It’s the designer Alberto Zambelli has been voted the winner of the first edition of the RAMPONI AWARD. Born from the desire of Alfredo Ramponi, owner of the eponymous company recognized in the fashion world for having invented the first synthetic crystal, the award, directed toward fashion and accessories designers is aimed to support and incentivize research and development in the Women’s fashion sector, giving the winning designer a path to one of the most important but challenging steps in fashion: trade show exhibition and market.
The designer, Alberto Zambelli, who will show his runway collection at Milano Collezioni on February 28 at the Scalone Arengario in Piazza Duomo at 9:30am, will be also exhibiting his creations in his own dedicated area on Via Tortona 35 during the women’s edition of the White show, which will open its doors in Milan from the 27th to 29th of February. Alberto Zambelli lives and works between Lake Garda, Milan, Tokyo and Shanghai.
After attending the Fortuny Institute, followed by the Marangoni Institute of Milan, he began his career developing knitwear collections for the Itierre Group for the D&G, Versace, and Extè collections. Later, he collaborated with important Italian Women’s ready-to-wear companies for which, besides the creative aspect, he also worked in product development and in coordinating production. In 2007, he won the Fashion Incubator competition held by CNMI and founded his own fashion house “Archivio Privato.” In the years that followed, thanks to his visibility, he was able to participate in many important collaborations with Asian companies. In Japan, he is the Creative Director of a sophisticated brand produced in Italy and distributed exclusively for the Japanese market. In China, he is the Creative Director for a brand of high-end women’s ready-to-wear distributed in several multi-brand stores expanding strongly in Asia. In 2013, he created his eponymous brand recognizable for its minimally decorative style composed of clean, architectural lines and the use of high quality materials and fine details.
“I’ve always believed in innovation, in creativity. Therefore I thought that the White show would be the perfect platform to launch the Award, since the show has demonstrated itself to be a strong reference point for sought-after brands from its first season. I believe it is important to cultivate our entrepreneurial responsibility in a way that is supportive and developmental. The heart of White is also about creating sustainable professional networks. Another way of creating synergy for a common end,” states Alfredo Ramponi, founder of the eponymous company. The winning brand is chosen by a jury of fashion experts, among stand-out names that include Mario Boselli, Honorary President of Camera Nazionale della Moda, Michela Gattermayer, Vice Fashion Director of the magazine Gioia!, Cristina Manfredi, Department Head of Vanity Fair, as well as International designer Philipp Plein and Buyer Roberta Valentini, Owner of Penelope Stores and Boysloft of Brescia and the selfsame Alfredo Ramponi, Owner of the competition’s sponsoring organization, and Massimiliano Bizzi, Founder of White.