L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, MAY 30, 2024 www.italoamericano.org 20 L'Italo-Americano that has made 'Made in Italy' famous worldwide, reinter- preting and adapting it to their unique visions," Amen- dola concluded. "As one cannot talk about a r t s o l e l y b y m e n t i o n i n g Picasso, we must also highli- ght those who are shaping fashion today, the younger g e n e r a t i o n . I h o p e t h i s project encourages the pro- motion of designers who are making the most interesting experiments and embracing change," philosopher Ema- nuele Coccia explained to L'Italo-Americano. Coc- c i a ' s r e s e a r c h f o c u s e s o n nature, art, and fashion, and h e w a s t h e d r i v i n g f o r c e behind this initiative. What changes are we talking about? There is a clear transfor- m a t i o n i n t h e c o n c e p t o f Made in Italy, which has tra- ditionally been associated w i t h n a m e s t h a t b r o u g h t glory to Italian fashion, like Armani, Fendi, Valentino, Krizia, Dolce & Gabbana, and Italian Cultural Institute in Los Angeles. "Fashion Pano- rama showcases ten innovati- ve Italian designers who are c r e a t i n g n e w e x p r e s s i v e codes, focusing on themes like gender, inclusivity, and sustainability. They engage in a dialogue with the tradition Gucci. These brands have b e c o m e g l o b a l i c o n s b u t embody a form of humanity that no longer exists. This n e w g e n e r a t i o n i n c l u d e s designers with diverse ethnic backgrounds, such as Luca Lin of ACT N.1, who grew up b e t w e e n C h i n a a n d I t a l y , Jezabelle Cormio,an Italian- American, and Gisèle Claudia Ntsama, of Cameroonian ori- gin. They represent a much m o r e m u l t i - e t h n i c a n d hybrid culture than previous generations. What stories do these new generations tell? They tell completely diffe- r e n t s t o r i e s ; t h e i r i d e a l audience is not the upper Milanese bourgeoisie of the 1980s. It is a demographic that is, perhaps, still underre- presented. This generation has redefined elegance and silhouettes, creating designs that are more fragmented a n d c o m p o s i t e , b r e a k i n g lia. "Fashion is experiencing significant growth in Los Angeles, which can now be considered the fifth capital of the industry alongside Milan, Paris, New York, and Lon- d o n , " s a i d E m a n u e l e Amendola, Director of the T h e F a s h i o n P a n o r a m a – T h e I t a l i a n N e w W a v e project, promoted by the Ministry of Foreign A f f a i r s a n d I n t e r n a t i o n a l C o o p e r a t i o n , c u r a t e d b y Vogue Italia, and dedicated to the new generation of Italian designers, made a stop in Los Angeles. On May 21, the exhi- bition opened at the Italian C u l t u r a l I n s t i t u t e i n W e s t w o o d a n d w i l l r u n until September, featuring creations from ten emerging Italian brands: ACT N°1, Cor- mio, Gisèle Claudia Ntsama, Lessico Familiare, Magliano, M a r c o R a m b a l d i , M e d e a , Niccolò Pasqualetti, Pancone- si, and SSHEENA. The inauguration provided an opportunity to explore fashion as a reflection of cul- tural and social changes in Italy and the USA. This was further discussed in a panel featuring curator Emanuele Coccia, a professor at the École des Hautes Études en Sciences Sociales in Paris, and TJ Walker, a professor at t h e L o s A n g e l e s F a s h i o n Institute of Design and Mer- chandising and co-founder of t h e h i s t o r i c b r a n d C r o s s C o l o u r s . T h e p a n e l w a s moderated by Elisa Pervinca Bellini, New Talents & Sustai- nability Editor of Vogue Ita- SILVIA NITTOLI A new generation of Italian designers meets in Los Angeles Bag and sunglasses at the Fashion Panorama — the Italian New Wave exhibit at the IIC in Los Angeles (Photo: Veronica Maffei for the Italian Cultural Institute Los Angeles) LIFE PEOPLE PLACES EVENTS From left: Vogue Italia's Elisa Pervinca Bellini, TJ Walker, Consul General Raffaella Valentini, Director of the IIC Los Angeles Emanuele Amendola and Emanuele Coccia (Photo: Veronica Maffei for the Italian Cultural Institute Los Angeles) CONTINUED TO PAGE 32

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