2024 Pitti Immagine Career Achievement Award to Hirofumi Kurino
News
Edition 106
11.06.2024
Co-founder and senior creative advisor at United Arrows—a retail group that since 1989 has launched many young designers and international brands in Japan and worldwide, establishing a high standard of exploration in contemporary lifestyle culture. A fashion journalist and writer, he published The World After Mode in 2020, offering his reflections on dressing and the transformations within fashion culture over the last 40 years. A committed leading fashion figure, together with the Ethical Fashion Initiative, he supports and promotes design, craftsmanship, and creativity in Africa, as well as focusing on environmental sustainability issues. An intellectually curious and eclectic man, passionate about art, cinema, and music—he is a DJ and is very proud of his vinyl collection.

Hirofumi Kurino is currently considered one of the most influential and knowledgeable people in the global fashion scene. They call him a "fashion oracle," but we believe he's too elegant to see himself in such terms.

He is an Honorary Fellow of the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in the U.K., has been a member of prestigious juries—from the Graduation Show at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Antwerp to the LVMH Prize—and has received numerous international awards. He also taught courses at important fashion schools, including Polimoda in Florence.

Today, Pitti Immagine presents him with its "Career Award" for all this, but also for being an exceptionally devoted attendee of our events over the years.

Furthermore, Hirofumi Kurino is also a senior advisor for "J∞Quality," a project by the Japan Apparel and Fashion Industry Association that has successfully promoted high-quality Japanese clothing at Pitti Uomo for several seasons.

Seeing him around the exhibiting booths at the Fortezza has always been a great pleasure for us, and it helps us feel that we are doing well.

Thank you, Kurino-san.