ALEX ISRAEL (b. 1982, Los Angeles, CA) lives and works in Los Angeles. Deeply entwined with his hometown, his work explores popular media, Hollywood, and the cult of celebrity, while positing LA as central to an understanding of American culture and the American dream. Israel’s practice has included high-profile collaborations with Bret Easton Ellis, Louis Vuitton, Rimowa and Snapchat, as well as his own Freeway Eyewear and Infrathin Apparel designs. His ongoing web series, an LA-centric talk show hosted by the artist and titled "As It Lays," is streaming on YouTube, and his feature length art film, "SPF-18", is now streaming on Netflix, following a tour to high schools across the United States. His work has been the subject of solo exhibitions at: Le Consortium, Dijon; Nasher Sculpture Center, Dallas; The Huntington Library, Art Collections and Botanical Gardens, San Marino; Astrup Fearnley Museum, Oslo; Fosun Foundation, Shanghai (forthcoming); and the Bass, Miami (forthcoming). His work is included in numerous museum collections worldwide including: MoMA, New York; Whitney Museum of American Art, New York; Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York; MOCA, Los Angeles; Moderna Museet, Stockholm; The Centre Pompidou, Paris; Hirschhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Washington D.C.; Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Los Angeles; and The Broad, Los Angeles.

Alexa Chung is amongst the most recognized style icons of her generation with an unprecedented list of credits, including a Contributing Editorship at British Vogue, recipient of the Fashion Icon prize at The Fashion Awards a record breaking three times and co-host of the Netflix series Next in Fashion. With nearly a decade’s experience in designing for leading international brands, Alexa launched her namesake brand, ALEXACHUNG, in London in 2016 where she holds the role of Creative Director. Winner of the Harper’s Bazaar Breakthrough Designer Award in 2019, ALEXACHUNG prides itself on a unique approach to making clothes, combining Parisian chic with a New York edge, as well as a very British sense of humor. In front of the lens, Alexa has worked with the industry’s leading creative talent including Peter Lindberg, Alistair McLellan, Glen Luchford, Patrick DeMarchelier and with four British Vogue covers to her name, Alexa continues to be the ultimate British muse.

Chairwoman & Creative Director at Azza Fahmy Jewellery. Over 50 years ago Azza Fahmy initiated her journey towards being one of the most esteemed jewellery designers in the MEA region. With a profound purpose, Azza Fahmy has taken the role of translating the region’s culture and international art and historic references to the world, through contemporary jewellery design that reflects her unique research approach and craftsmanship preservation. The company is recognized for establishing Egypt’s luxury market and employs over 250 people. The brand’s retail operation comprises of 19 retail doors across the MEA including owned and operated boutiques with most recent additions of their first London store in Burlington Arcade, THAT concept store in Dubai, plus retail clients in the US, London, online and their own online boutique azzafahmy.com. The history of the brand began when Azza Fahmy (a BA graduate in Interior Design,) discovered a German art book about the classical jewellery of Medieval Europe at an Egyptian book fair igniting her passion for jewellery design. While continuing her day job, she became an apprentice in Khan El Khalili, Egypt’s ancient jewellery quarter where she spent her evenings learning with one of the craft’s most respected masters – the first woman to achieve this. This was followed in the mid-1970s by a scholarship from the British Council where she completed her jewellery craft education at the City of London Polytechnic. Azza Fahmy’s handcrafted jewellery is created with locally sourced 18ct Gold, Sterling Silver and their trade-mark unique metal mix combination of 18ct Gold and Sterling Silver, with stones are from India. Celebrated as Egypt’s first luxury multi-national brand, Azza’s craft has captured the attention of cultural and fashion cognoscenti and has seen her collaborate with designers such as Julien Macdonald, Preen by Thornton Bregrazzi, Matthew Williamson, the British Museum - all of whom she has created collections. She has recently transferred her talents to architectural design with solar technology company KarmSolar. In 2013, she independently funded and established the successful ‘Design Studio by Azza Fahmy’ (DSAF), the first design education hub of its kind in the region. She then founded The Azza Fahmy Foundation, a not-for-profit organisation that qualifies young people in the jewellery making industry. A tailored technical, theoretical and on-the-job training programme is implemented to create highly-qualified technicians in all aspects of the jewellery-making value chain. Listed as one of Egypt’s most influential women, Azza Fahmy travels internationally as a cultural ambassador for her country, and her dedication to her craft and exquisitely designed jewellery has won her international recognition that boasts a diverse client list attracting jewellery connoisseurs from around the world including royalty and stage and screen. Azza works in partnership with her daughters Fatma Ghaly, CEO and Amina Ghali, Head of Design.

