Kering CRAFT: A Creative Residency for the New Generation of Chinese Designers

While craft is a word with particular resonance for Kering, this new initiative gives it a whole new meaning. Standing for “Creative Residency for Artisanship, Fashion and Technology”, Kering CRAFT is a new cultural exchange initiative launched by Luca de Meo, CEO of Kering, driven by the conviction that luxury should foster creative dialogue across cultures. 

Its ambition is clear: to build a bridge between China’s flourishing fashion scene—currently home to a new generation of talented designers—and the craftsmanship, expertise and global networks that can enable their creative visions to resonate internationally. By opening a dialogue with Kering Houses and their unique heritage, the initiative seeks to cultivate lasting exchanges and help shape the future of luxury. 

The first step of the journey was to form an international advisory board entrusted with helping Kering and the Shanghai Fashion Designers Association identify the program’s cohort. Announced in February 2026, the board brings together twelve leading figures from the worlds of luxury, fashion, media, technology, academia and culture, spanning China, France, Italy and the United States.  

Of its twelve members, six represent China: Cai Jinqing, president of Kering Greater China; Dennis Chan, founder and creative director of Qeelin; Chinese couture designer Guo Pei; author, publisher and cultural influencer Hung Huang; Lv Xiaolei, executive vice chairman of the Shanghai Fashion Designers Association and secretary general of the Shanghai Fashion Week organizing committee; and Miranda Qu, founder of Chinese social media and lifestyle platform Xiaohongshu (RedNote). Representing Europe are Simone Marchetti, the European editorial director of Vanity Fair and editor-in-chief of Vanity Fair Italy; Carla Sozzani, founder and president of Fondazione Sozzani and Fondation Azzedine Alaïa; Zang Yingchun, acting dean of Tsinghua Arts & Design Institute in Milan; fashion influencer and writer Camille Charrière; artist and filmmaker Susan Cohn Rockefeller; and Demna, artistic director of Gucci. 

Bringing together luxury expertise, creative and digital leadership, and independent cultural perspectives, the board’s collective insight shapes the program’s vision, selection process and mentorship, fostering a rigorous and inclusive approach to nurturing the next generation of talent. 

Kering CRAFT’s first cohort is the program's most tangible expression. Launched in December 2025, the application process drew more than 100 candidates from all across China. The criteria included creativity and originality, craftsmanship and product excellence, growth prospects, and the embodiment of future luxury trends. After a rigorous evaluation, ten talents were ultimately chosen by Kering, the Shanghai Fashion Designers Association and the advisory board.  

What unites this cohort is the strength of their individual creative identities. It is no coincidence that each designer already has their own brand or business: this intentional choice is at the heart of Kering CRAFT, which supports founders with an established creative vision, but at different stages, as they scale their businesses and realize their potential to  shape the future of luxury.

To help them further explore their vision, in May 2026 the ten fellows embarked on a cross-continental residency program spanning Milan, Paris and Shanghai, curated by Kering. Structured around four pillars—craftsmanship, design, innovation and business development—the immersive experience offers a rare opportunity to engage with Europe’s luxury ecosystem through direct exchanges with artisans, designers and business leaders from Kering Houses. 

First stop, Milan. The inaugural week of the residency brought the designers into direct conversation with some exceptional leaders and practitioners, including Luca de Meo, Kering CEO, Francesca Bellettini, CEO of Gucci, and Sabina Belli and Vincenzo Castaldo, respectively President of Kering Italy and Creative Director of Pomellato. It was also an opportunity for them to meet with some members of the advisory board, who are deeply invested in the program: they spent a full day at the Sozzani Foundation with Carla Sozzani, engaging in in-depth discussions on brand development and creative refinement. 

The final two weeks of the Italian residency were spent between Penne, where the designers discovered the Brioni tailoring atelier, and Florence and its surroundings, where they visited Balenciaga, Gucci and Ginori 1735.  

The 10 designers were immersed in both the strategic and technical dimensions of Brioni’s savoir-faire, at the intersection of heritage and modern luxury. At the Brioni Scuola di Alta Sartoria, the designers also took part in hands-on sessions focused on the craft of tailoring, learning about jacket construction, double stitching and the making of sleeves and collars.    

At Balenciaga, they toured the factory to discover the full production process before taking part in a hands-on workshop.  

The fellows later gained insight into Gucci’s creative vision, business and ways of working through a series of visits and discussions. At Gucci Palazzo, they explored the House’s extension into lifestyle and were later introduced to the Gucci Circular Hub, discovering how innovative and regenerative materials are being developed and scaled for use in Gucci collections.   

Finally, at the Ginori Manifattura, after a discussion with Mehdi Benabadji, CEO of the brand, the fellows visited the ateliers and were introduced to the porcelain making creative process and the collection philosophy. “I came to Kering CRAFT with the goal of adapting what I learn from Kering brands to elevate my business, and I have gained so much knowledge and inspiration,” said designer WEI Donghui. 

Between the ateliers and masterclasses, something else took shape over those weeks in Italy: a genuine sense of belonging to a class. Brought together from different cities, disciplines and stages of development, the ten fellows quickly built ties that went well beyond the program itself. They follow one another’s work and collections, exchange advice on the challenges of running a growing brand and, once back in China after the Milan residency, chose to meet up again on their own initiative. When they reunited in Paris in September, it was not simply the next stage of a program; it was a group of designers picking up a conversation that had never really stopped. 

After Italy, the ten fellows indeed travelled to Paris to begin the second part of the residency. The French arm of the program, which took place from September 21 to October 4, gave the Chinese designers the opportunity to spend time at Kering’s headquarters, meeting with executives and continuing conversations around business, luxury and creativity in the French market. 

The program kicked off at 40, rue de Sèvres with Laurent Claquin, who led a masterclass on his role as Chief Brand Officer. On the strategy side, they also spent half a day at the Institut Français de la Mode (IFM) to attend a masterclass given by Xavier Romatet, Dean of the fashion school, and Leyla Neri, Head of the Masters in Fashion Design. 

Next, the fellows took a deep dive into some of Kering’s most prestigious French houses. They visited Boucheron on Place Vendôme for a session with Hélène Poulit-Duquesne, CEO of the jewelry house; spent the day at Saint Laurent, rue de Bellechasse, to meet with CEO Cédric Charbit; and got immersed in the world of Balenciaga with CEO Gianfranco Gianangeli. 

The residency concluded with a unique opportunity for the designers, thanks to the timing of their visit: they were able to attend the Saint Laurent and Balenciaga fashion shows, held on September 29 and October 1 respectively. It was a chance to see first-hand how the brands’ creative vision comes to life on the runway, bringing together the different stages of the creative journey they explored throughout their residency. 

What’s next for Kering CRAFT? The initiative will continue later in China for its final stop, extending the dialogue across places, skills and traditions, and will end at Shanghai Fashion Week in 2027, where each designer will present a final creative project.  

More than a talent incubator, Kering CRAFT reflects a broader vision of China’s evolving role within luxury: not simply as a market to be addressed, but as a dynamic creative ecosystem to engage with. This ambition is perfectly summarized by Ji Shengjun, Director of the Shanghai Fashion Week Organizing Committee: “Together, we aim to build a platform that empowers local designers to engage globally, spark creativity, and strengthen brand-building capabilities—expanding the fashion ecosystem.”