There’s a word that often gets left out of fashion storytelling: vulnerability.

And yet, it’s precisely there that the most important choices come from. For brands, but also for people.

Being vulnerable doesn’t mean being fragile. It means exposing yourself with clarity, acknowledging what doesn’t work, accepting that not everything can be done as you’d like. It’s a form of honesty. It’s a less visible, yet profoundly human, place. It’s where you no longer seek perfection and instead begin to see things for what they are.

In the fashion system, this is even more difficult.
Because the dominant narrative demands absolute coherence, strong identities, clear positioning.
It demands success and stories of perfection.

However, building a truly responsible brand is, by its very nature, the opposite: it’s a process of constant adjustments, imperfect decisions, and inevitable compromises.

In the new episode of the Pop-Up Green podcast, we step into the Eyelet Milano showroom for a conversation that focuses on precisely this: what happens when a brand decides not to hide its limitations, but to make them part of its journey. Simona Luparello and Alessia Boselini, brand managers, discuss how to address limitations and compromises, where to start to build a more sustainable brand, and which mistakes to avoid.

What you will discover in the interview

In this episode, we touched on some of the most relevant topics for those working in or interested in sustainable fashion:

• Where did the choice to create an ethical brand come from (3:06)
What does Eyelet do and what is its distinctive feature?
The moment the choice to not create “normal fashion” was born
Ideology, necessity, or strategy?
The first question to ask yourself before starting

• Limits and compromises (16:15)
The first compromise accepted
The most difficult one on a personal level
Sustainability vs. survival: the strongest doubt
What is still not sustainable today
Declaring limits or hiding them
The brand’s greatest vulnerabilities

• The choices that define an identity (32:56)
The decision worth being proud of
The aspects of the brand that customers are most satisfied with
What is recognized and appreciated by customers

• For those who want to start a more responsible brand (42:25)
What NOT to do at the beginning
Where to really start
How to face limits and compromises without losing your identity
Three mistakes to avoid

True innovation, in this sector, is not declaring yourself sustainable. It’s knowing how to recognize—and talk about—even what isn’t yet.
If you work in fashion, if you’re building your own project, or if you really want to understand what’s behind a more responsible brand, listen to the full interview.

Photos: Courtesy of Eyelet Milano

This annual event is not only a celebration of creativity but also a powerful ecological message: nothing is thrown away, nothing is wasted.

Every year, Frasso Sabino welcomes us with a setting carefully decorated with reused scrap materials by the Pro Loco Frasso, helped by friends and volunteers. This year, the wind-swept fabric scraps, a textile monument reminiscent of the “Venus of the Rags,” mannequin chandeliers, and wardrobes serving as doors strongly emphasize the theme of sustainable fashion.

In the picturesque setting of the medieval village, the audience admired unique creations that demonstrate how what we consider waste can be transformed into runway fashion.

The initiative kicked off with an upcycling and creative reuse workshop we organized together with artisan and seamstress Irina Mariana Andronic. Participants witnessed the transformation of forgotten garments into runway outfits, all in the name of sustainability.

Following this, the talk “Upcycling, Reuse, and Quality” enlivened one of Frasso Sabino’s squares, decorated with recycled materials for the occasion. Among the guests, Erasmo Fiorentino, official stylist of Miss Universe, Sara Piccinini Leopardi of Resrcle, and Silvia Filippi of Accademia di Ecologia ed Arte Riarteco APS, discussed with us the importance of a sustainable approach in the fashion world.

After an outdoor dinner celebrating local cuisine, the fashion show came to life, hosted by the veteran presenter Viviana Rapisarda, showcasing extraordinary creations to the public. This year, we were on the jury again, tasked with the difficult job of evaluating increasingly elaborate and innovative outfits.

The first prize went to “Allegria” by Valeria Zingaretti, a dress made from fabric samples collected since 2016. The second place was awarded to “CD…spiace” by Alessandra De Angelis, Simonetta Ruggeri, and Nadia Pellacci Puglielli, created from old CDs, curing sacks for salami, and tights. The third prize was given to “Lorelei” by Alejandra Deaza Silva, crafted from a children’s inflatable pool.

