The "BE YOUR FABRIC" project promoted by Leather&Luxury and the Bellandi textile company for Polimoda students has reached a crucial stage. The end of November in fact was the deadline for the delivery and presentation of capsules by budding designers in the final year of Fashion Management at the Florentine institute. A step deputed to the selection of the six finalist projects by an industry technical jury composed of: Matteo Rovelli (Leather&Luxury), Costanza Schiavetti (product development manager for Maglificio Denny), Chiara Bellandi and Fabrizio Becherucci (Bellandi Spa), Elisabetta Mucci (Most srl) and Polimoda director Massimiliano Giornetti. At the end of a first phase in which, following meetings with "BE YOUR FABRIC" partner companies, the students were given a month to design their own collection of five garments each, the time came for the difficult choices.
The proposal of the six finalists opens up personal worlds and evokes creative suggestions of highly appreciable emotional and stylistic impact. Rachele Baratto, for example, with the brand "Arrakis" is inspired by the imagery of the film "Dune" by Denis Villeneuve. A capsule with a surreal flavor in which the garments are an armor to resist the environmental weather conditions. Clothes and overcoats that tell a story with curiosity and nostalgia. Fear, personal insecurity and the management of this emotion is the inspiration behind "Hideout 29-X" the project of Tommaso Inturrisi. The exorcizing of fear was translated into a collection inspired by American football sportswear where the silhouette of players' "armor" is a safe protection and where team spirit helps overcome obstacles. Maria Sofia Gareri with "Fiercely Fragile," on the other hand, interprets human fragility by thinking of the bell as a space of inner and outer refuge brought back in baggy, comfy and stylish garments. Marina Medri presented "Tephra," literally "ashes" in ancient Greek. A fresh women's collection with an androgynous, dark, bold and daring style. Garments with patterns inspired by the lava flows of volcanic eruptions with a 3D effect.
"Pescetto" by Romina Pescetto is a brand based in Peru and Italy that experiments with every aspect that makes us human: political, spiritual and physical. It focuses on sustainable materials that have a social impact; it currently collaborates with non-profit organisations such as Mosqoy and CTTC. The brand was recently featured in Vogue Italia, where it presented its recent collection. For this collection, the brand wanted to play with the idea of identity by reaching for different textures and colours. The choice of fabrics was decided by comfort in terms of textures, colours or prints; what looked familiar to the designer was chosen. The use of prints and embroidery in this collection is in line with the idea of familiarity, using photos from films to create a vintage and familiar atmosphere. Finally, Ani Khachatryan, on the other hand, presented "Forest Echoes," a capsule that cries out to defend ecosystems from the scourge of forest and forest fires. Ani's garments celebrate the beauty of the world around us embellished with unique textures "stolen" from nature.
So what will be the next steps of "BE YOUR FABRIC"?
Each student will have a meeting with the partners selected during the design phase with whom they will be able to refine their project thanks to the companies' know-how. By the first week of March, the finalist designers will have to make the garment. Meanwhile, materials and intermediate processing will be provided by Bellandi Spa, Most Srl, CDC, Lampo, Lartigianabottoni, Cim, Nuova Piegavelox, the partner companies of "BE YOUR FABRIC."
During the final event, to be held in early March at the Polimoda headquarters in Florence, the garments made by the young designers will be presented and judged. The outcome of "BE YOUR FABRIC" will be decided on the basis of the result of an online poll that will be launched on the social channels of Leather&Luxury and Bellandi Spa combined with the votes of the usual physical jury in the presence of insiders. Up for grabs for the winner is an internship at Bellandi Spa as well as the chance to display their capsule both in the company's showroom and in their booth during trade fairs.
