On 9th March 2023 at the Milan headquarters of the Accademia Costume & Moda, a Roman institution of excellence for education in fashion and style, a ceremony was held to confer the Certificate of Merit to Franco Cologni for his tireless commitment to the promotion of beauty and métiers d’art, and for his great achievements in disseminating the culture of savoir-faire in Italy and around the world.
Graduated in Philosophy, Cavaliere del Lavoro, Cavaliere di Gran Croce della Repubblica italiana, Officier de la Légion d’Honneur, Commandeur de l’ordre des arts et des lettres, Chevalier de l’ordre national du mérite, Founder and Chairman of the Fondazione Cologni dei Mestieri d’Arte, Co-founder of the Michelangelo Foundation for Creativity and Craftsmanship, Honorary Chairman of the Creative Academy and Richemont Italia, journalist and writer, Franco Cologni received this prestigious adknowledgement from Andrea Lupo Zanzara, Chairman, and Furio Francini, CEO at Accademia Costume & Moda.
On the occasion of this special event, a panel entitled 'Makers of Beauty: Arts, Crafts, Talents' was held, moderated by Alberto Cavalli, with speeches by Stefania Lazzaroni, General Director of the Fondazione Altagamma, Ermete Realacci, Chairman of the Fondazione Symbola and Anna Zegna, Chairman of the Fondazione Zegna. "The history of the Academy from its founder Rosana Pistolese to nowadays, its very nature in promoting culture and savoir-faire, are akin to the masterful work that Franco Cologni has been able to accomplish," says Barbara Trebitsch, Director of Education at Accademia Costume & Moda.
Franco Cologni wanted to address a few words to the young people in particular, the talents of tomorrow: 'Thank you very much for this Certificate of Merit. For me it is all the more precious because it comes not from a Ministry but from an Academy: a school, a place where you learn to do something beautiful'. Friends, historical collaborators and important personalities from the world of journalism, art and the applied arts came to celebrate this happy event.