Other standout creations included the dress by Graziella Cestari and Eugenia Benedetti, made from grandchildren’s toys, and the one by Francesca Niata, created from an umbrella. Rossella Calbi and Antonella Ragno impressed with a dress made of cutlery, placemats, tea wrappers, and plastic bags, while Donata Claps presented “R..esistere,” symbolizing water, life, and resilience. Silena D’Angeli from the Angelita Anti-Violence Center in Rieti proposed a dress made of book pages and newspaper, conveying a message of women’s rebirth. Maria Grazia La Terza surprised with a dress made from Easter egg wrappers, disposable tablecloths, and dental placemats, showing how unusual materials can become fashion. Finally, Tiziano Cioccolini presented “Black Swan,” a sensual dress created from X-ray plates from the 1980s.

We decided to gift two strategic consultancy sessions to the artists chosen by the public vote to guide them in realizing their projects. The prize was won by the dress “CD…spiace,” which captured the audience’s hearts with its sparkling combination of old CDs.

Frasso Sabino, with its cobbled streets and timeless atmosphere, proved to be the perfect stage for this event. The village, known for its beauty and the hospitality of its inhabitants, successfully highlighted the initiative, attracting visitors and fashion enthusiasts. Each year, we participate with enthusiasm in this initiative, which not only raises awareness about reuse, recycling, and upcycling of various materials but also enhances the charm of Frasso Sabino. An event that demonstrates how fashion can be creative and respectful of the environment.

Photos: cover picture, Giorgia Arosio @arsgiox ; Dress ECOde

In the panorama of companies taking initiatives in sustainable fashion, Miu Miu presented in a limited edition its fourth Upcycled collection for 2024. The Upcycled project, launched in 2020, focuses on vintage clothing to add more value to.

The collection includes Denim, a range of essential jeans garments, characterized by floral embroidery inspired by the haute couture of the 1950s already introduced in the Spring Summer 2022 fashion show. Upcycled wants to establish a connection between past and present by celebrating the stories of those who wore garments, bags or accessories. The new collection features pre-2000 jeans sourced from global denim specialists, with a meticulous hand process to maximize fabric reuse. For the first time in the Upcycled project there are also bags, in particular the Patches made with leather scraps from Miu Miu models of the past.

To commit to transparency, the brand partners with Aura Blockchain Consortium, providing blockchain verification for every item in the collection to ensure authenticity and traceability. Bringing the smartphone close to the NFC tag on the Upcycled product, you can access specific information, exclusive content and the Certificate of Authenticity.

The brand, known for its iconic glasses and richly embellished bags, launched its first Upcycled collection in 2020. It included a capsule of 80 unique items, constructed from non-designer garments spanning the 1930s – 1980s period and selected in boutiques vintage in the world.

What we like:

• the recovery of materials to give greater value (we talked about upcycling here too)
• the connection between past and present
• the message of a positive attitude towards the culture of recovery. The brand, more experimental than the main Prada brand and aimed at young people in contemporary society, can convey the theme of vintage and prolonging the life of what we wear through Upcycled products
• care for durability. The denim creations have been deconstructed and reshaped through a process to preserve the fabric as much as possible
• the precise indication of the composition, including the presence of tissues of animal origin

What can be improved:

• giving indications on the aging and fading process of denim, to evaluate its sustainability
• explaining sustainability and finding alternative materials to silk, beads and crystals or use recycled ones. The floral embroideries that enrich the denim are in fact hand-sewn with silk chiffon petals, faceted beads and black crystals
• the leather details and the label material (leather). Each piece is finished with a leather label featuring the Miu Miu Upcycled logo and an internal white canvas tag. If the label and details also come from scraps, why not indicate this clearly?
• the accessibility of some pieces so as to bring young people even closer together. Loved over time by Millenials, Miu Miu speaks to Gen Z with the Upcycled project

What do you think?

This year, to celebrate ten years of the event, a novelty. Four thematic lounges dedicated to aspects of sustainability, attended by experts and professionals on the subject: the yellow lounge on energy, the green lounge on the circular economy, the blue lounge on tourism and the red lounge, in which I took part, on sustainable fashion.

 Thanks to Simona Maresca and Serena Benedetti for the invitation and the work they do every year to make the event more and more interesting and engaging.

1 Ajutami by Alessandra De Angelis and Simonetta Ruggieri

Disused jute bags, cardboard scraps and pasta cups consumed during the making of the dress, fresh flowers created with egg cartons passed from generation to generation.

