Pitti, Premiere Vision, Milano Unica; a series of fairs that have highlighted even more how substantial the concept of sustainability is in the display of contemporary collections.
More precisely, I was struck by two initiatives that directly describe what the supporting "pillars" of sustainable action are and what virtuous, current and significant interpretation can be deduced.
Milano Unica, within the "MU Creative Sustainability A/W 2024-25" project, has listed and described the 5 fundamentals of sustainability.
· Climate Action, actions to commit to limiting climate change through more responsible industrialization. This perspective includes projects to reduce greenhouse gas emissions as well as maximizing the use of energy from renewable sources.
· Chemical Safety, intention to reduce the risks associated with the use of chemical products harmful to humans, animals and the environment. This manifests itself with agricultural-livestock, artisanal and manufacturing productive economic activities compliant with the main RSL (Restricted Substances List) standards, that is, lists of dangerous chemical substances that should be banned from supply chains.
· Biodiversity Conservation, acting so that forestry and agricultural ecosystems can be preserved and regenerated, as well as guaranteeing a type of sustainable and cruelty-free farming.
· Circular Economy, actions to increase recycling, reuse, durability, repair and end-of-life management of artefacts. In particular, the recycling of waste and the reuse of waste water are considered crucial.
· Social Justice, conduct aimed at guaranteeing respect for human and labor rights throughout the entire production chain.
This group of concepts and purposes was expressed in the seventh edition of S | Style, the sustainability style exhibition project of the Pitti Discovery Foundation curated by fashion journalist Giorgia Cantarini.
The initiative was carried out with the exclusive participation of Kering Material Innovation Lab (Kering M.I.L.). Thanks to a vast library of certified materials and fabrics made available by Kering MIL, a selected pool of global designers was able to create some outfits with very advanced sustainable research requirements.
M.I.L. was born in 2013 within the Kering Group, and is a research laboratory available to the creative groups of the group's Maisons and their suppliers, with the aim of procuring resources, tools and new solutions in order to make sustainable choices. The materials and fabrics are subjected to an in-depth examination and are evaluated in the light of external certifications but also by an exclusive internal tool developed using the EP&L methodology, an environmental economic statement that measures the impact on global ecosystems of the commercial activities and supply chain of the Kering group.
The brands that were able to access the sustainable library of Kering's Material Innovation Lab were a heterogeneous and international group: Cavia (Italy), Dalpaos (Italy), Dhruv Kapoor (India), Isnu (Denmark), Jeanne Friot (France), Ksenia Schnaider (Ukraine), Olooh Concept (Ivory Coast), Permu (United Kingdom), Steven Passaro (France), Young n Sang (South Korea). The work had a final moment with a parade in the fortress from Basso to the Hall of Nations.
The technical solutions seen on the catwalk were of the highest level; Cavia used cashmere mixed with bio-derived fibers and produced through the fermentation process of sugars and microorganisms. At Isnurh we saw a faille fabric made of polyester partially recycled from marine plastic waste and enriched with coatings made without the use of water and with an internal padding made from recycled silk waste and a bio-based binding polymer. Ksenia Schnaider's collection included works obtained on denim with 100% plant based indigo pigment with coatings made up of up to 35% recycled European cork powder.
Dalpaos worked on linen combined with a newly developed cellulosic filament which we cannot know much about but which is fully compliant with the very high Kering standards. Great technical innovations also in dyeing, Steven Passaro created his outfit on organic cotton fabric colored through a spray technology that uses a black pigment free of PAHs (Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons) and other potentially carcinogenic substances.
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