The Embassy of Italy in Pretoria is pleased to announce the third edition of the “Fashion Bridges – I Ponti della Moda” initiative, created in collaboration with Polimoda of Florence, Camera Nazionale della Moda Italiana – Milan (CNMI) and South African Fashion Week (SAFW), and with the support of the Centro di Firenze per la Moda Italiana. The project aims at developing new partnerships between the Italian and South African fashion industries, with particular emphasis on textile machinery, wool, mohair, cotton and leather sectors, and intends to promote young talents through training, internationalization and exposure to the trends and creativity of the two countries. Two designers took part in SAFW in Johannesburg as part of this project on April 21, at the presence of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of South Africa Naledi Pandor: Federico Cina from Italy and Lezanne Viviers from South Africa.
The Director Massimiliano Giornetti and Professor Filippo Fanini of Polimoda, and the International Relations & Buyers Projects Manager of CNMI Paola Ciolina attended the SAFW travelling from Italy.
FEDERICO CINA presented his autumn-winter collection “APPARTAMENTO”, inspired by his roots from the Emilia-Romagna region and the Italian artisan tradition. “The “Appartamento” FW23/24 collection was an opportunity to reflect on myself and open up even more to my audience. Telling about what home means to me and the importance it played in my childhood, recalled old memories: the grandparents’ bedroom, the pillows from the living room, the rickety chairs from the kitchen, the overlapping blankets, and the colour palette, reflecting the warmth of those spaces that envelops you and makes you feel safe. As a young designer, my goal is always to be able to communicate something through my art. With “Appartamento” I wanted to make people understand how home is not exclusively a physical space, more often than we think it is a place of the mind that creates unconscious associations each of us interprets differently”.
Lezanne Viviers presented the “KARROO Land of Thirst” collection, inspired by the various landscapes of the Karoo, a semi-desert region of South Africa, made with natural fabrics and local artisanal productions, and curated with the mentoring of Director Giornetti and POLIMODA teachers. The two stylists will then showcase at the Residence of the Italian Ambassador in Cape Town on April 26th.
The commercial and training aspects are an integral part of the initiative. The “Fashion Bridges Showroom” event was therefore held in Johannesburg on Sunday 23 April, in collaboration with SAFW, with the participation of the main stakeholders in the fashion sector in South Africa: designers, artisans, buyers, schools and the press. There were speeches by Ambassador Paolo Cuculi, the Director Massimiliano Giornetti, the President of CNMI, Carlo Capasa, in video, Dr. Paola Ciolina, the designers Federico Cina and Lezanne Viviers. The guests had have the opportunity to share experiences and make new contacts between Italian and South African excellence in the sector.
Later on, Federico Cina will meet fashion economic operators in Cape Town as well.
Polimoda and CNMI representatives and FEDERICO CINA’s team will also visit the Stadio Fashion School and the Faculty of Art, Design and Architecture of the University of Johannesburg. These will represent interesting moments of discussion and learning for aspiring South African stylist students with professionals of Italian fashion sector, whose prestige is known worldwide.
for more information and media https://fashion.embassyofitaly.co.za/