2 Vestito di carta – Rinascita del riciclo by Nina Syc

Vecchi giornali, volantini promozionali, carta crespa, pizzo di carta bianca, fogli piegati, tubi dei giornali arrotolati, giornali, la carta e pezzi di stoffa ‘second hand’, scatola del tè.

3 Vestito Filosofico by Valeria Zingaretti

The idea stems from the desire to recycle the “Philosophical Calendar”, a dress of aphorisms and philosophical thoughts created from the hundreds (about 800) of calendar pages of past years, glued together with water and vinyl glue, and placed on a support of white TNT.

4 Note di gioventù by Nadia Assogna

5 Restitutio correntis by Elena Grippo and Nikola Koruga

6 Buona la prima by Vive e cattive show

7 Stella maris by Sara Russo

8 Tienimi per mano by Compagnia bella 

9 WABI SABI by Silena D’Angeli (Centro Antiviolenza Angelita)

10 Spicchi di LUNA by Eugenia Benedetti and Graziella Cestari

11 Tempo by Donata Claps and Vita Masi

The clothes awarded by the jury

 

 

The ideas and creativity of all the artists have impressed, the messages transmitted through the clothes are more current and heartfelt than ever, and we hope they will continue to spread them by bringing more and more people together thanks to the beauty and lightness of the clothes. Well done! The appointment with designers and creatives is for next year.

You can watch the video of the fashion show here:

Photos: cover by Utopia Aps; where not indicated, photos have been made by Dress ECOde©

A shop window in the streets of Pienza catches my eye. It is the laboratory of Raffaella Zurlo, Ricreare Lab Shop, which recovers and transforms materials destined to be thrown away. Upcycling for Raffaella means looking at potential waste from another point of view. We chat with her about her creations and the world of creative recycling.

Not only that: she also tells us how she managed to create an Instagram profile that intrigues and pleasantly entertains on three different themes, in common they have the offer of artistically produced objects with less impact on the environment. In addition, she also reveals to us what it is like to deal with upcycling in this Tuscan country, entering the territory.

In the podcast episode you will discover:

• 01:11 – The incredible meeting with Raffaella!
• 03:40 – What Raffaella does (and what does upcycling mean, which is not recycling)
• 05:38 – Metals: what do they have to do with it?
• 06:44 – Respect for patina
• 07:00 – The emotion talking about Piero Angela
• 10:35 – Waldorf dolls: how they come from Raffaella’s hands and recovered materials
• 12:10 – Do you know what ‘scardacci’ are?
• 14:45 – The most beautiful things recovered by Raffaella
• 6:22 pm – When Jude Law sat here!

Tips for brands:

• 20:30 – What is it like to carry out upcycling projects in Pienza
• 23:33 – The pandemic: how Raffaella reacted
• 11:43 pm – How do you get to build a beautiful Instagram profile
• 26:07 – Relying on a professional
• 27:55 – How much time Raffaella dedicates to social media
• 29:28 – Advice for those who want to start upcycling
• 31.37 – Let’s talk about money
• 33:04 – On Clubhouse with Bottega di Cartone

Raffaella also recovers garments for children and adults.

Do you want to know more about upcycling and get to know other brands? You can download our free guide here> Upcycling: da rifiuto a tesoro

With the upcycling of the most diverse materials, the ecological dresses walk the catwalk in Frasso Sabino (province of Rieti). An unmissable appointment. Every year the creativity of recycling designers shows how it is possible to look at what we would otherwise throw away as waste with different eyes.

The clothes parade through the streets of the small village under a clear sky, among the tables arranged for the occasion. In the jury, we observe them one by one to evaluate the complexity of the realization, the recycling of materials, the originality, the creative commitment. In the meantime, a special dinner cooked in a pot and without meat is served.

Thanks to Serena, Simona, the artists, the Frasso Sabino pro loco for their commitment to creating an important initiative to raise awareness on issues that are important to us, such as those of waste and more sustainable fashion.

13 are the dresses competing this year. We describe them one by one: they will amaze you for the often unusual materials for the creation of a runway dress!

Which would you have chosen? What do you think is the most ecological?

First place: Patria (Donata Claps)

It is a reproduction of the Ukrainian national costume created by the artist as an anti-war cry. Would you ever guess what it was made of? Patria is a dress that stands out as such, has no trace of waste, makes you forget about recycling and brings back to fashion.

