Among the topics the 2020 applicants addressed none was so widespread and relevant as sustainability, in all its forms: environmental, social and, in its deepest sense, human.
A constant thread implied across all the trends and all the choices, unraveled along various paths – upcycling, recycling, zero-waste, natural colors and dyeing, organic textiles – like a recurring element: the research and the reuse of objects and materials that young creative talents have sourced in their surroundings or have looked for, tell a story that comes to the fore again through this regenerating process, with new, vibrant, unique meanings and interpretations.
"Let's first of all start from the idea that it is impossible to define emerging designers as unsustainable." says Orsola de Castro, Founder and Global Creative Director of Fashion Revolution. "Their social and environmental impact isn't strong enough to provoke damage. At the same time, they can't solve the problem on their own. But we're here to celebrate their way of thinking, their will and most of all their coherence and research."
"For many young designers" continues de Castro "sustainability is the DNA of their creative methodology anyway. They show a curiosity for innovative materials and they work on re-use and upcycling. But often they lack the ability - or the confidence - to present these principles clearly and eloquently. The result is that many good ideas remain hidden or not fully developed."