Polimoda Talent Unveils Innovative Digital Runway Casting Platform

## Polimoda’s Talent 2025 Winners

Luigi Simonetti and Hatem Ben Hassine have emerged as winners of Polimoda’s Talent 2025 program. This initiative helps cultivate innovative ideas from students and alumni, steering them through a journey of entrepreneurial growth in the fashion landscape.

The culmination of six months of development, mentorship, and design support was showcased in Florence on October 30. Presenting their projects to an external jury and a gathering of industry professionals, Simonetti and Ben Hassine highlighted two distinct facets of contemporary fashion. One draws inspiration from artisanal cultures while the other celebrates technological innovation, both reflecting a forward-thinking approach to conscious fashion.

## Luigi Simonetti’s Vision

Simonetti’s project is inspired by a unique borderland between Campania and Molise. Here, traditional practices and everyday actions are reinterpreted through a modern lens. As part of the Polimoda Talent initiative, Simonetti has integrated research that fuses craftsmanship, regional identity, and material innovation into a compelling creative journey.

His designs intertwine heritage and contemporary aesthetics, showcasing techniques like bobbin lace and traditional weaving. By collaborating with local craftswomen—guardians of historical skills—he employs innovative materials such as marble, lotus flower, and spider silk. This results in an expressive narrative where manual craftsmanship meets avant-garde design.

“Simonetti’s approach embodies emotional luxury and cultural sustainability, blending the ancient allure of Southern Italy with pioneering materials,” notes Polimoda. Born in Rome to Campanian parents, Simonetti pursued a master’s in Creative Direction at Polimoda before making his mark on the Talent 2025 project.

## Hatem Ben Hassine’s Syncroni

Hatem Ben Hassine has crafted Syncroni, a cutting-edge digital casting solution designed to streamline backstage operations in the fashion industry. This platform aspires to replace traditional manual processes with a unified cloud-based environment, allowing casting directors, producers, and creative teams to effectively manage everything from model selection to fittings in real-time.

By envisioning a backstage free of paper and chaos, Syncroni establishes a new digital standard in fashion. The project focuses on efficiency and sustainability, minimizing downtime, reducing waste, and promoting a more transparent production system.

“Following an initial prototyping phase, Syncroni 0.1 was trialed during Milan Fashion Week for spring/summer 2026, involving various departments within three official shows. The project is currently validating its model on an international scale, aiming to redefine how fashion operates backstage,” states Polimoda.

Born in Moknine, Tunisia, Ben Hassine studied Sustainable Fashion at Polimoda. His vision emphasizes the intersections of creativity, technology, and sustainability, ultimately seeking to make fashion processes both inclusive and responsible.

## Supporting Entrepreneurial Talent

Polimoda Talent is a program designed specifically to nurture emerging entrepreneurial talent from its students and alumni. Winners gain invaluable mentorship, strategic consulting, co-working spaces on campus, and financial support amounting to €10,000 for their project’s growth. This commitment positions Polimoda as a leader in investing in its talent.

Domenico Orefice, the previous year’s winner and creator of his own brand, has also gained recognition as a finalist for the CNMI Fashion Trust, marking his presence as a noteworthy designer at Milan Fashion Week.

Does this inspiring journey motivate you to explore your own creative potential in the fashion industry?