Romeo Gigli hires African students for new project

MILAN (Reuters Life!) - Italian fashion house Romeo Gigli is taking on aspiring African designers to create a menswear collection as part of a project aimed at adding an international influence to its clothes.

Six young designers from Ghana, Senegal and Kenya will join the Romeo Gigli creative team later this year to work on a 2009/2010 autumn/winter collection of 25-30 pieces, which will be called "Romeo Gigli Lab".

The task, part of a project with Milan city council to attract young talent to the fashion capital, will be to evoke the traditional style of their countries for the brand, which has a trademark fleur de lys.

"The collection will have the structural elements of the main line but also the colors, materials ... experience (and) culture that they bring with them," said Pierlugi Mancinelli, head of clothing manufacturer and distributor Mood, which controls the brand.

"The aim is to give the brand some international elements. On one side we are helping young unknown (designers) to emerge ... on the other, we are also trying to widen stylistic input."

The collection will be presented in January along with Romeo Gigli's main line. After that, the house will open its doors to aspiring designers from other countries, such as Jordan and China.

"Every season, we will change the geographical zone," Mancinelli said. "It will remain a permanent label in the brand's history."

It is not the only Italian brand to take on foreign young talent. Brioni, known for handmade suits, has brought in students from Britain's Royal College of Art for a menswear course, and the National Chamber of Fashion runs an project for young designers to show creations during Milan fashion week.

(Reporting by Marie-Louise Gumuchian; editing by Keith Weir)