Celebrated as one of the most influential figures in fashion, and recipient of the 2019 CFDA Founder’s Award, Carine Roitfeld has transcended the boundaries of culture and style over the past three decades to build an ever-expanding global brand. In 2011, after 10 seminal years as the editor-in-chief of Vogue Paris, Carine redirected her energy to personal projects, including the celebrated launches of her biannual style publications CR Fashion Book and CR Mens, as well as uniting with her son and business partner, Vladimir Restoin-Roitfeld in 2016 to launch CR STUDIO, the creative talent agency behind CR Fashion Book with end-to-end production. CR Studio’s clients include Chanel, Van Cleef & Arpels, LVMH, Giuseppe Zanotti, Veuve Clicquot, Yeezy, Hearst Magazines and amfAR, among many others. In 2019, Carine was the recipient of the CFDA Founder’s Award and also launched her own signature line of fragrances, called 7 LOVERS. The collection is inspired by seven lovers in seven of the fashion visionary’s most beloved cities around the world. Also in 2019, Carine and Vladimir orchestrated in Florence, Italy, the debut of CR RUNWAY, an annual global fashion show and moment uniting the industry’s most celebrated designers and models from around the world.

Chopard Co-President and Artistic Director Caroline Scheufele’s energy and passion for design are notably illustrated by the brand’s Happy Diamonds watch collection, which featured the world's first combination of steel and diamonds, as well as the dazzling Haute Joaillerie Red Carpet and Animal World collections. She has also contributed to Chopard’s international exposure by connecting its image with the world of cinema and iconic events such as the Cannes Film Festival, of which Chopard has been the official partner since 1998. Caroline Scheufele’s dynamism and insatiable creativity are matched by a devotion to philanthropy expressed by support for charitable causes such as the American Foundation for AIDS Research (amFAR) and the José Carreras Foundation against Leukemia. She has also promoted corporate social responsibility, including Chopard’s membership of the Responsible Jewellery Council since 2010. In September 2014, she was honoured at the Fashion 4 Development (F4D) annual First Ladies Luncheon for her role in the 2013 launch of Chopard’s Journey to Sustainable Luxury program that aims to place ethics at the heart of aesthetics by sourcing from businesses that are demonstrably committed to responsible ethical, social and environmental practices. Two months later, in November 2014, she was also named Environmentalist of the Year in the BRAVO Business Awards.

American designer Casey Cadwallader was born in New Hampshire, USA. He studied architecture at Cornell University, before an internship at Marc Jacobs became the catalyst for close to two decades of fashion design experience, including positions as the Head of Womenswear at Loewe, Narciso Rodriguez and Acne Studios. He was appointed as the Artistic Director of Mugler fashion in December 2017. Cadwallader has presented eight Mugler collections to date, all of which have received critical acclaim from key opinion leaders in the fashion industry. Vogue Runway’s Nicole Phelps stated: “Cadwallader seems interested in realigning the label to jibe more with how contemporary women lead their real, glamorous lives,” at his first Paris runway show for Spring Summer 2019. French journalist and fashion commentator Loic Prigent named the latest Spring Summer 2020 collection as one of the most diverse castings seen recently at Paris Fashion Week. Carine Roitfeld’s CR Fashion book has nominated Mugler Spring Summer 2020 as one the best collections of the season. He has elicited multiple creative collaborations in the worlds of art, cinema and music, and championed a diverse cast of Mugler ambassadors from Bella Hadid and Chloé Sevigny to Carine Roitfeld, Tilda Swinton, and Juliette Binoche. An impressive cast of millennial stars and influencers have chosen to wear Mugler, from Euphoria actors Hunter Schaefer and Alexa Demie to Rowan Blanchard, Paloma Elsesser, and Violet Chachki. Evolving Mugler’s relationship with the international music industry, Cadwallader has dressed major music artists including Beyoncé, Kris Wu, Lykke Li, Ciara, Cardi B, Christine & The Queens and Dua Lipa for red carpet appearances and world tour costumes

