RMIT graduate signs deal with Alessi

RMIT industrial design graduate Lisa Vincitorio cannot hide her delight after landing a contract with Italian contemporary design leader Alessi.

Ms Vincitorio's stainless steel 'Fruit Loop' bowl will feature in next year's range after she signed a contract with the company this month.

The deal came about after she plucked up the courage to approach the company designers while at the Milan Furniture Fair last year, as part of her RMIT Bachelor of Design (Industrial Design) program.

"I was really quite nervous to go up to them originally," 21-year-old Ms Vincitorio, of Reservoir, said.

"I didn't think that an Australian university student could get interest from such a renowned world wide company, so it's very exciting.

"It's a dream really for a young designer to get that opportunity, so it's definitely a highlight of the course and my career."

Ms Vincitorio, who graduated from RMIT last year and now works in design in Melbourne, will wait to see her product in the catalogues and on the shelves when it is launched in Europe next year.

"It's still a bit of a dream although I've signed the contract," she said.

"I just want to see the product in a store and then it will hit home."

RMIT design expert Kjell Grant, who led the RMIT student group to Milan, said Ms Vincitorio's success showed that the future was bright for young Australian designers.

"This shows that young Australian designers can compete on the world stage," Mr Grant said.

"It is very encouraging to see one of RMIT's graduates up there with international design leaders."

Mr Grant said Ms Vincitorio's Fruit Loop design has been added to collection of Melbourne Movement (www.melbourne-movement.org), a collective of young Australian designers that he started up in 1999 to build an international reputation for cutting-edge Australian design.

"Lisa will become a priority member of Melbourne Movement and be one of the first few to have their work shown in upcoming exhibitions," Mr Grant said.