Loro Piana is creating magic once again. The Maison is marking its tenth anniversary of its Knit Design Award with a new edition centred around colour, experimentation, material innovation, and the future of knitwear craftsmanship.
Titled “Knitting Light – Craft on the Evolution of Colour,” the 2026 programme brings together students from eight international fashion schools, challenging them to reinterpret the Italian house’s signature yarns through the lens of light, texture, and transformation. This year’s edition takes place in Milan from May 13 to 14 under the patronage of Camera Nazionale della Moda Italiana.
Participants have been asked to create convertible garments or silhouettes using mélange and mouliné cashmere yarns, while incorporating experimental fibres designed to push colour perception in new directions. According to the brief, the focus is not only on technical execution, but on how colour can evolve through movement, construction, and light itself.
The schools taking part include Parsons School of Design, Bunka Fashion College, École Duperré Paris, and The Swedish School of Textiles, reflecting the initiative’s growing international reach since its launch in 2016.
A judging panel led by Loro Piana CEO Frédéric Arnault also includes figures from fashion, publishing, and design, among them Anna Dello Russo, Sara Maino, and Rossana Orlandi.
The winners of this year’s edition have now officially been announced, with The Swedish School of Textiles taking home the top prize through students Viola Schmidt and Halla Lilja Ármannsdóttir.
Their project, titled “Glitsky – Mother of Pearl,” explored the relationship between colour, reflection, and movement through a transformable modular garment inspired by iridescent cloud formations.
Combining cashmere with specialty yarns, the piece impressed the jury through its balance of technical experimentation and craftsmanship.
The coolest part? The winners will receive both a scholarship and the opportunity to work directly within Loro Piana’s knitwear workshops in Piedmont, where their concepts will be developed alongside the Maison’s artisans before being showcased at Pitti Filati in Florence later this year.
Originally launched to support emerging knitwear talent, the Knit Design Award has become one of the house’s key platforms for connecting traditional Italian craftsmanship with contemporary fashion education.
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