Born in 1964 in Damour, Lebanon, Elie Saab is a self-taught fashion talent. His interest in dressmaking started at the age of nine, when he started designing dresses for his sisters. Soon, he was selling his designs to the women in his neighborhood. In 1982, he opened his first couture atelier in Beirut, managing over a dozen employees, after having mastered the art of dressmaking. That same year, he presented his first show at the Casino du Liban. The young women in the audience were immediately won over, and his reputation for designing extremely feminine and elegant dresses was established. Word spread internationally, and his client base grew to include members of high society. Elie's parth to stardom took shape in 1996 when he started dressing celebrities for Red Carpet events. In 1997, he was invited to take part in the prestigious Camera Nazionale della Moda. As the only non-Italian designer to receive that honor, it was a true privilege. A year later, Elie presented his first ready-to-wear collection, at Milan Fashion week, and in 1999, Queen Rania of Jordan chose to wear Elie Saab haute couture for her coronation ceremony. In March 2002, Elie Saab was again the couturier of choice when Halle Berry wore one of his haute couture designs to receive the Oscar for Best Actress for her performance in Monster’s Ball. The same year, Elie opened his first couture salon in Paris’ prestigious eighth arrondissement, responding to a strong demand from his cosmopolitan and international clientele. In 2005, Elie opened a modern five-story building in Downtown Beirut, showcasing the brand’s different collections. In October of the same year, his presented his ready-to-wear collection in Paris for the first time, simultaneously launching his first accessories collection. In November 2006, Elie was integrated into the Chambre Syndicale’s official haute couture calendar, as Membre Correspondant. July 2011 saw the launch of the first Elie Saab fragrance, entitled Elie Saab Le Parfum. Photographed by Mert & Marcus, the ad campaign featured Anja Rubik in a specially designed Elie Saab gown. The launch of Rose Couture followed in 2016. The perfume echoed the infinite shades of blush, raising an iconic floral straight to the luminous heart of couture. In 2012, he partnered with the Lebanese American University of Beirut and London College of Fashion to launch a four years Bachelor’s degree program in fashion design and related studies. In 2018, a national Lebanese postage stamp honoring Elie Saab was unveiled. Featuring his portrait, the stamp is intended to pay tribute to his international accomplishments and his continuous commitment to celebrate Lebanon’s talents worldwide. In January 2020, the fashion house announced the introduction of its latest addition to the brand’s offering: Elie Saab Junior. The maison has signed two long-term licensing partnerships with Simonetta, one of the leading Italian children’s wear companies, and with Andrea Montelpare, the market leader in the luxury segment of children's shoes.

The daughter of an American journalist and an Italian publicist, Francesca Amfitheatrof attended boarding school in England but spent her childhood in Moscow, Tokyo, and Rome. She graduated from Central St. Martins and the Royal College of Art, where she received her masters degree in jewellery and silversmithing and subsequently trained with a master craftsman near Padua. Francesca launched her line of jewellery in 1994. After which she was asked to design collections of house ware for Alessi and was soon commissioned by Chanel, Fendi, Asprey, Garrard, Marni and Wedgewood to create jewelLEry and accessories. In 2001 she set up RS&A, a London-based agency that commissioned artists Yayoi Kusama, Maurizio Cattelan, the Chapman brothers, Paul McCarthy and Damien Hirst to name a few. In 2010 she opened the Gucci Museo in Florence as Head Curator. During her tenure she curated shows by Bill Viola, Cindy Sherman and Joana Vasconcelos. Tiffany & Co appointed Francesca as the first-ever female Design Director. Her launch collection Tiffany T, a range of minimalist necklaces, cuffs, and rings meant for layering and daily wear. She then spearheaded the repositioning of the Tiffany Blue Book collection that comprised of 250 unique pieces of high jewelLEry. Additional collection. followed culminating in the launch of Hard Wear in 2017. Since April 2018, Francesca Amfitheatrof is Artistic Director of Watches and Jewellery at Louis Vuitton, a House she has a close affinity with thanks to their shared values of savoir-faire and travel. Her style and creativity combined with precious elements shape the striking identity of Louis Vuitton’s jewellery collections. She also set up and launched her own brand Thief and Heist in 2019