Made with: disposable surgical masks, hospital gauze, plastic plates and bottles, garbage bags, plastic hay bale twine, umbrella cover, ears of corn.

Second place: Flapping of wings (Joy Fumi Akinseye, Sundus Saeed, Valentina Ferrari from Sartoria Sociale KORE)

Created by three designers and pattern makers from three different countries (Nigeria, Pakistan and Italy), the dress wants to convey at the same time the lightness of a butterfly’s flight and the threat of its extinction, with the hope that nature will regenerate itself.

Made with: garbage bags, kitchen filters, bubble wrap, plastic construction site net, clear plastic, dusting duvet, Coca-Cola bottles, electric cables.

Third Place: Opposites Attract (Vive e cattive Show)

Quattro colleghe hanno voluto riutilizzare i rifiuti prodotti durante il lavoro per creare un abito che richiamasse proprio la loro attività. “Il positivo e il negativo, il pieno e il vuoto che si completano alla perfezione, bianco e nero che rappresenta lo yin e lo yang, le forze opposte da cui tutto si origina”, così descrivono il vestito.

Realizzato con: film in resina di colore nero, scarto di stampa termica, impianto in pellicola litografica, polietilene espanso residuato da operazioni di imballaggio e confezionamento, carte di protezione lastre per stampa litografica, cartoncino di scarto derivato dalla fustellatura di scatole.

Four colleagues wanted to reuse the waste produced during work to create a dress that recalled their professional activity. “The positive and the negative, the fullness and the emptiness that complement each other perfectly, black and white representing yin and yang, the opposing forces from which everything originates”, so describe the dress.

Made with: black resin film, thermal printing waste, lithographic film plant, expanded polyethylene residual from packing and packaging operations, protection papers for lithographic printing plates, waste cardboard derived from the punching of boxes.

Short circuit (Simona Toma)

Inspired by the artist’s experience, who says of himself: “Being in short circuit requires the strength to dismantle, reshuffle and relaunch the self”.

Made with: corks, mosquito net, plastic straws, iron hanger.

Flames and weaving (School of arts and crafts Nicola Zabaglia – Monica Cosimi, teacher; Cristiana Pompei, teacher; Maftuna Halimova and Angelina Saura, students)

Students and teachers created a sculpture dress that recalled the flames of incinerators. The waste becomes a whole of intertwining in the fusion.

Made with: strips of photographic paper scraps, ribbons, nylon canvas scraps, plastic sticks, bottle caps, coffee capsules.

Tree (Valeria Zingaretti)

As the musical dress passes, the sounds of nature are heard. They come from the swaying of harmoniously inserted sticks to dress us with what nature itself offers.

Made with: waste woods collected on the beach, beige organza.

Controversial (Erika Petrozzi)

Created with medical waste, the artist wishes to make us reflect on the hope of life and rebirth, after a long period of suffering.

Made with: masks, drug capsules, fishing line.

Green hope (Andreina and Eleonora Amodeo)

Soft and wide, the dress is an invitation to build a future without waste with hope and common sense.

Made with: construction site cloth, masks and masks holders, coffee capsules.

CambiaMenti (Associazione Carta Bianca)*

The only men’s suit in the competition was created with the intention of making people reflect on the changes that man is bringing to the ecosystem, to modify mentality.

Made with: paper, mosquito nets, metal structure of disused umbrellas.

*wordplay: it literally means ‘changes’ but in Italian sound like ‘change minds’

Rain of colours (Nadia Assogna)

1,710 discs cut one by one from thrown umbrellas to create 95 pom poms, hand-sewn to form flower petals on the bodice and skirt. Care and patience for a stunning result. “I would like no one to abandon broken umbrellas and any kind of waste on the street”, explains Nadia. “Do not leave waste on the street! It costs you nothing but the world gains in health”.

Made with: umbrellas of various colors and sizes now unusable collected over the years with the collaboration of friends and relatives, an old bra, wire frame, plastic and metal hoods.

The rebirth (Centro Antiviolenza Angelita from Rieti)

With this dress, the artists send a clear and strong message: “We must free the planet from the suffocation of plastic as well as every woman from all forms of violence”.

Made with: garbage bags, plastic bottles, cans, straws.

