Serena Conti x Tonello Denim Gallery

Serena Conti

Journal

 

 

Serena Conti, an Italian fashion designer and illustrator, has established herself as an influential consultant, specializing mainly in denim. Its strength lies in meticulously creating collections for renowned brands in the industry.

After graduating from the Faculty of Design and Art at the University of Venice with a major in Fashion Design, she achieved immediate international success with her first collection “Confidences of the Elements” exhibited at the Ichinomya Fashion Design Center in Japan. Her journey then continued in trend research at Pitti Filati in Florence while her design journey began with collaborations for global fashion luminaries such as Karl Lagerfeld, John Galliano for Maison Dior and C’N’C Costume National, thus deepening his ultimate passion: Denim.

At the same time, Serena undertook collaborations focused on illustration and graphic design, venturing into freelancing for publishing houses. Over the years, her artistic endeavors have expanded into designing theatrical sets, posters, and advertisements for various industries. In 2017, her artistry earned her the prestigious Denim Gallery Award in New York for best designer.

In her creation for Denim Gallery, Serena draws inspiration from the stark dichotomy between War and Love. She imagines denim pants as canvases, transformed into paper for soldiers to write countless letters to their loved ones. This artistic representation transforms denim into a poignant symbol, culminating in the cathartic blooming of a rose – an evocative metaphor symbolizing hope and comfort in turbulent times.

After establishing herself in the Denim Gallery project, we had the privilege of sitting down and conducting an in-depth interview with her.

What was it like to collaborate with Tonello?

Working with Tonello has been a great experience. The fit between our values and ethics regarding environmental awareness and respect for humanity has been truly commendable. Tonello, as a young and evolving company, is a reservoir of innovative ideas. Their modern approach, with a focus on the market and trends, shows that their focus extends beyond just manufacturing machinery. Tonello’s R&D center is a place of experimentation, and the team members are incredibly supportive and passionate about their work. Collaborating with them has been a real pleasure for me!

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What benefits have you gained from the Denim Gallery experience from a business perspective?

The Denim Gallery was a pivotal experience for me and extremely educational. Answer It has put me in touch with people from different parts of the world, exposing me to completely different ways of thinking and creating. Answer I witnessed remarkable results, particularly from South America, countries I had not previously interacted with, opening doors to a number of previously unexplored collaborations and friendships. In addition, the opportunity to use state-of-the-art machinery, not easily accessible to everyone, added substantial value to my role as a designer. This experience enhanced my consulting skills, amplifying the importance of my opinions and knowledge in the field.

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Can you tell us what has changed from your professional and personal point of view in these three years?

Winning the award was a great honor; it allowed me to push the traditional boundaries of denim designer. In addition to my role as a designer, I am also an illustrator, and taking advantage of the award in this area was incredibly rewarding. It has given me the freedom to express my creativity, sparking numerous requests-people have contacted me to do different illustrations on denim, and for me to combine these two passions has been the apotheosis of joy!

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What is your current position? What are you doing now?

I am currently working as a consultant at Piero Turk’s design studio Envelope, and I could not be happier with the progress I have made. My focus revolves heavily around exploring new trends and experimenting with innovative materials, while maintaining a strong commitment to sustainability and worker well-being. In this aspect, I have to say that Tonello has really been the ideal partner! The work is incredibly creative-you span a variety of formats while having the privilege of collaborating with a wide range of industry professionals, from factory workers to marketing managers and trend researchers. It is incredibly rewarding work!

Also, in collaboration with Piero Turk, I manage the Instagram page (Blue_is_simple_and_strong), a platform full of fresh ideas and compelling content in the world of denim. On the other hand, my work as an illustrator is constantly growing and extends beyond the boundaries of fashion. All of my creations can be explored on my blog (serenaconti.tumblr.com).

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