Marangoni. The most recent edition of MFW took place from September 19 to September 25.

The Milano Moda Graduate event spotlights graduates from Italian fashion academies by giving them the opportunity to present their collections on the MFW runway. It is organised by Italy’s National Chamber of Fashion (Camera Nazionale della Moda Italiana).

The Japanese clothing accessories company YKK is the primary sponsor of Milano Moda Graduate which is why taking home the award in the YKK category is such a big honour for young, emerging designers.

11 upcoming fashion designers were selected to compete in the runway show of Milano Moda Graduate SS24.

The assignment was to create a look that focused on closure accessories, such as YKK’s iconic zipper. Alessia Ancillotti created a dynamic look in deep blue that featured metallic elements and soft shapes.

The metallic elements in the look create an “auditory dimension” and the fabric she used is manipulated to “create distorsions and optical illusions that deliver” constant movement, the description in the news article posted by the school reads.

The YKK prize includes a trip to Japan which gives the winner the opportunity to explore the YKK facilities in the brand’s home country.

Ancilloti previously presented her final collection as a graduating student in Florence in June, along with nine other designers from Istituto Marangoni Firenze. The creatives had been selected by their school as the 10 best designers of the school year.