Relax (Laura Toma)

Laura was inspired by the film “Freakout” with its story full of magic, extraordinary and hateful characters, but with a great desire to improve the world and make others feel good. A meticulous interweaving of commonly used wraps and other scraps: you wouldn’t say it’s made with Easter egg cards!

Made with: Easter egg and snack wrapping, cushion lining, flower bouquet net, beer and plastic bottle caps, plastic bottles, rubber bands.

My footprint (Simona Malerba)

The intent of the dress is to lead us to reflect on the ecological footprint that each of us leaves on the planet through our choices. What we eat, the way we dress, our behaviors. Everything leaves an indelible mark.

Made with: scraps of bath sponge, bubble wrap and packaging scraps, plastic hooks made from shower curtains, toilet paper rolls, paper clips, a bunch of wheat and an olive leaf.

Here we wrote about the previous editions: find out the dresses of the past fashion shows!

Photos by: Gregorio Maria Mattei, Dress ECOde, Francesco Franceschi, Sara Gentili. Video by Dress ECOde.

• Belli capelli con l’upcycling (“Nice hair with the upcycle”)

Workshop for adults to make hair accessories, turbans, headbands and scrunches by recovering waste fabrics.

• Immagina e crea il tuo eco-animaletto (“Imagine and create your little eco-animal”)

Workshop for children (6-10 years) to create animals with recycled fabrics.

Silhouettes, pins, needles, pencils, chalks, spools, scissors, fabrics… the long table set up for the occasion was full of materials, and of hands industriously working to make their own accessory. Many people have tried their hand at recovering a fabric, drawing, cutting and sewing. Even those who did not know how to use needle and thread. There are those who have chosen to create a turban, some a headband, some scrunches. And also those who joined the children in choosing an eco-pet! The idea was to separate the two workshops, but in the end young and less young  joined the table, and in the midst of that creative chaos for a moment I thought: “Will we be able to follow everyone well? But, above all, will they be having fun?”.

While Carlotta coordinated experienced and inexperienced eco-fashion designers of turbans, headbands and scrunches, I let myself be carried away by the enthusiasm of those who created eco-animals. Samu, 3 and a half years old, chose a dinosaur, absolutely green: because that’s how he saw it at the museum! When you choose upcycling, you know, the materials are those available: it is the design that follows the raw material, not the other way around. Search and search  again we found a military green fabric perfect for the dinosaur!

The best part of these workshops is the final satisfaction of the participants, the joy of having created with their own hands, of not having bought, of having saved a possible refusal.

The extra happiness for us was being together live: Anne-Laure and I finally in person! And meeting Carlotta, Mayra Sallie and Grazia, , directly from the Club Sostenibilità on clubhouse. Chiara from Gipsy cip also came to give us a hand!

At the end of the workshop, the garments di Cooperativa Sociale Mani Tese, Sartoria Sociale Manigolde and Oso, because “Another fashion is possible”!
The event was born from a collaboration between: Cooperativa ManiTese Onlus Manigolde Giardini in Transito – Giardino Comunitario Lea Garofalo Carlotta Redaelli Dress ECOdeLato B – l’altro lato di Milano Corte delle Madri NaturaSì

Sfilata Frasso is an eco-fashion event, created to raise awareness in the local community on the theme of separate waste collection. Creative designers participate by proposing clothes made by recovering materials to be thrown away. Not just a more sustainable fashion show, but in the squares and streets of the town the local community creates a green work of art every time with reused materials. This year colored plastic fragments, recovered in the previous months also from neighboring municipalities happy to contribute, have embellished the village.

When Serena Benedetti and Simona Maresca, communication managers of the event, invited me, I accepted immediately. “The clothes will be, as per regulation, made exclusively with waste materials, ready more than ever to launch the message #NonSonoDaButtare! – Serena and Simona say – The pandemic has raised more than ever the issue of the difficulty of waste disposal. (Also) our handling of disposable materials has changed”.

On July 31st I took part as a juror in the best of edition of the show we love so much, with the nine artists of the recovery of first classified materials of the last seven editions competing. With me, four other jurors shared the rather difficult task of choosing this year’s winners, in the setting of a village full of charm. During the show, we enjoyed a delicious dinner with a menu created specifically for the occasion, made in a cooking pot, with the utmost attention to sustainability.

Conducted by Viviana Rapisarda, the evening was pleasantly full of clothes, interspersed with performances by the Terni jazz Orchestra. The town was laid out in cheerful and curious tables. Between courses we voted on clothes. It was not easy: the creativity and commitment of the participants in recovering the materials is remarkable. You can see here a short video that I created as a souvenir.

