The Italian Embassy in Pretoria is pleased to announce the fourth edition of the initiative “Fashion Bridges – I Ponti della Moda” realized in collaboration with Polimoda, Camera Nazionale della Moda Italiana (CNMI) and South African Fashion Week (SAFW). Since 2021, the project aims at structuring an innovative partnership between the Italian and South African fashion sectors, fostering commercial and creative connections. This year, Fashion Bridges also highlights the celebration in South Africa of the first edition of the National Day of Made in Italy a new initiative by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation to promote the excellence of Italian creativity and manufacturing, and underline the strength of Italian exports worldwide.
The Italian designer selected by Camera Nazionale della Moda Italiana and Polimoda to participate in Fashion Bridges 2024 is ANDREĀDAMO, who will present his spring-summer collection at two fashion shows: on 19 April 2024 at South African Fashion Week at Mall of Africa in Johannesburg, and in Cape Town on 24 April 2024, in a special event at the Residence of the Ambassador of Italy. In Johannesburg, the fashion show of the Italian designer will be combined with VIVIERS’, by the South African designer Lezanne Viviers, who in past edition undertook the training programme by Polimoda. In Cape Town, the Italian designer and Michael Ludwig will showcase together.
During his time in South Africa, Andrea Adamo will have the opportunity to meet local buyers, designers and representatives of the fashion sector.
A core element of the Fashion Bridges project is the mentorship programme in collaboration with Polimoda and Camera Nazionale della Moda Italiana, that every year gives the chance to an emerging South African designer to improve his/her designing skills, entrepreneurial capacities and brand promotion, with the end goal to succeed on the international market. The designer chosen this year is Sipho Mbuto, who had participated in the first edition of “Fashion Bridges – I ponti della moda” in 2021, and will take part in the online training programme this summer to create a collection with the support of fashion design and marketing experts.
For the gallery keep updated on https://fashion.embassyofitaly.co.za/
