Kering and Jewelry have announced the finalists for the 2025 Kering Generation Award. The announcement comes just weeks before the final judging, set to take place on June 7 at the JCK Las Vegas Show.
The award, launched in November 2024, invited students and emerging start-ups to rethink the future of jewellery. Participants were asked to create sustainable designs under the theme “Second Chance, First Choice.” The challenge focused on transforming waste materials into meaningful jewellery pieces.
After several rounds of evaluation, four finalists were chosen in May 2025. Two come from the start-up category, and two represent student designers. All finalists will present their projects to a panel of judges during the upcoming Las Vegas event.
The award is supported by Kering’s leading jewellery houses—Boucheron, Pomellato, DoDo, and Qeelin. Their involvement reflects Kering’s strong focus on sustainable innovation and circular design.
Finalists: Start-up Category
Ex Oblivione (France)
This French start-up uses aerospace materials to make jewellery. It repurposes parts from old space missions—like satellite shields—and turns them into luxury pieces. The brand combines advanced technology with fine craftsmanship.
Ianyan (China)
Ianyan works with fractured opals and rare stones that are often discarded in traditional jewellery. Its designs are modular and repairable. The brand embraces natural flaws, creating jewellery that can be transformed and maintained over time.
Finalists: Student Category
Lee Min Seo (South Korea)
Lee Min Seo studies at Hongik University. Their project, Rhythm Reborn, uses discarded leather from the traditional Korean jang-gu drum. The collection blends cultural history with sustainable design. It reimagines music through jewellery.
Tony Favorito (USA)
Tony Favorito is a student at the Rochester Institute of Technology. His project, Memory Fragment, reuses marble and stone left over from home renovations. The materials are shaped into modular rings that hold personal stories through wearable art.
The Kering Generation Award is part of the company’s wider mission to promote sustainability in fashion and jewellery. Since 2017, Kering has worked with the “Plug and Play – Fashion for Good” accelerator. It has launched editions of the award in China, Japan, and Saudi Arabia to help scale promising start-ups around the world.
The upcoming final at JCK Las Vegas is expected to highlight cutting-edge design and responsible innovation. It will give a global stage to new talent working at the intersection of luxury and sustainability.
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