Kering, in partnership with CIBJO — the World Jewellery Confederation — and with the scientific coordination of Poli.Design — Politecnico di Milano, announced Lee Min Seo and Ianyan as winners of the first Kering Generation Award x Jewelry at the JCK trade show Saturday.
Centered around the theme “Second Chance, First Choice,” the competition invited both students and start-ups to design a piece or a collection of jewelry. The program pulled from a diverse pool of applicants — from 10 world-renowned universities and academies specializing in jewelry and sustainability, as well as established start-ups — and four finalists were selected by the jury: two students and two start-ups.
In the student’s category the winner is Lee Min Seo, who attended Hongik University in South Korea. Her jewelry collection is made from the discarded leather of the jang-gu, a traditional Korean percussion instrument, promoting cultural preservation and reimagining traditional Korean music in a new cyclical form.
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In the start-ups category the winner is Ianyan, a Chinese brand whose collections highlight fractured opals and forgotten, unusual stones — often overlooked in conventional jewelry — for their raw beauty. By choosing imperfect or fractured gems, Ianyan revives traditional values and gives new life to materials through craftsmanship. Enamels, recycled metals and modular techniques further support the brand’s sustainable approach. Promoting a circular economy, each piece is designed to be repaired, transformed or recomposed.
This first of it’s kind jewelry award is the next chapter of the Generation concept Kering launched for fashion and textiles in China in 2018, then extended in Japan and Saudi Arabia.
The jury for the jewelry award included François-Henri Pinault, chairman and chief executive officer of Kering; Marie-Claire Daveu, chief sustainability and institutional affairs officer of Kering; Hélène Poulit-Duquesne, CEO of Boucheron; Sabina Belli, CEO of Pomellato; Christophe Artaux, CEO of Qeelin; Gaetano Cavalieri, president of CIBJO; Iris Van der Veken, executive director of Watch & Jewellery Initiative 2030; Bernadette Pinet-Cuoq, president of UFBJOP; Alba Cappellieri head of jewelry and full professor at Politecnico di Milano; Sarin Bachmann, group vice president of JCK and Elisa Niemtzow, vice president of BSR.
According to Kering the goal of the program is to foster an international community of young students and startups willing to innovate the industry as it moves forward with the next generation.
