Napapijri x Moreno Ferrari

Napapijri x Moreno Ferrari is the capsule collection created thanks to the collaboration between the outerwear brand Napapijri and the famous Italian designer and artist Moreno Ferrari. The inspiration for the concept came from the ‘NO Project’, an installation created by the artist in 2018 when he revisited one of Napapijri’s icons, the Skidoo jacket, transforming it into a work of art. Ferrari’s vision turned the Skidoo into an armour with traces of urban material in contrast with nature: a symbolic encounter between the artist and the brand to reflect on the boundary between commitment and civic responsibility towards the environment, especially for fashion. The desire to develop projects with this philosophy, where negative becomes positive, translates into a Circular Capsule Collection that combines design, sustainability and an innovative and ethical approach to the environment.

Napapijri Moreno Ferrari
Alan Cappelli Goetz wears Napapijri x Moreno Ferrari

Each garment is 100% recyclable

The capsule features a range of sustainable and fully recyclable urban looks. The five styles draw on elements borrowed from the urban landscape – such as bubble wrap and plastic safety nets – and focus on the need to reuse and recycle as much as possible. Each garment is 100% recyclable, made of ECONYL® regenerated nylon: an innovative fibre created from plastic waste such as old fishing nets, rugs and industrial waste. It has the same quality as virgin nylon, but unlike the latter, is infinitely recyclable.

Napapijri capsule Moreno Ferrari
Alan Cappelli Goetz wears Napapijri x Moreno Ferrari

Objects that have heart, an ethic” (Moreno Ferrari)

Moreno Ferrari comments: “My design approach and this work in particular always takes society into account, it is a declaration of courage. Starting from the concept of beyond, crossing that ideal threshold beyond which one cannot go. Using recycled materials creates endless products and the result are objects that have heart, an ethic. There is no aesthetics without ethics nowadays”.

Strengthening Napapijri’s commitment to designing a circular future for fashion, the brand’s online take-back program allows all capsule products to be returned two years after purchase so that they can be transformed into new yarn and new products. Martino Scabbia Guerrini, executive vice president & group president of Vf Emea said: “This work is a perfect synthesis of what the market is today, where consumers are aware of sustainability but attentive to design. On the company side, we must look at the meeting points between communities, culture and our vision of design and aesthetics, always maintaining the strong commitment to sustainability that has distinguished us for many years”.

Napapijri sustainable
Alan Cappelli Goetz wears Napapijri x Moreno Ferrari

Alan Cappelli Goetz was called on to interpret this capsule collection, as an actor who’s always attentive to green issues and responsible fashion. He is featured in an editorial set along the naviglio della Martesana, a crossroads between nature and urban culture, a place that has been redeveloped today and full of surprising stories.

Napapijri eco collection
Alan Cappelli Goetz wears Napapijri x Moreno Ferrari

In the opening image, Alan Cappelli Goetz wears Napapijri x Moreno Ferrari

“ETHICS MEET AESTHETICS” Gilberto Calzolari’s high-end sustainability meets Volvo’s full electric.

Gilberto Calzolari is a conscious visionary. We already loved him on the occasion of his deserved recognition at the Green Carpet Fashion Award 2018, when the model and influencer Federica Del Sale wore one of his dresses made of jute from Brazil, which had been found on the Navigli in Milan. After having carried kilos of coffee and being used as a barrier to prevent the flood of the canals, that jute became a recycled material covered with Swarovski crystals without lead, and it was given a new life. Since this achievement, the career of this designer, who made the rehabilitation of materials and the preservation of the planet into a real mission, has spread like wildfire. 

It was an idea and an effort that allowed him to the top of an eco-friendly production system, something that few people have been able to do. In his work, the style does not lose out; rather, it echoes surprising results in research. His sustainable denim and the EVO nylon (taken from castor oil seeds) are allies of an aesthetic revolution, made of embroideries and precious couture details, obtained from recycled bottles or plastic collected from the sea. 


Looking ahead, a few days ago, he also created a show for Volvo, presented at an event featuring upcycling elements from the world of automotive. 

