Stella Jean, FAO Support Artisans in Kyrgyzstan
Stella Jean, who has been focused for years on building bridges between Italian design and the artisans in a range of developing and low income countries around the world, has created a collaboration with Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, or FAO, for the fall 2021 season.
In particular, the designer, who has been a vocal champion of the Black Lives Matter in Italian fashion movement, aimed at boosting multiculturalism within Italy’s fashion industry by teaming up with FAO’s Women’s Committee, as well as promoting female empowerment and the Mountain Partnership, United Nations’ voluntary alliance of partners dedicated to improving the lives of mountain people and protecting mountain environments around the world.
The result of this collaboration is a capsule collection of five pieces that Jean created with the Topchu Art Group, a group of artisans that produce embroidered carpets, wall hangings and silk and felt scarves located in Barskoon, a settlement at 1,750 meters
Leave it to Donatella Versace to persuade Gigi Hadid to return to the (virtual) runway.
She joined sister Bella in the Versace fall 2021 runway collection and film, which went all in on the house’s Greca motif, which inspired everything from the maze-like set to one of the male model’s buzz cuts.
“I have realized that this is the future, the new way of communicating collections,” the designer said in her collection statement, seemingly throwing her full support behind the new digital show format. “Models are like actors, they bring the designs to life, just like when a performer portrays a character. During the filming of this show I saw how important it is to give the models time to ‘feel’ the clothes they wear on the runway,” she added.
Maybe so, but this was more filmed runway show than narrative fashion storytelling. The models did show attitude with the dynamic clothes, and engage in a few playful moments — a tug-of-war over a handbag for one.
There has been a lot of graphicism, particularly in knitwear, for fall, and in that sense, Versace’s theme was spot on. Rendered in elevation in the Northeastern part of Kyrgyzstan, in Central Asia.
“I’ve known Stella for years and since what we are trying to do here at FAO is very in line with her ‘Laboratory of Nations’ project, I asked her to collaborate with us and she immediately jumped on the project,” said Cristina Alderighi, FAO Women’s Committee vice chair.
“Mountain Partnership was founded with the goal of supporting mountain population, while protecting their fragile environments. We started with food producers, but then we extended our attention to the textile sector and tourist services,” said Mountain Partnership’s project coordinator Giorgio Grossu. “When one of our colleagues came back with Kyrgyzstan with those silk and felt scarves we fell in love with them, we created special narrative labels for them and we certified them. And we started thinking with Cristina what to do to really support the business of the artisans behind.”
After an extensive study of the region, its culture and the artifacts produced there, Jean started designing some styles that camel and black, with “Versace” written discreetly between the lines, the Greca pattern made for a more subtle take on logo dressing, appearing as an allover motif on jacquard suits and vinyl raincoats; knit turtleneck vest and flared leggings sets, and the lining of a great-looking black patent leather sheepskin jacket.
While many designers have been playing with more oversized silhouettes this season, Versace turned down the volume on women’s tailoring, showing round-shouldered tailored jackets, and A-line miniskirts over cropped pants, infusing the lineup with a zippy ‘60s spirit.
Greca-patterned harnesses added another graphic interest, worn over a beautifully tailored black pantsuit and a black minidress with patterned turtleneck, black opaque tights and platform shoes. The almighty Greca even showed up hidden in the mesh of slinky minidresses.
Men’s suit jackets were also also pared down, in jacquards with contrasting pattern shirts and vests, and some with body-con trousers. Sporty bomber jackets, intarsia sweaters and Medusa smiley-face scarves added even more eye candy.
A group of Kyrgyz artisans embroidered a capsule included in Stella Jean’s fall 2021 collection.
would fit the embroidering techniques of the female artisans of the Topchu group, which was founded with the support of the Mountain Partnership. In Italy, the designer created the patterns for two skirts, a coat and a shirt, sourced the fabrics, which were cut and then shipped to Kyrgyzstan, where they were embroidered and then assembled in Italy.
“We are giving these artisans all the patterns and the instructions to create the garments in order to promote their independence and emancipation,” said Jean, who also revealed that she will reinvest her royalties from the sales of the garments back into the project.
According to Jean, these types of collaborations also highlight sustainable techniques originally rooted in circular economy. “Corporations are investing huge amounts of money to find new sustainable solutions, when they should just consider to adopt antique and natural ones. The money they would save could be easily invested in boosting the local economies of the groups providing them.”