With the appointment of Gherardo Felloni as Creative Director of the collections of the Maison, Roger Vivier continues its tradition of visionary design and exceptional style. Born in Tuscany, Gherardo Felloni has already spent a lifetime living and working with shoes and accessories. Since starting in his new role in March 2018, he has brought this vast and unique experience to the Parisian luxury accessories Maison. While he originally planned to be an architect, his father encouraged him to apply his ability to draw the natural world around him to shoes, “I see the coincidence in a link between architecture and shoe design. Each involves a structure that must be able to hold you inside of it.” After spending time at his family’s shoe atelier, he continued honing his skills working for some of the leading fashion Houses. Over the past 10 years, he has led footwear, leather goods and accessory design at luxury brands in Paris. “For me Roger Vivier has always been a source of reference in my work. He was the master of shoes. It’s an honor to work for the Maison.” His love affair with design is influenced by his own personal passion for the arts whether exploring interior design, collecting antique jewelry or singing opera as a tenor

Born in Santa Fe de Bogotá, Colombia, Haider Ackermann grew up in different countries throughout Africa and Europe, including Ethiopia, Chad, Algeria, The Netherlands, Belgium and France. In March 2003, he showed his acclaimed first collection in Paris, and in 2005 he signed with the Belgian Group 32. In June 2013, he showed his first men's collection for Spring-Summer 2014. Influenced by cultural differences, Haider Ackermann is recognized to be a true colorist and to have an energetically stylized eye. His clothes, lying somewhere between dreams and reality, convey a refined contrast of strength and sensuality, with an aim is to empower women and men.

Juergen Teller (b. 1964, Erlangen, Germany) studied at the Bayerische Staatslehranstalt für Photographie in Munich, before moving to London in 1986. Navigating both the art world and commercial photography, he has shot campaigns for numerous luxury brands as well as editorials for prominent art and fashion publications. In 2003, Teller was awarded the Citibank Prize for Photography and in 2018 he was awarded the Special Presentation ICP Infinity award. Major solo exhibitions of his work have been held at T-10, Beijing, China (2021); Grisebach, Berlin (2020); Garage Museum of Contemporary Art, Moscow (2018); Fotomuseum, Winterthur (2018); Martin-Gropius-Bau, Berlin (2017); Bundeskunsthalle Bonn (2016); DESTE Foundation, Athens (2014); Institute of Contemporary Art, London (2013); Daelim Museum, Seoul (2011); Dallas Contemporary, Texas (2011); Le Consortium, Dijon (2010) and Fondation Cartier pour l’art Contemporain, Paris (2006). In 2007 was asked to represent the Ukraine as one of five artists in the 52nd Venice Biennale. Teller’s work has been acquired by numerous international collections including the Centre Pompidou, Paris; Fondation Cartier pour l’art Contemporain, Paris; International Center for Photography, New York and National Portrait Gallery, London. Teller has published over 50 books and was a Professor of Photography at the Akademie der Bildenden Künste Nürnberg from 2014-2019.

Laura Brown is the editor-in-chief of InStyle, the world’s most successful fashion media brand. Appointed in August of 2016, she is responsible for content, strategy and new revenue streams. Helming a brand that reaches 30-plus million, Brown oversees the core magazine, digital across all platforms and formats, 13 international editions and annual special issues. In addition, she leads development of brand extensions, including live events. Since her appointment, Brown has lead a refresh of InStyle’s print and digital franchises to much critical acclaim. She has expanded the breadth and variety of the contributors, giving voice to a new group of fashion, beauty and celebrity influencers and appealing to a wider audience with a stylish and relatable voice. Her social media sensibility has vastly extended the reach and relevance of InStyle beyond the page. Under Brown, InStyle has seen unprecedented growth across digital, with record-breaking unique visitors to InStyle.com (10+ million) and video views on Instagram (50+ million.) Her contributions to the brand have already garnered extensive media coverage – with substantive profiles appearing in the New York Times, the Business of Fashion, New York Magazine, Fast Company and Digiday, among many others. Previous to InStyle, Brown spent 11 years at Harper’s Bazaar, rising to the role of executive editor following stints as articles director and features/special projects director. She was also articles director of details and senior editor at W. She earned her BA in arts and communication from Charles Sturt University in New South Wales in Australia.

