L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, MAY 30, 2024 www.italoamericano.org 32 L'Italo-Americano were hidden for fear of being copied. W h e n d i d y o u s t a r t g e t t i n g i n t e r e s t e d i n fashion? My interest began partly due to family influences; one branch of my family works in f a s h i o n , w h i l e t h e o t h e r branch condemns it. When I explored what my cousins were doing, I found it fasci- nating. Then, when I arrived in Paris, I was fortunate to become close friends with h i g h l y s p e c i a l i z e d a n d career-focused rather than culture-focused. Moreover, fashion houses themselves struggle to view themselves as cultural institutions. For instance, Chanel has a herita- ge that has liberated women for more than one genera- tion. The fact that these lega- cies are kept secret for pseu- d o - i n d u s t r i a l r e a s o n s i s problematic; these treasures should be made public. Ima- gine if all painting collections Azzedine Alaïa, a great cou- turier, and Carla Sozzani, a significant figure in fashion c u l t u r e o v e r t h e p a s t 4 0 years. They introduced me to this world, and now a fashion s h o w i m p a c t s m e d e e p l y , both physically and emotio- nally, because it's like seeing a work of art in motion. You recently presen- ted your book, La Vita delle Forme, at the Turin Book Fair, written with former Gucci creative d i r e c t o r A l e s s a n d r o Michele, a treatise on the alchemy of life forms. How did this collabora- tion come about? We met through Alessan- dro's partner, a professor of urban architectural theory, and became friends. The idea for the book emerged becau- se one of Alessandro's inno- vations was to accompany Gucci's fashion shows with philosophical reflections. As a philosopher who studies fashion, it was important for me to discuss fashion as a primary subject of philo- s o p h y , b e c a u s e i t i s t h e m e d i u m t h r o u g h w h i c h a form comes to life. There's nothing more philosophical than that. We talked about it for a year and a half, and from these conversations, the book was born. new commercial landscape, inventing a new form of glo- balization. Fashion, by natu- re, cannot be a purely local e x p r e s s i o n ; o t h e r w i s e , i t becomes mere folklore. W h y i s f a s h i o n s t i l l considered superficial? There's a problem with education; fashion is perhaps the only artistic discipline not taught in standard facul- t i e s . T h e r e a r e v e r y f e w history of fashion courses, and the existing schools are away from recent fashion history. They also embrace contradictions, celebrating diverse body forms and esta- blishing a different relation- ship with materials. For example? One designer, Gisèle Clau- dia Ntsama, works extensi- vely with hemp, while others focus on recycling and re- purposing used clothes. They present collections aimed at older and differently-abled people, introducing a range of techniques and aesthetics not traditionally associated w i t h M a d e i n I t a l y . T h e y speak to a segment of huma- nity that Italy has yet to fully embrace but which repre- sents a significant portion of the population. How long has this new g e n e r a t i o n o f f a s h i o n been emerging? It's difficult to pinpoint exact timelines. Globally, fashion has changed dramati- c a l l y d u e t o g e o p o l i t i c a l shifts. New regions, such as Africa and especially China, are emerging as creative hubs that are arguably more inte- resting than what has been happening in Italy, Europe, or the United States. These designers are pioneers in a New trends and colors at the Fashion Panorama — The Italian New Wave (Photo: Veronica Maffei for the Italian Cultural Institute Los Angeles) The inauguration of the Exhibition, with Consul General Valentini and Director Amendola cutting the ribbon with Elisa Pervinca Bellini (left) and TJ Walker (Photo: Veronica Maffei for the Italian Cultural Institute Los Angeles) "These designers are pioneers, inventing a new form of globalisation. Fashion by nature cannot be a purely local expression; otherwise it becomes mere folklore," says Coccia when discussing the young designers of the exhibit CONTINUED FROM PAGE 20 LIFE PEOPLE PLACES EVENTS

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