At Volvo Studio Milano, the venue for the launch of the new Volvo C40 Recharge, a full electric, the combination of fashion and motors is consolidated on a universe of shared values, aimed at creating a sophisticated and sustainable design. The futuristic look of the collection reflects the use of technologically advanced materials and elements such as airbags destined to be thrown away to create the tunic dress and the pencil skirt. Real safety belts turned into cutting-edge accessories for the waist, the embroidered polyester Seaqual top obtained from the recycling of plastic collected from the sea, the asymmetric dress with geometrical patterns made of polyester Newlife™ 100% made in Italy, the ivory skirt with plissè panels made of cupro Bemberg™ certified GRS and the jacket made of Eco-Kosmos cotton canvas with accelerated biodegradation. 


Gilberto Calzolari constantly refers to the old classical values: “Ethics and aesthetics have always been at the center of my philosophy: with my creations, I want to prove that creativity and luxury can – and have to go hand in hand with respect for our planet. For this reason, the partnership with Volvo seems the right frame to celebrate a contemporary, value-based, and aesthetic world, which resumes the most important teachings from the classical world: “kalos kai agathos”, the union between good and beautiful. 

“Today Sustainability is a necessity and a business opportunity, not a check box on a bucket list. And it shows that following an ethical approach does not mean limiting your own ability of aesthetic expression, instead, it frees up creativity and enhances innovation, both for shapes and materials” claimed the President of Volvo Car ItaliaMichele Crisci

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Sustainable Fashion Production

The materials that are changing the rules of the game

The fashion industry is famous for being innovative, thriving, a real avant-garde. Unfortunately it is also well known that the global fashion system is one of the main polluters in terms of exploitation of natural resources. During the last few years, following the massive changes affecting our environment, the concept of sustainability has adapted to common consciousness: from being a necessity to being considered as an opportunity. This is probably what put the spotlight on a few fashion players who distinguished themselves in the global scenario thanks to their innovative concepts, supply chains and, last but not least, materials. 

Do we know what we wear? Sustainability and respect towards the environment we live in starts from basics, the yarn. The fabrics and, more in general, materials represent a point many companies decided to stress in order to raise consumers’ awareness in this era. Yes sir, organic cotton is old-fashioned and many new alternatives are being increasingly used in clothes manufacture.

MILK

For example for those of you who are lactose-intolerant and look down at milk why don’t you just… wear it? Milk fabric is one of the main still-niche products that are changing the future fashion forecast. Even though it may sound unexpected and completely innovative, the milk fabric production dates back to the 30s, when its manufacture involved heavy chemical processes. A few companies picked this idea up and changed the rules of the game turning this fabric into a 100% natural product avoiding any use of chemicals. An example is the Italian brand Duedilatte that made milk fabric its trademark. In an interview with TRT World the founder Antonella Bellina explained how the production works: milk is heated until it reaches 50°C and then citric acid is added to separate whey from casein, the protein this fabric is entirely made of. Casein is collected and turned into powder before being reprocessed and transformed into a very thin yarn. The fabric obtained from this production is completely natural and organic as no chemicals are involved. The milk fabric has furthermore special features: it is antibacterial, hypoallergenic and moisturizing. Even the colorings used to dye clothes are completely natural and obtained by the pigments of fruits and vegetables. Isn’t this enough to make you choose milk fabric? Let’s consider water consumption. In order to produce 1kg of milk fabric Duedilatte needs only 1 liter of water whereas cotton needs slightly more to obtain the same quantity. 

Duedilatte is not the only company that took advantage of milk in the fashion industry. Another player is the German brand QMilk that was founded by Anke Domaske. She is a microbiologist and fashion designer who tested the milk-fabric production for many years before finding the perfect recipe. The entire process requires only wasted milk that is then turned into fashionable, soft and thermo-regulating garments. 


Duedilatte

ORANGE SILK

Of course cotton represents a problem talking about sustainability because of its water footprint, one of the highest in the sector, but it is not the only bad guy in fashion. What about silk? Only a few people know the process necessary to get the soft and prestigious silk. Not many ingredients are needed: silkworms and hot water. After the small animals have produced their silky cocoon they are thrown into hot water to start the manufacture of the fabric. This means that unfortunately the life of the small silk-warms ends when the production begins. An alternative to this may be Peace Silk. With this term we mean organic silk that begins its production process right after the warms, turned into butterflies, leave the cocoon. This alternative is not widely used as the yarn appears not to be strong enough. So what needs to be done to produce sustainable vegan silk? The Italian brand Orange Fiber came up with an innovative silk made from oranges. Yes, orange silk. Starting from the parts of orange left after the industrial squeezing they collect the material and extract the cellulose from it. This process is key in order to obtain a polymer from which the yarn will be created. The fabric obtained from oranges is extremely light and soft, a great vegan alternative to the common harmful silk. 

