Concorso Ticinomoda 2026
Institutional Communication Service
1 June 2026
For the third consecutive year, alumni of the Master in Digital Fashion Communication, a double-degree programme offered by Università della Svizzera italiana and Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne—have won the award for the best Master's theses presented by Concorso Ticinomoda 2026
The winners of the 2026 edition are:
- Giorgia Insabato, awarded for her thesis "Artificial Intelligence in the fashion design process: Artificial intelligence's creative applications in the fashion design process and the influence of AI creative solutions and AI-made fashion items on the fashion (design) industry", under the supervision of Dr Nicoletta Fornara.
- Lorenzo Destefani, awarded for his thesis "From Origins to Innovation: The Evolution of Luxury Bags in the Digital Era", under the supervision of Prof. Michael Gibbert.
The award winners presented their work during the annual general meeting of the Ticino Moda Association, held at the LAC Lugano Arte e Cultura.
"I am happy to congratulate the winners and the organisers," said Prof. Lorenzo Cantoni, director of the Master in Digital Fashion Communication at USI. "I believe these awards highlight the importance of this Master's degree. It is a truly international programme, drawing students and faculty from across the globe and operating between Lugano and Paris, whilst remaining deeply relevant to the local fashion industry."
Dr Nadzeya Sabatini, academic coordinator of the programme, also highlighted the value of the award: "The continuous recognition of our students' work through this award confirms the strength of the Master in Digital Fashion Communication in building a bridge between academic research and professional industry relevance. These theses not only demonstrate scientific rigour, but also address some of the most significant transformations currently affecting the fashion sector, from digital innovation to the impact of artificial intelligence."
Further information on the Master in Digital Fashion Communication is available at usi.ch/mdfc.