A design competition run by Italian leathergoods and accessories maker Vivolo to strengthen the ties between academia and industry is expanding to accept entries countrywide.
The third edition of the Luciano Vivolo Award, in collaboration with the Bologna Academy, is now open to all final-year students enrolled in fashion design programmes at Italy’s Academies of Fine Arts. In addition to cash prizes, internships within the company’s creative department are on offer.
The family run company has grown from making leather patches from industrial waste in the 1970s to producing 15 million accessories each year. The 1,000 square-metre expansion of the footwear and leathergoods department has further increased production capacity.
It has a strong focus on sustainability. In the 2023–2024 period, the company generated up to 109,746 kWh of renewable energy from its photovoltaic system, reducing its reliance on non-renewable sources and achieving a significant decrease in emissions. It also sent 20 tons of materials to be recycled.