During Haute Couture Week in Paris, Livia Firth and Carlo Capasa were joined by a board of fashion industry influencers at a judging day to select the five finalists in The CNMI Green Carpet Talent Competition, part of The Green Carpet Fashion Awards, Italia.
Photo – Nathalie Malric (c)
This event marks the beginning of the world-first celebration, culminating on 24th September at La Scala during Milan Fashion Week, as the world of fashion comes together to celebrate the unique artisanship, heritage and sustainable values that embody Made In Italy.
As part of the awards ceremony, one of the final five emerging designers will receive the “Franca Sozzani GCC Emerging Designer of the Year” award, winning an opportunity to present at Milan Fashion Week, February 2018. In addition, Value Retail, which creates and operates luxury shopping outlet destinations in Europe and China, has introduced a year-long mentoring programme to enable the five finalists to further develop and commercialise their brands. Value Retail will provide expert guidance to the designers across multiple areas including retail, sourcing, distribution, marketing to the global consumer and strategies for scaling their business internationally. The five final designers will also have their designs featured in The Creative Spot, a multi-brand pop-up boutique in Fidenza Village, located just outside Milan and one of the Collection of Villages in Europe and China by Value Retail.
Facing the judging panel, each designer presented a unique look, created using the Green Carpet Challenge (GCC) Principles, focusing on innovation and Italian artisanship.
Design highlights include:
– an intricate gown crafted from a leather alternative made from apple waste
– a backpack made from recycled fishing net
– classic tailoring made with natural dyes using Sardinian wild flowers
– a gown featuring sequins created from Italian seashells and discarded CDs
Livia Firth, Founder and Creative Director, Eco-Age said: “At our judging day we saw a crop of very talented emerging designers utilising the innovation of some incredible fashion producers. It shows us that Made In Italy is on the move, in a sustainable direction. With energy and commitment like this, a sustainable transition will be rapid.”
“This project includes an important educational aspect: sustainability must become one of the characteristics of the future of fashion, clothing and accessories MUST not only BE beautiful and well made, but also sustainable! The end goal will be an authentic cultural revolution made by millennials for millennials. It was very exciting to challenge 10 young designers on this sustainable competition,” said Carlo Capasa, Chairman, CNMI.