I show you all the clothes: creating clothes and at the same time reducing the ecological footprint is possible!

Entangled in the Net, by Eugenia Benedetti and Graziella Cestari. First place

Made with plastic bottles, mosquito nets, car sunshades, ribbons and old rhinestones. “The dress is intended to be a hymn of protest against the pollution of the seas due to micro-plastics – explain Eugenia and Graziella – It is an invitation to take care of the treasures that nature offers us”. For years, the artists have shared with SfilataFrasso the message of respect and care for the environment, and attention to proper waste disposal.

Worn by Giada Franceschi.

Pss!, by Gregorio Maria Mattei. Second place

Made with PVC inflatables with holes, assembled through real hand and machine stitching and heat melting points. An ironic and fun dress that recalls summer, the joy of living, smiles, but hides a very important message: the desire to return to a society “inflated” with positive values. Doesn’t it make you happy just looking at it?

Worn by Francesca Fortuna.

Crystal Bride, by Erica Petrozzi. Third place

Made with syringe caps, paper and plastic of tubes for drip, antibiotic vial caps, and decorated with recycled pearls and crystals, sewn with fishing line. A lively dress for a sustainable bride consisting of skirt and bustier. “The dress recalls the pain we all learned about during the Covid-19 epidemic,” explains Erica. At the same time, the dress brings back the image of a luminous bride, who comes proudly to the altar, crowning a dream. Erica is a nurse and by telling about her dress together with Silvia, the model, she has transmitted to us the emotions of an experience that she has marked her.

Worn by Silvia De Tommaso.

Sunshine, by Silvia Rossi

Made with surgical masks, plastic wrap from cigarette packs, gold plastic scraps. Silvia involved friends, colleagues, relatives asking not to throw away the masks, collecting about a hundred. Sanitized with water, sewn, woven and finished, they compose a dress inspired by Star Wars, which warms and protects a warrior woman ready to face the challenges of everyday life.

Worn by Beatrice Fiorillo.

A butterfly on flowers, by Vita Masi

Made with nylon mesh bag for seasoning cured meats, plastic sticks, aluminum can tabs, shoe laces, wallpaper, napkin scraps, tubular for electric wires. A romantic dress, with which Vita tells that a flower can be born in the midst of waste, never lose hope.

Worn by Arianna Cicolani.

REbirth, by ASD DMB Danza Movimento Benessere

Made with mesh bags for potatoes, clear plastic scraps, floral packaging, cardboard from the lids of disposable aluminum containers, plastic sticks to support balloons, wire made from crutches. The dress was born from a reflection on the difficult period we are experiencing. It is inspired by the 1980s film MAD MAX, in which a lone warrior is exiled from his city and rescued by a tribe of wild children. The warrior is the woman who in everyday life “fights with the weapons of creativity and passion against the pandemic”. “We have chosen to use a poor material – say the artists – to show that a woman can be chic even dressed with a sack of potatoes, be simple without giving up being beautiful”.

The dress received the Sustainable Passion award from the Legambiente Bassa Sabina Club.

Worn by Lavinia Luglio.

Carpe Diem, by Simona Toma

Made with recycled paper, TNT placemats, metal bottle caps collected by relatives and friends, worn cotton rags, used surgical masks, mismatched shoe laces. “A street style dress, a little rock, a little Madonna in ‘Desperately Seeking Susan’ revisited with today’s eyes – says Simona – The short top is made with old used rags sanitized by the condominium cleaning company from which they were. The macrame technique was chosen and applied for the back of the top. Carpe diem is the sound of laughter between friends who find themselves at the table together after a long time, the tinkling as you uncork the bottle of iced beer on hot days summer, the sweat of work that has never stopped, got lost, we search and search… we dream”.

Worn by Serena Perpignani.

Lines of shadow,  by Nadia Assogna

Made with an old garden net, two-tone shading, PVC from advertising billboards, a rain cover umbrella, bags of dog food. A colorful dress that fully represents recovery. “All waste materials, if not fully exploited, always have a second chance”, explains Nadia. “We must always be ready to look beyond, especially when it comes to preserving the environment and building a bright future together. To infinity and beyond!”.

Worn by Marzia Assogna.

