Giovanni Petrin

General Manager of Martelli Lavorazioni Tessili SpA, Giovanni Petrin lives and breathes denim. A native of San Martino di Lupari, Italy, he studied mechanical engineering at the Istituto Rossi Vicenza, but discovered a passion for denim while working at LA-CH-IN, a fabric finishing plant in Vedelago, a city internationally renowned for its denim industry. During his time at the facility, Mr. Petrin gained first-hand knowledge of the production process, igniting what would become a life-long fervor for denim development.

In 1980, he met Adriano Goldschmied, who was experimenting with denim design at the plant. Six years later, fashion veteran Luigi Martelli bought LA-CH-IN. As the denim category struggled through the 1990's, Mr. Petrin, under the guidance of Mr. Martelli, was determined to turn the industry around.

In the years that followed, Mr. Petrin partnered with Mr. Martelli, Mr. Goldschmied and fellow denim icon Renzo Rosso on a series of innovations. They experimented with the Tonello brush robot machine that gives jeans a brushed effect, and developed new handcrafting techniques that resulted in the coveted vintage denim look.

Throughout his career, Mr. Petrin has been a true game-changer in the industry and has made a profound impact on denim processing and product development.

He has partnered with many notable brands including Donna Karen, Lucky Brand, Tommy Hilfiger and Nautica, and continues to forge new relationships with denim producers around the world today.