“From a technical point of view, Sara Zanetti’s creation is remarkable for its attention to details, the combination of crochet and macro waves on the knit that emphasize the large and comfortable volume of the garment. Her proposal is an evident example of creativity and craftsmanship combined with a brilliant feeling for color”, this was the comment given by Ornella Bignami, who has been following and supervising “Feel the Yarn – the Contest “ project for 11 years, to the victory of Sara Zanetti from Polimoda in Florence of the 2020 edition of the competition.
A victory recognized by the community of over 5500 members of the Facebook group “Feel the Yarn – The Contest” made up of students, insiders, professional influencers and yarn lovers, was expressed in a scholarship worth 5.000 euros to be used for the prosecution of the studies in their own school.
Sara, your work received technical recognition and maximum approval from the public. How did the adventure start?
My participation in the competition took place through an internal selection at my school, Polimoda: all the students interested in taking part in it would have been evaluated by a team of teachers. The selected students would then be presented to the Pitti jury and from there… it all began. Thing that happened!
I have always dreamed of participating to an international contest in the field of knitwear, a passion of mine.
Passion to which you managed to follow up, starting from participation to the Contest. Such a school can teach a lot….
Personally it helped me to understand that, sometimes and in the right way, even having fun and letting yourself go to inspiration, giving freedom to creativity pays off, taking you far.
A “far” that also affects your career ?
The victory certainly contributed to my business: my experience but above all my innate love for the universe of knitwear, led me to experiment with an internship in the this field.
After the victory in 2020 you decided to try again by signing up “Feel the Contest” the new format that involves 28 young designers between 22 and 35 years old, that have to create 2 knitted outfits using the yarns supplied by the 28 CPF members who joined the initiative. What pushed you?
The reasons why I decided to participate in this new Contest are different and concern both the aspects of creativity and professional growth.
Initiatives like these are valuable because they give life to a new project with the highest qualities of raw material supplied by the leading companies in this field, and they allow you to have visibility necessary to start a new path and increase your c.v.
The company to which you were combined is Tollegno1900…
I know the reality of Tollegno 1900 thanks to the exhibitions held at Pitti Filati and the initiatives promoted by the Consorzio Promozione Filati. When the organizers of the Contest joined me at the company, I knew I was collaborating with a giant in the production of yarns and high-level of raw materials. Not to mention the sartorial world, an area that has always fascinated me.
Can you anticipate something about the realization for Contest?
In giving the footprint to my project I let myself be inspired by the theme of the contest: “Fluid”.
The sketches were born from the study of manipulations: the soft and sinuous lines give life to simple but not common looks, with strong fluorescent accents and crochet knits. Thanks to the color palette of the Tollegno 1900 winter collection I was able to recreate that color contrast I was looking for to give character to the looks. Finally, the Harmony yarn and the precious mohair of Lana Gatto have given the garments a hand feel and refined, making them precious and of impeccable quality.
A new challenge for Sara, how do you see your future?
My dream it to become a creative director for a large company while continuing my growth path in the world of fashion and knitwear.
Good luck!
