Green made in Italy

Following a report on the Dubai Expo 2021, my attention was focused on the eco-friendly materials used in the construction of the Italy pavilion, including orange peels and coffee grounds for the floors and walkways. These ecological choices based on recycling processes reminded me of the green project of the Italian fashion house Ferragamo Ferragamo Orange Fiber Collection, a small collection made with the exclusive Orange Fiber fabric, a new fiber with a similar appearance and touch. silk, made with citrus waste.

An all-Italian patent, which started in Sicily, developed in Milan and has now become an international protocol. Adriana Santanocito and Enrica Arena have the merit of having believed in their dreams: to create an innovative fabric from what remains following the pressing of oranges, to reduce waste and work within a circular economy.

The Ferragamo maison is not new to this openness in the choice of materials; it was its founder Salvatore Ferragamo (photo), in the mid-1930s, who was the first to use cork, raffia, knits and various leather substitutes to make the soles, wedges and inserts of his iconic shoes. These were the dark times of fascism, the crisis of raw materials and the obligation of an autarchic economy (ie the exclusive use of materials produced in Italy, such as the cork of our Sardinia).

Today the engine that drives us to create and innovate is respect for the environment, the attempt to stem the scourge of pollution and global warming. There is still a lot to do, especially following the somewhat disappointing results of the recent COP26 in Glasgow, but the hope is strong that these ecological choices in the fashion and design sector, told worldwide, can contribute to a necessary turnaround.

The next appointment with the universal exhibition will be in Osaka in 2025 and we hope for an edition dedicated to the health of Gaia.

Elisa D'Adamo
NP February 2022