MILAN — Act N.1, Institution by Galib Gassanoff, and Materia are the recipients of the 2026 grants bestowed by the Camera Moda Fashion Trust, the nonprofit organization established in 2017 to support young Italian or Italy-based talents in developing their businesses with financial aid, as well as business mentoring programs and tutoring.
Revealed during a gala dinner at Milan’s Fabbrica del Vapore on Thursday night, the winners were selected by a committee from among 11 finalists, shortlisted from 80 applicants.
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They included a mixed panel of up-and-coming designer brands at various stages of development such as Andrea Brocca, Des Phemmes, Domenico Orefice, and Grossi, in addition to the winners. Both Act N.1 and Institution by Galib Gassanoff won the grant in previous editions.
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Some of them have been regularly showing their collections as part of Milan Fashion Week, including Des Phemmes, Act N.1, and Institution, while others such as Materia will debut in June or have just recently started setting up distribution.
“Supporting young designers today means giving space to the future of Italian fashion,” said Carlo Capasa, president of Camera Nazionale della Moda Italiana and a trustee of the Camera Moda Fashion Trust. “Through Camera Moda Fashion Trust, we aim to continue supporting talented creatives in the growth journey of their brands, helping them transform vision, research and quality into concrete and sustainable long-term projects.”
The three winning brands will receive 70,000 euros each in funding, as well as a business mentoring and one-on-one tutoring starting from June. Since its founding in 2017, the Camera Moda Fashion Trust has donated over 1.45 million euros, supporting 35 designers overall.
“Throughout my professional career I have always tried to support Made in Italy and its industrial system,” said juror Roberta Benaglia, chief executive officer and founding partner of private equity fund Style Capital SGR. “This new generation of talents represents the creative expression of the country, and I believe it is therefore a duty to provide these young people, with the support of Camera della Moda, a concrete opportunity for professional growth.”
Meet the 2026 Grant Recipients
Institution by Galib Gassanoff, last year’s grant recipient, was launched in 2023 by Galib Gassanoff after the designer parted ways with Act N.1, the brand he had cofounded in 2016 with Luca Lin. Gassanoff was shortlisted among the nine finalists of this year’s LVMH Prize for Young Fashion Designers.
Born in Azerbaijan but growing up on the outskirts of Tbilisi, in Georgia, Gassanoff conceived Institution as a space for personal self-expression but also as a socio-artistic organization.
He has made his native Azerbaijan’s textile craft legacy a metaphor for excavating the cultural layers that inform his roots, upbringing and design ethos.
Act N.1, a previous recipient of the award in 2022, has always been best associated with the theatrical, maximalist creations crafted from tulle that never failed to elicit a “wow” reaction during the brand’s fashion shows.
In tandem with the duo’s hybrid styles patching different pieces in one, the brand juxtaposed masculine and feminine elements and a flair for deconstructed silhouettes. Dramatic pieces helped Act N.1 garner the attention of press and buyers alike over the years, as well as secure Maison Valentino’s support and celebrity endorsements from the likes of Beyoncé Knowles-Carter, Lizzo, Sharon Stone, Rita Ora and Keke Palmer, to name a few. The fall 2023 collection was the first developed by Lin’s solo creative direction.
Materia is a functional and inclusive fashion brand that merges aesthetics with accessible design, leveraging adaptive constructions and ergonomic design principles. Founded in 2023 by Francesco Saverio Matera, the brand’s design philosophy centers on creating adaptive structures that overcome physical and cultural barriers, addressing different needs and conditions.
Matera, a graduate of Milan’s Istituto Europeo di Design, began his career designing footwear at Moncler, collaborating with renowned creatives such as Nigo, Rick Owens and A$AP Rocky. He then joined Stone Island, where he oversaw footwear development and collaborations with New Balance, contributing to accessories and apparel.
The brand prioritizes sustainable practices, utilizing regenerated wool from traceable supply chains, including by the Tuscan wool mill Manteco. Materia’s designs are crafted using seamless circular machines and flat-knit technologies, minimizing waste and optimizing volumes, in order to eliminate unnecessary cuts. Strategic partnerships with brands such as Italian textile innovator Majotech enable the integration of technical materials resistant to wind, water and daily wear, ensuring durability and longevity. Materia also incorporates 3D printing as a tool for precision and sustainability, facilitating the production of custom components with zero waste.
This year’s jury panel included Capasa; Benaglia; Marco Bizzarri, founder and chairman of the Forel fund; Claudio Antonioli, retailer and entrepreneur; Suzy Menkes, fashion journalist; Umberta Gnutti Beretta and Warly Tomei, both Camera Moda Fashion Trust cofounders and cochairs; Leo Rongone, CEO of Moncler, Michelle Francine Ngonmo, Afro Fashion Association founder; Sara Sozzani Maino, creative director of Fondazione Sozzani and advisory board member at Camera Moda Fashion Trust; stylists Lorenzo Posocco and Ramona Tabita as well as Anna Dello Russo; designer Edward Buchanan; Carolina Cucinelli, Brunello Cucinelli’s vice president and co-creative director; designer Antonio Marras, and designer Sabato de Sarno among others.