TALKING THE TALK
ROLE MODELS: ACTIVISM IN THE INDUSTRY
Lea T and Francesca Ragazzi
“I’m here today thanks to women and feminism,” began Lea T, Riccardo Tisci’s muse. The transsexual model and activist spoke with Francesca Ragazzi about her first ten years in fashion. “I was lucky but, as Angela Davis says, it’s not enough to be non-racist. We must be anti-racist. We must all be activists.” To this end, social media can offer vital support, as “they’re very important for the democratisation of messages”. The role of fashion, and its power to communicate, is “of primary importance in the pursuit of equality and equal opportunities. We need to study and fight disinformation.”
RESHAPING THE SHOPPING EXPERIENCE
Timothy Earnest and Alan Prada
In giving a preview of Cairo Festival City, which has become a lifestyle destination in the dynamic Egyptian capital, Timothy Earnest, who was interviewed on stage by Alan Prada, explained how “the Al-Futtaim model goes beyond the concept of shopping, offering the best experiences to share with family and friends; we also offer an element of surprise to amaze visitors.” Shopping becomes a social experience where engagement is increasingly important. “Consumers want to feel involved and learn about the history of a product. In this privileged relationship-building process, luxury has the advantage of being based on trust and reputation.”
PRINT MATTERS: MENSWEAR MAGAZINES IN 2020
Ben Cobb, Emanuele Farneti, Nicholas Georgiou, Michele Fossi, Luigi Vitali, Angelo Flaccavento
For Ben Cobb, working for an indie publication is about “freedom, a state of mind”. “Every issue is a challenge to be tackled with passion,” added Michele Fossi. These independent publications are imbued with the magic of the printed word, as Nicholas Georgiou explained: “There is something of the atmosphere of the Academy from ancient Greece.” In the talk moderated by Angelo Flaccavento, it emerged how magazines can become brands, transforming into creative agencies and adapting as they learn to work in the digital era. Yet “print still matters”, also because, as Farneti concluded, “Thanks to the web and social media, our magazines have an enormous audience, like never before.”
FASHION IN THE SOCIAL MEDIA ERA
Gord Ray, Arby Li, Gianluca Cantaro
Brands and social media tend towards developments on digital platforms that are defined by the communities which form around them. For example, “IGTV was created in response to research which found that people spend most of their time holding their phone upright. In the same way, the shopping evolution on Instagram responds to the desires of users,” explained Gord Ray. “The gaming community is really active in sharing passions that go beyond playing, extending to other areas such as fashion,” added Arby Li, who underlined that the influence of important people in certain industries isn’t necessarily exerted through social media.
FASHION JOBS THE WORLD NEEDS NOW Tommaso Cancellara, Michele Lupi, Claudio Marenzi, Raffaello Napoleone, Alessandra Simonella, Danilo Venturi, Zornitza Kratchmarova, Emanuele Farneti
“Manufacturing offers excellent career opportunities,” said Claudio Marenzi. Tommaso Cancellara observed: “Of the 5,000 to 7,000 new positions that will open up in the next 3 to 5 years in the shoe industry, many will be new professions.” Some emerging roles mentioned by Alessandra Simonella included “CRM and clienteling manager, as well as editors and storytellers”. Such hybrid job descriptions were exemplified by Michele Lupi, who talked about his role at Tods. Danilo Venturi offered examples of successful ultra-technical positions along with others combining “art direction, curation and journalism”.
ITALIAN STYLE IN A GLOBAL MARKET
Marco de Vincenzo, Massimo Giorgetti, Hirofumi Kurino, Sara Sozzani Maino
Italian production and craftsmanship distinguish Italian design around the world. “Our great heritage and complex structures make it difficult for new languages and stories to start here,” said Marco de Vincenzo in conversation with Sara Sozzani Maino, “but the market seems ready to welcome this new wave.” Massimo Giorgetti concurred: “The advantage of our country is its proximity to the best manufacturers, making it easier to develop collections, in addition to scouting initiatives like Who is on Next?” Meanwhile, Hirofumi Kurino pointed out that the “ease of communicating with social media has also changed retail, but it’s a big challenge for brands to maintain contact with clients and reality”.