Natalia Vodianova is one of the world’s most successful supermodels and most influential celebrities in the global fashion scene. She's appeared in more than 400 runway shows, 71 times cover of Vogue, as well as Vanity Fair, i-D, Marie Claire, GQ, Elle, Glamour and Harper’s Bazaar, to name a few. She has had starring roles in advertising campaigns for Guerlain, Givenchy, Prada, Calvin Klein, Louis Vuitton, Chanel, Gucci, Nina Ricci, Versace, Yves Saint Laurent, L’Oréal, David Yurman, Marc Jacobs, Stella McCartney, Diane von Fürstenberg, Hugo Boss, Miss Sixty, Stuart Weitzman, Etam and H&M. She has inspired some of the greatest fashion designers of all times, and she has been the muse of the most prominent fashion photographers in the world, including Paolo Roversi, Mario Testino, Peter Lindbergh, Mert and Marcus, Steven Meisel and many more. While her supermodel career and fame kept growing, Natalia felt the potential of using her notoriety to support urgent causes around the world. As a global undisputed fashion icon, she made giving back her mission in life and became one of the most passionate social activists.

When Olivier Rousteing, then 25, was selected to head Balmain’s design team in 2011, he became one of the youngest talents ever named to lead a historic Parisian fashion house. Olivier is very conscious of his unique background and position. “I’m not the typical creative director of a major house,” he says. “I see first-hand how my generation lives and I understand how they want to dress. Most importantly, I’m a privileged witness to the openness, optimism, universality and honesty of this dynamic moment, with so many rapid evolutions in art, communication, popular culture and music. Those changes constantly inspire me and are reflected in my collections – they allow me not only to design clothes, but perhaps also to shake things up a little and offer a new vision to fashion.” Olivier was raised in Bordeaux and studied fashion at Paris École Supérieure des Arts et Techniques de la Mode (ESMOD). At 18, he moved to Italy, where he worked at Roberto Cavalli for five years, beginning as an intern and rising swiftly and steadily through the ranks to be named designer for the men’s and women’s ready-to-wear collections. When the opportunity arose for him to return to Paris to work at Balmain, Olivier seized it, forming a part of the house’s design team for two years before being named head of design in 2011. As creative director, Olivier has successfully grafted an immediately recognizable style upon the historic Parisian house. While relying on Balmain’s rich archives for inspiration and fully utilizing the atelier’s impressive mastery of intricate, traditional couture techniques, he has also managed to impose a singular silhouette and contemporary outlook that reflect the way that members of the Balmain Army – the young men and women of the designer’s own gener-ation—live their lives. Season after season, runways highlight both the exciting, inclusive diversity of the modern Balmain universe and the importance of 21st-century culture – in particular, today’s music – in that universe. The brand’s transformation has excited many, including a host of retailers – from H&M to Nike – eager to bring the innovations and spirit of Olivier’s Paris runways to main streets across the globe. In addition, his creative leadership has been a key reason for Balmain’s rapid growth in recent years, with the company opening a host of new boutiques in the world’s fashion capitals and launching new men’s, children’s, accessory and eyewear collections.

