An Argentine on the jury of the Innovation Village Competition at Expo Riva Schuh

Juan Manuel Forlano, founder and CEO of Jane Jones —the online women’s footwear store from Argentina— was invited to join the jury of the competition dedicated to technology, emerging trends and transformative solutions for the sector, which was held at the footwear and manufactured goods fair in Riva del Garda.

Twelve years ago, Juan founded Jane Jones from scratch, without investors, without strategic partners, without a manual. Only a vision: to build a relevant women’s footwear brand from Argentina in the digital channel, when fashion e-commerce in the country was still unexplored territory. Today, his brand has more than one million followers, is recognized throughout the country, and has operated exclusively online since 2014.

The Innovation Village Competition at Expo Riva Schuh —in its eighth edition— received 8 startups from different countries this year, competing in three categories: foot measurement technology and size accuracy, product image generation with artificial intelligence, and circular economy and second-hand solutions. An international jury made up of leading buyers and industry experts evaluated each proposal.

Sitting alongside executives from brands such as Clarks, Max Mara and Autry, and representatives of organizations such as the National Shoe Retailers Association of the United States and Reliance Retail of India, the Argentine entrepreneur contributed the perspective of someone who built a digital fashion brand from within, in an emerging market, with its own rules.

“The problem they are solving is very real. I see it every day in my business,” was the phrase he repeated most during the presentations. And that authenticity —that of the founder who speaks from experience and not from the manual— was exactly what Enrico Cietta, CEO of Diomedea and a member of the scientific committee of Expo Riva Schuh, was looking for when inviting him.

The winner of this edition was Shoefitr.io, a Dutch startup founded by Charles Held that developed an artificial intelligence solution capable of measuring the foot through a phone camera and recommending the exact size for each footwear model —significantly reducing returns in e-commerce.

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