Sustainable fashion is not just a passing trend but an urgent issue. On this theme, in January Istituto Europeo di Design together with Consorzio Italiano Implementazione Detox and Greenpeace Italia issued a call to action, launching the The time is now! project for the creation of men’s collections using sustainable raw materials. The fashion business is one of the world’s most polluting industries and is characterised by business models that consume far more resources that the planet can afford. As well as taking action to improve the current situation, the IED network also wants to teach the next generation not to repeat the mistakes of the past, providing them with the tools to become protagonists of the change. The Time is Now! is precisely this, a transformation project which today presents its final results: 5 eco-friendlycapsule collections and 5 fashion films, the work of 15 IED students chosen from the Fashion Design and Fashion Stylist courses at the Milan, Rome, Florence, Turin and Como sites. The group, under the creative direction of Alessia Crea, IED alumnus and co-founder of the Casamadre brand, received guidance in designing sustainable collections made using fabrics which use natural or recycled fibres or that have supply chains which follow certified production processes.
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“Our mission has always been to train the fashion designers of the future with expertise and passion - explains Sara Azzone, Director of IED Moda Milano. Now, however, it is imperative to teach them about sustainability so they can take this issue into account in the various processes of their projects. When I met Andrea Cavicchi and learned about the fine work that CID - Detox is doing with the endorsement of Greenpeace Italia I thought they could be the perfect partners for educating our students about sustainable fashion and respect for the environment”.
“We are living at a time of great change - comments Paola Pattacini, Director of IED Moda Roma - After years of waste, excess and abuse we are finally seeing a change in mentality, a return to pure creativity, to manual skills and, above all, to sustainability, which enables us to create products that are genuine, ethical and wearable, but most of all refined and sophisticated. The time is now! is a group project involving students from different countries and different IED sites who aim, through their designs, to convey their take on the future of fashion”.
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CID was a high-profile partner for the project; in fact, the Consortium participated in the 2006 Detox campaign promoted by Greenpeace to encourage the biggest brands to rid fashion of toxic substances. The The Time is Now! collections were created using fabrics supplied by companies involved in Detox and chosen for their environmentally-friendly processes: Be.Mi.Va, Berto Industrie Tessili, Candiani Denim, Emmetex, Filati Biagioli Modesto, Furpile Idea, Industria Biagioli, Industria Italiana Fialti, Lanificio Mario Bellucci, Marini Industrie, Miroglio Group and Texmoda Tessuti.
“The companies in our consortium, who I thank for all of their help, made an active contribution to the project, offering both their products and their experience - explains Andrea Cavicchi, Chairman of Consorzio Detox. The commitment our businesses have shown to sustainability projects, beginning with Greenpeace’s Detox principles, is a source of great international recognition for us, strengthened today by the arrival of two new companies from the fashion industry: Antilotex Flock Italia and Quagli e Fioravanti Trading. During this long partnership with IED we have been able to appreciate the great sensitivity of the young students to the themes of reuse and their particular interest in non-polluting textile processes and water purification systems. Their work has never compromised on inventiveness, aesthetic taste and innovation, demonstrating that sustainability and the circular economy can be elements that enrich the creativity of young designers, especially if they are supported by a qualified staff of teachers”.
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“The fashion industry is at a crossroads and must decide which path it wishes to take - comments Chiara Campione, Head of the Corporate and Consumer Unit at Greenpeace Italia -The environmental impact of the current business model, based on waste and a throw-away culture, is no longer sustainable. These wonderful collections, created by extremely talented designers, show that it is possible to invert this trend through innovation and creativity and to envision a fashion revolution that is able to respect the limited resources of our planet. The men and women that designed these collections remind us that it is possible to abandon the concept of “throw-away materialism” and convert the entire system to the concept of what others call “true materialism” where materials, their transformation processes and environment of origin are regarded as highly precious.”
At Pitti Immagine Uomo 96, the spaces of the courtyard of Palazzina Realewill form the backdrop for a static exhibition that showcases the Divisi, Human Trace, Oddly Beautiful, Parcae and Puru Puru collections. These will be accompanied by the projection of a series of fashion films curated by the group’s stylist which explain the creative concept in images.
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Divisi by Violetta Gancia (Fashion Design IED Turin), Martina Modenese (Fashion Stylist IED Milan) and Marcello Pipitone (Fashion Design IED Milan) is based on the concept of the uniform, which gives the wearer an identity while depersonalising them at the same time. The collection revisits the typical features of uniforms with surprising volumes that emphasise versatility and continuous transformation; the garments are made from structured fabrics with sinuous cuts and unexpected inserts.
Human trace by Tatiana Ciardo (Fashion Stylist IED Milan), Erica Pepe (Fashion Design IED Florence) and Lidia Vigna (Fashion Design IED Florence) is inspired by the beauty of ripples and the grain of human skin; stitching and tatting lace embroidery make fingerprints on the fabric.
Oddly beautiful by Minhae Ha (Fashion Design IED Milan), Zicen Zhang (Fashion Design IED Milan) and Francesco Saverio Costanzo (Fashion Stylist IED Milan) presents garments with perfect cuts made from sustainable fabrics but which in a kaleidoscopic contrast create brilliant yet feral shades and colours.
Parcae by Andrea Luisa Berger (Fashion Design IED Rome), Cecilia Fefe (Fashion Design IED Rome) and Rom Uzan (Fashion Stylist IED Florence) is inspired by the Classical Greek aesthetic canons of harmony and balance with measured drapes, deep folds and the geometric study of weights and volumes.
Puru Puru by Vittoria Xerra (Fashion Design “Aldo Galli” Academy of Fine Arts, Federica Murgia (Fashion Stylist IED Milan) and Veikko Seppala (Fashion Design IED Milan) presents 5 looks that showcase the versatility of fabric and the potential of weft and warp. Denim is restructured, volumes are generous and fluid and accompanied by fine detailing.
The Time is Now! is supported by the brand OA non-fashion shoes, an environmentally sustainable project.
Thanks to: Innac London (Hair) and Aofm Pro (Make up)
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