Olivier Theyskens was born in 1977 of a Belgian father and a French mother. As a child, gifted for drawing and having a sense for detail, his interest for couture appeared: aged 7 he declared that he wanted to “become a couturier”. In October 1994 at the age of 17 he entered the Ecole Nationale Supérieure des Arts Visuels de La Cambre to study fashion design in Brussels. He left the school in 1997 to start his own brand. The same year Theyskens presented his first collection of feminine, high fashion ready-to-wear in Belgium. He then decided to show his following collection in Paris during fashion week and rapidly found international coverage. VogueRunway characterized his work at this time as consisting of “strong, dark collections that electrified fashion in the late nineties.” In 2002 Theyskens moved to Paris when he was appointed Artistic Director of Rochas, a position he held for four years. For his work at Rochas he was awarded the Star Award from Fashion Group International in 2005 and the title of Best International Designer by the CFDA in 2006. That same year Theyskens took over the position of Artistic Director at Nina Ricci where he infused the house with what WWD described as “his strong suit – stunning evening dresses that are soft and fluid.” Theyskens’ unique aesthetic was captured in a book project, ‘The Other Side of the Picture’ (Assouline). Published in 2009, the book is an anthology of images that offer an intimate insight into Theyskens’ work throughout the years. In 2010, after moving to New York, Theyskens and Theory joined their complementary strengths and visionary approaches to contemporary fashion to create Theyskens’ Theory. In November of that year, Theyskens was appointed Artistic Director of the global Theory brand where he stayed until 2014. Having always the ambition to pursue the development of his own House, Theyskens decides to return to Paris to re-launch his eponymous label in 2016. Olivier Theyskens is one of the youngest designers to be celebrated by two retrospectives. In October 2017, the prestigious MOMU Fashion Museum in Antwerp unveiled a six-month exhibition of Olivier Theyskens’ work covering 20 years of career, with the publication of a monograph entitled ‘She Walks in Beauty’ (Rizzoli). In June 2019, the Cité de la Dentelle et de la Mode in Calais , opened ‘In Praesentia’, an exhibition focused on Olivier Theyskens’ singular approach to fashion accompanied with the release of a comprehensive catalogue (Lienart). In February 2020, Theyskens was named Artistic Director of Azzaro, overseeing all the lines of the house, a position he holds in parallel to developing his namesake brand. Throughout his career Olivier Theyskens also worked in the art field, creating costumes for the Chicago based rock band The Smashing Pumpkins, for the Théatre de la Monnaie in Brussels and for the New York City Ballet, as well as creating dresses for major celebrities and prominent socialites.

‘I have always loved cinema and during my adolescence I dreamed of becoming a movie director. When I discovered fashion and its narrative power, I decided to become a designer. It was for me a natural evolution of a dream’. After High school, Pierpaolo Piccioli enrolls in the Istituto Europeo di Design, in Rome. Commitment sets in during the first years of work in the atelier. After his first experiences, in 1990 he arrives at Fendi to work on the brand’s accessory line. In this period he approaches the heart of the profession: the contact with high Italian craftsmanship and the possibility of experimenting with a new approach. ‘Working closely with the artisans and with the Italian expertise has been fundamental. It has allowed me to understand and perceive the rules in order to break them and rewrite them. Savoir-faire is the base of the designer profession. It is the base from which each creative process begins’. After Fendi, he arrives at Valentino to develop the emerging accessory line. It is the beginning of a challenge: to lead the great tradition of the Valentino Couture from dresses to objects, maintaining intact the tradition, the cure and the creativity of its founder. The experiment works on all fronts. In 2008, Pierpaolo Piccioli is nominated Valentino Co-Creative Director. ‘From the first days, the most important task on Valentino’s heritage has been to accomplish the perception, the idea and the essence of the Maison rather than reproposing pieces of its archive. It has been a creative process that took as a model the modus operandi of the Atelier of Couture. In other words, the human excellence portrayed in every single detail. From the fashion shows, to the collaborations, to the stores’. In just a few years, Valentino has become a brand of reference for the fashion system and an international success case. In 2016, Pierpaolo Piccioli is nominated sole Creative Director of the Maison. It is the start of a new era, a further evolution for the Italian brand. ‘I am interested in the idea of humanism that nourishes creativity. The human connection that forms this Maison is for me the best team possible. Here I have discovered that no innovation can exist without a profound knowledge of tradition. At the same time, I know that the sense of limit that springs from this awareness gives you the freedom of thinking of how to trespass it. This, in synthesis, will be the new Valentino direction. A human narration, personal yet unanimous, of a story that is yet to be written.

