CORA BELLOTTO

ITALY

What’s the philosophy of your brand? Cora Bellotto: “I want to make fashion that’s designed to last. It has to inspire us to take care of ourselves and the world around us, beyond the frenetic rhythm of the fashion system as we know it. If our consumption is too fast-paced, our objects prematurely lose their meaning and value. Perhaps the greatest challenge is to reconcile fashion with slowness.”

What aspects of sustainability do you focus on? “I mix different ingredients. The core of the collection is made with organic and certified fabrics. The organic cotton and some of the dyes have the GOTS certificate. Then I develop unique pieces or capsule collections reutilising vintage materials, like sheet linen or towels from wedding sets. For a while I’ve also been experimenting with zero- or minimumwaste paper models. In future I’d like to have part of the production done by an association in Milan that offers free training in professional dressmaking to women with difficulties. I generally work with smallscale artisans and only produce what I know I can sell.” Do you still hold workshops on upcycling, do it yourself and zero-waste practices? “I started upcycling nearly ten years ago, transforming second-hand clothes for a shop and a few clients. Since then I’ve organised many workshops. I recently held my first workshop dedicated to zero-waste concepts for students on the Master in ‘Fashion Design’ course at Domus Academy.” • F.B.