Ferragamo Orange Fiber Collection
Ferragamo Orange Fiber Collection
Ferragamo Orange Fiber Collection
H&M x Orange Fiber
H&M x Orange Fiber

CORN, LOTUS, BAMBOO

Moving out of Europe another fashion player worth to be mentioned is the Delhi-based Indian brand Dhuri. The founder Madhurima Singh has always been particularly interested both in fashion and in the environment: this is why she decided to launch her sustainable fashion label which displays a wide choice of clothes and materials ranging from milk to corn, lotus and many more. The concept laying behind her business idea is the one of slow fashion combined with sustainable fashion production and organic 100% natural fabrics. In an interview with Down To Earth Mrs Singh shows and explains the different fabrics. The unconventional materials include those made from milk, eucalyptus (temperature-regulating fabric), corn (antibacterial, anti UV and great against bad smell and sweat), bamboo (antibacterial and light), lotus (very breathable, good for skin) and banana (very resistant with great absorption).

PIÑATEX

Talking about sustainable and ethical fashion production leather represents a real challenge nowadays as in the past. Dr Carmen Hijosa, Spain, came up with an innovative vegan natural material which is able to replace leather completely and that is being used by many brands worldwide such as Grey Whale, Svala and Hugo Boss. I am talking about the famous Piñatex. For those of you who never heard about it, Piñatex is a state-of-the-art material derived from pineapple, in particular from pineapple leaves, with interesting properties. Thanks to its lightness combined with strength it is ideal for shoe, bag and even furnishing manufacture. What’s more? It is also 100% compostable. 


Hugo Boss Piñatex

PLASTIC & FISHING NETS

Are you feeling upset as none of the above-mentioned brands is one of the most known worldwide? You shouldn’t be as also the biggest names in fashion are increasingly coming up with astonishing innovations. An example to this can be considered Adidas x Parley, the collaboration between the well-known sportswear brand Adidas and Parley Ocean Plastic that was launched in order to raise awareness and step forward in the field of sustainable fashion production. But what is it about? This partnership produces sportswear and shoes made from plastic and fishing nets: plastic trash and fishing nets are collected from the ocean and then sent to Parley, where they are processed in order to obtain the polyester thread necessary for the manufacture of the garments. This can be considered a great move towards a more aware and sustainable purchasing behavior, that should be influenced not by the quantity but by the quality and the added value of the product. 

The statement “from threat into thread” of the Adidas x Parley collection is probably the best heading for the hard work fashion labels are doing today, in order to fight the old-fashioned pollution, exploitation and waste.


Adidas x Parley

Credits photo:
http://orangefiber.it
https://www.vanityfair.it/fashion/news-fashion/2017/04/19/salvatore-ferragamo-orange-fiber
http://orangefiber.it/hm-sceglie-il-tessuto-dalle-arance-per-la-conscious-exclusive/

Nike Launches New Features To Spotlight Its Products’ Sustainability

In celebration of World Earth Day’s 50th anniversary, sportswear household Nike launched a new feature to help consumers to identify its sustainable designs. Aside from adding a new ta on its website under “Shop Sustainable Materials” that applies a direct filter, Nike will now also display its Sunburst badge on both its product walls in-store and on product display pages online, meaning that a product is made from at least 50 percent sustainable materials. From items meeting this threshold, here will be a new feature called “How This Was Made,” giving customers more insight into where things were sourced and how the product was produced. 

“Earth Day, long credited with launching the modern environmental movement, is more than an annual observance for Nike,” the brand writes. “It is fuel to continue building on decades of advancing sustainability and setting bold goals for the future. From creating innovative ways to recycle shoes nearly 30 years ago to recent measures that address climate change, Nike has long been committed to helping protect the planet to create a better future for sport. After all, there is no finish line.”

Head over to Nike’s website to get in the know with more information.