Rachid Mohamed Rachid is one of the most prominent entrepreneurs in the Middle East and the former Minister of Trade, Industry and Investment to Egypt, who continues to make his mark around the world. Rachid is the Founder of the Swiss based Alsara Investment Group, which invests in companies in creative industries in the United States, Europe and the Middle East, with a focus on design, innovation and technology. Rachid is also the CEO of Mayhoola for Investment, which invests in high-end brands, and is the Chairman of Valentino and the Chairman of Balmain; two of the leading luxury fashion companies in the world. He is also a board member of the Katara Hospitality Group and the co-Chairman of the Virginia Commonwealth University Advisory Committee. Notably, Rachid was awarded the Cavaliere di Gran Crose, Ordine al Merito della Repubblica Italiana, the highest order of merit in Italy. His latest venture, the BIDAYAT Investment Group, aims to invest in local companies in the Mediterranean by providing education and an encouraging ecosystem that allows creatives to develop their products and compete internationally.

Remo Ruffini is the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Moncler S.p.A. He lives with his family between Milan and Como, his town of origin, where he was born in 1961. He enjoys the sea and sailing in summer, and skiing and the mountains in winter. In 2003 Ruffini took over the helm of Moncler, the legendary Franco-Italian brand that specializes in producing down feather products, undertaking an international re-launch on a grand scale. It proved to be an outstanding reinvention of a brand which, thanks to the far-sighted and creative vision of Ruffini, was floated on the Milan stock exchange just one decade later, in 2013. Remo Ruffini’s career got underway between Italy and the United States, where he joined his father’s company, Gianfranco Ruffini ltd. On returning to Italy in 1984, he founded New England at a very young age. The company specialized in men’s shirts, and soon expanded its products to include a complete range of sportswear, followed by the women’s collection in 1993. From 2003 onward, Remo Ruffini dedicated his energies wholly to Moncler. With his love of challenges and a talent for overall vision, Ruffini left his mark on the brand with an integrated strategy that combined entrepreneurial, market-related aspects with a multifaceted creative sensitivity. His insight focused on the concept of the “global puffer jacket,” which was versatile and perfect for any occasion. It was a revolutionary approach that marked the international success of Moncler. The puffer jacket went from mountain-wear to a more metropolitan approach, without neglecting the original heritage for which it was so famous. The urban attitude of living harmoniously alongside a keenly felt technical and sporting vocation was translated in 2010 into a specific collection named Moncler Grenoble. A whole range of talented designers applied their creativity to identifying new and different interpretations of the puffer theme. With Moncler Gamme Rouge, launched in 2006 and today designed by Giambattista Valli, the Haute Couture puffer jacket took shape, while Thom Browne, who has worked with Moncler Gamme Bleu since 2009, explored the options for tackling the rules of men’s tailoring while interweaving them with the brand’s sporting roots. From 2004, focusing on experimentalism and the languages used by the new generations, Remo Ruffini led Moncler to work alongside many international designers, from Balenciaga to Junya Watanabe, Chitose Abe for Sacai, Mary Katrantzou and Alexandre Mattiussi for Ami. In 2017, Remo Ruffini was named Entrepreneur of the Year 2017 for Italy at the XXI Edition of the EY award event held in Milan. The prestigious prize identifies and recognizes the achievements of outstanding entrepreneurs. And in June 2018, Remo Ruffini has been named Cavaliere del Lavoro (Knight of Labour) in Italy. The Cavaliere del Lavoro title recognizes Italian entrepreneurs who have distinguished themselves in different sectors of the economy and is of the highest honors bestowed by the President of the Italian Republic.

