Two of fashion’s most progressive minds were recognised on Thursday, April 24 at the Monte-Carlo Fashion Week gala, as Renzo Rosso and Arianna Alessi walked away with top accolades for their work in reshaping the industry through ethics, innovation and social action.
Renzo Rosso, the bold and unorthodox founder of OTB Group — home to brands like Diesel, Maison Margiela and Jil Sander — was awarded the Positive Change Award for his visionary leadership in building a fashion empire that fuses creativity with a deep commitment to sustainability and social responsibility. Never one to follow the rulebook, Rosso has long championed the idea that business can be both edgy and ethical.
Sharing the spotlight was Arianna Alessi, vice-president of the OTB Foundation, who received the Positive Social Impact Award. Under her stewardship, the foundation has taken a hands-on, results-driven approach to philanthropy, backing more than 380 projects across the globe since 2006. From championing women’s rights and supporting marginalised youth to responding to humanitarian crises, the foundation’s initiatives have touched nearly 380,000 lives — not with platitudes, but with measurable progress.
The awards formed part of a broader Monte-Carlo Fashion Week (April 22–26 2025) that aimed to highlight those who are doing more than setting trends — they’re shifting the entire narrative. It was a nod to fashion’s new era: one in which courage, conscience and creativity walk the same runway.
OTB — short for “Only The Brave” — continues to live up to its name, challenging convention with a 7,000-strong global team, a tech-forward strategy, and a heart set firmly on long-term, meaningful impact. With Rosso and Alessi at the helm, the group is proving that fashion with soul isn’t just possible — it’s powerful.