Black and white weaves, by Donata Claps

Made with plastic twine, black garbage bags, TNT tablecloths, silver paper, 2 CDs, plastic bottles. Each braid was assembled and sewn by hand by the artist with the help of his father. Inspired during a lunch in the countryside, on the occasion of the hay harvest, it is embellished with a belt with floral decorations. “Nature knows how to give itself to man without reserve”, says Donata. “We all enjoy the benefits of him. But not all of us respect it. Hence the idea of recovering the twine for hay bales and everything that could be reused after harvesting to give life to a creation with materials that would have been discarded”. From Basilicata to Frasso to remind respect for nature.

Worn by Veronica Sinibaldi.

More info are in the following pages of the event:
SfilataFrasso Facebook
SfilataFrasso Instagram

Photos: Leonardo Priolo

“The clothes will be, as per regulation, made exclusively with trash and waste materials, ready more than ever to send the message: #NonSonoDaButtare! (#NotToBeWasted!). 
The pandemic has raised more than ever the issue of the difficulty of waste disposal. Our handling of disposable materials has changed (also). We have used and are using millions, even billions, of masks and gloves, essential for health, but not without difficulties in terms of disposal”. The official partner of the event is the Circolo Legambiente Bassa Sabina, which will assign the special Sustainable Passion award.

It will be possible to follow the parade on the official social channels of the event. To know more:

–  Facebook page
– Instagram profile

Information to book and participate in the dinner will be available on the website of the Pro Loco di Frasso Sabino in the coming weeks. Places are limited according to current legislation.

Besides the actual shoes ending up in landfills at the end of the life cycle, during the tanning process also the shoe factories produce significant waste:

• dust, scraps and leather clippings polymeric materials and fabrics;
• adhesives and solvents;
• packaging (canned goods) partly dangerous as it is used to contain chemical substances.

Peterson+Stoop’s story, Dutch brand founded by Jarah Stoop and Jelske Peterson, is based exactly on the concept of giving a new life to thrown away shoes. Not only saving them from the landfill but also increasing their value by giving them a new start in the high shoes fashion industry, thanks to the implementation of TPU soles and thanks to a new vegan leather and cork design.

First of all, starting from the beginning of your story, when and where did you two meet?

“We met in art school in Amsterdam, Jarah was in her 3rd years and sat on the newcomers committee, she among others is responsible for letting me into the school”.

How did your project start? What was the initial vision and reason for doing so?

“After art school and after Jarah just graduating from Royal College of Art in London we decided to share a studio, both doing our own thing. We obviously spoke a lot about our work and goals and after doing one assignment together in which we designed and made shoes for Heineken, we decided to join forces as our collaboration felt so natural”.

Where did you take inspiration from?

“We take inspiration from Dutch artisanal shoe making techniques. I worked at a high-end cobbler for 7 years, and I have been highly inspired by that work and I decided to take it with me in the new project with Jarah. I asked myself questions like: Where does a shoe tend to brake? How can we design a shoe that makes it repairable?”.

What are the materials and fabrics you use for the creation of the shoe?

“We only use vegan leather. This is leather that is tanned without the use of chemicals. With the support of the Worth project ((contest giving annual funding the best innovative designs in Europe) and the European Union, we were able to create our own outsoles together with a factory in Spain. They make our leather soles, and soles made from TPU, a fully recyclable material“.

Where do you take your stock to meet your clients’ demand?

“Our second-hand shoes instead mainly come from a sorting centre in Poland. But we also buy from sites like Vinted“.

Where have you gained the most attention and market?

“Since we started in 2018, Japan is definitely the market where we are having the best success for our shoes.  About 80% of our wholesale goes to Tokyo”.

What sustainability principles do you stand by the most? 

“Repair. Jarah and I strongly believe that if something is made in such a way that it is repairable, then it can last you a lifetime, and that makes it sustainable”.

What is the easiest and the hardest part of your job?

“Surely one of the easiest parts of our job, as it is our passion and ideology, is to keep working with resilience. The hardest thing instead, due to the actual world situation and artisanal challenges at large, is to keep working and to keep having work!”.

What is next for the company?

“Grow, we hope. The main issue is that we need to find more sources for our second-hand sneakers so we can grow more rapidly and spread out all over the world in the long run”.

Riccardo Zazzini

Site: https://petersonstoop.com

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