Sandra Choi is Creative Director of Jimmy Choo Ltd, an iconic luxury lifestyle brand defined by an empowered sense of glamour and a confident sense of style. Born in the UK on the Isle of Wight, and educated in Hong Kong, Choi relocated to London as a teenager to finish her secondary school education. During this time, Choi went to work with her uncle, Jimmy Choo, who was then a couture shoemaker based in the East End of London catering to the global jet set, including Princess Diana. Passionate about turning her apprenticeship into a career as a designer, Choi attended the prestigious Central St Martins School where she studied for a degree in Fashion Design whilst continuing work as Choo’s protégé. At his side, Choi perfecting the art of creating couture shoes: designing, cutting patterns, stitching, fitting and constructing lasts. Enchanted by the business, Choi eventually abandoned her studies so that she could devote herself full-time to design and the management of the atelier. In 1996, the Jimmy Choo brand was born with Sandra Choi serving as the company’s Creative Director since its inception. Jimmy Choo has grown to be an internationally recognized label with a passionate clientele worldwide. The sexy cut and fashionable design of the shoes combined with exceptional Italian craftsmanship struck a chord with clientele, and the first collection enjoyed immediate success. Choi’s fashion insight combined with the skills she refined as a bespoke shoemaker created a collection that made couture quality available at retail. Accolades followed with Jimmy Choo awarded 2008 'Designer Brand of the Year' from the British Fashion Council, the 2008 ‘ACE Brand of the Year' from the Accessory Council and the 2008 'Brand of the Year' from Footwear News in New York. With a goal of creating a global luxury business, Jimmy Choo attracted outside investment and the company embarked on a significant expansion across product categories, channels and geographies. Mr Choo departed the company in 2001. Jimmy Choo is a leading global luxury brand with an empowered sense of glamour and a playfully daring spirit. Known for its distinctive, fashion-forward style and exceptional craftsmanship Jimmy Choo has become a pioneer in the art of celebrity dressing and red-carpet style. Women’s shoes remain the core of the product offer, alongside handbags, small leather goods, scarves, sunglasses, eyewear, belts, fragrance and men’s shoes. Creative Director Sandra Choi has been with the brand since its inception in 1996 with a vision to create one of the world’s most treasured luxury brands. Jimmy Choo has a global store network encompassing more than 200 stores and is present in the most prestigious department and specialty stores worldwide. Jimmy Choo is part of the Capri Holdings Limited global fashion luxury group publicly listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker CPRI.  

Chief Creative Director and founder of Off-White™ and Men’s Artistic Director at Louis Vuitton Born in Rockford, Illinois, Virgil Abloh is an artist, architect, engineer, creative director, artistic director, industrial designer, fashion designer, musician, Dj, and philanthropist. After earning a degree in civil engineering from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, he completed a master’s degree in architecture at the Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT), Chicago. At IIT, while studying a design curriculum devised by Mies van der Rohe, Abloh began to craft the principles of his art practice. The Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago presented a major traveling survey of Abloh’s work in summer 2019—one of the highest attended exhibitions in the museum’s history. Currently, Abloh is the Chief Creative Director and founder of Off-White™ and Men’s Artistic Director at Louis Vuitton.

Zuhair Murad grew up in Baalbek, Lebanon. Since his childhood, he always dreamed of escaping to a world of fantasy. He started sketching dresses at the age of 10 and has often said he couldn't recall a day in his life without a pen in hand. In 1997, Zuhair Murad opened his first atelier in Beirut, catering to a growing private clientele, and presented his couture collection for the first time during Haute Couture Week in Paris in 2001, gaining momentum with international media. To meet growing and expanding demand, he then launched his first ready-to-wear evening collection (Rendez-Vous), a simpler yet still aesthetic, glamorous and contemporary line. In 2006, Zuhair Murad opened his first boutique in the heritage Melrose Building located in Downtown Beirut, and in 2007 he inaugurated his Parisian Maison de Couture in the heart of the Triangle d’Or at 1-1bis Francois 1er street, the design studio and workshop where he created his ready-to-wear collections, and couture and bridal dresses. His first ready-to-wear bridal collection launched in 2011, and in 2012, the supervisory board of the French Federation de la Haute Couture et de la Mode elected him as guest member to the Haute Couture official calendar. In the past decade, Zuhair Murad has expanded to several notable locations, with design studios and a bridal boutique in Beirut, showrooms in Paris, a store-within-a-store in London, Kuwait and Istanbul, a company in Switzerland and at boutique in UAE. His extensive lines encompass haute couture, ready-to-wear and accessories.