VALENTIM QUARESMA INTEGRATES THE FIRST EXHIBITION OF ITS ARCADEMY MUSEUM

Exhibitions, Fashion

18 April '23

ITS Arcademy – Museum of Art in Fashion, the first contemporary fashion museum in Italy opens its doors today in Trieste. Valentim Quaresma is one of the designers represented at the inaugural exhibition — 20 Years of Contemporary Fashion Evolution — which brings together Fashion, Accessories, Jewelery and Photographs by some of the most talented designers and creatives from all over the world, winners of the international competition, ITS Contest, for the past 20 years.

20 Years of Contemporary Fashion Evolution “mirrors the highest expression of contemporary creativity”, says the renowned fashion historian and curator of this exhibition, Olivier Saillard. The rarity and artistic value of the artworks on display derive from the fact that these creations – gathered in the course of two decades through international talent competition ITS Contest – offer a glimpse into creative beginnings, pre-dating commercial activity.

Valentim Quaresma is the only Portuguese designer represented at the exhibition, with a unique necklace made with hundreds of pins, which earned him the “Accessories collection of the Year” award at ITS#7, in Trieste, in 2008. “Upcycling is a reference and one of my main sources of inspiration, giving objects a new soul is always a rewarding challenge in addition to the sustainability included in the concept”, says the designer.

Among the other notable ITS Contest winners whose works are now part of the ITS Arcademy’s Collection are: Matthieu Blazy, Creative Director of Bottega Veneta; Demna, Creative Director of Balenciaga; Nicolas Di Felice, Artistic Director of Maison Courrèges; and the up-and-coming duo Chopova Lowena.

The exhibition is organised into six sections, each representing a universal artistic theme or current that transcends the designs’ geographical origin of or year of creation: Expressionists, Neo Futurists, Lyrical Abstractions, Art Brut, Free Figuration, and Self-Portrait.

“20 Years of Contemporary Fashion Evolution” will be on display until February 4, 2024, at Via della Cassa di Risparmio 10, in Trieste.

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