Only The Brave Wins an Award at the Monte-Carlo Fashion Week

I still remember being a teenager, saving up every spare cent to buy my first pair of Diesel engineered jeans. They were bold, different, unapologetically rebellious — and I was obsessed. The day I finally wore them to school, I was met with raised eyebrows and even some teasing. They didn’t look like anything anyone else was wearing at the time. But that was exactly the point. Diesel wasn’t just a brand, it was a statement. A little badge of courage. And even then, I felt like I belonged to that daring tribe of outsiders who weren’t afraid to be different. After all, Only the Brave could pull it off.

Years later, standing inside the Yacht Club de Monaco during Monte Carlo Fashion Week, I had the privilege of spending time with Renzo Rosso, the visionary behind Only the Brave Group and Diesel — and the man who unwittingly gave a 15-year-old the confidence to own their difference. But what struck me most was not just his creative legacy or entrepreneurial genius, but his grounded presence in a world often distracted by excess. Amid all the beauty, glamour, and spectacle, Renzo remains acutely aware of the realities so many face around the world. He is a man who genuinely cares — and one who believes, with conviction, in fashion’s ability to be a force for good.

That belief was honoured this week as Renzo received the Positive Change Award at the Monte-Carlo Fashion Week Gala. It’s a fitting tribute to a career built not only on pushing boundaries in style, but on using influence to ignite transformation. His work through the Only the Brave Foundation continues to address some of society’s most pressing challenges — from sustainability to social justice — all approached with the same innovation and passion that defines his brands.

By his side is Arianna Alessi, Vice President of the Only the Brave Foundation, a woman of quiet strength and formidable purpose. Intelligent, compassionate, and deeply driven, Arianna is not only Renzo’s partner in life but in vision. Together, they have shaped a foundation that doesn’t just donate, but acts — building over 380 projects around the world to empower women, protect children, support social integration, and respond to humanitarian crises. Her Positive Social Impact Award is a reflection of her fierce dedication to leaving the world better than they found it — for this generation and the next.

It’s rare in our industry to find people whose personal values so beautifully align with their professional mission. Renzo and Arianna are two such people. Their recognition this week in Monte Carlo is more than deserved — it is a moment of clarity in an industry that can sometimes lose sight of what really matters.

For me, that journey from a schoolkid in Diesel jeans to standing beside these two remarkable individuals came full circle. It’s a reminder that fashion, at its best, is not just about what we wear — it’s about the stories we tell, the values we carry, and the change we dare to make.

And in their presence, I felt the quiet strength of those values. It was, truly, an honour.

by Olga Barrale