Kering joins Pitti Uomo to support ten young responsible designers

By

Dominique Muret

Translated by
Cassidy STEPHENS

Published
Mar 28, 2023

For the first time, the luxury group Kering is partnering with Pitti Uomo through its sustainable textiles library called Materials Innovation Lab (MIL). This entity will help the ten young eco-responsible designers, in their choice of fabrics and materials to create their collections. The designers have been selected for the S/Style Sustainable Style section, launched in 2020 by Pitti Uomo.

Created by Kering in Milan in 2013, the MIL, which has around 5,000 samples, bridges the gap between suppliers and the designers of the group's houses to offer them sustainable and recyclable textiles. As part of this partnership, it will focus "on the practical approach to accelerate the adoption of innovative and low environmental impact materials and processes in the collections of the S/Style designers, who will present their designs in June," the company and the organisers of the Florentine show said in a joint statement.

"Each designer will explore various solutions that benefit sustainable development: from upcycling, or the technique of reworking an existing garment, to the use of fabrics certified to international standards; from planet-friendly, giving-back activities, with support for environmental associations and organizations, to the use of recycled materials and the promotion of fair and ethical labor in support of craftsmanship," the statement explained.

Ten brands have been selected for the S/Style section of the next Pitti Uomo, which will be held from June 13 to 16: the labels Cavia and Dalpaos from Italy, designer Dhruv Kapoor from India, Isnurh from Denmark, Jeanne Friot and Steven Passaro from France, Ksenia Schnaider from Ukraine, Olooh Concept from the Ivory Coast, Permu from the UK, and Young n Sang from South Korea.

Launched in the midst of the pandemic "to discover and tell a new way of conceiving collections and seasonality", the S/Style project has since established itself as one of the must-see events for buyers at Pitti Uomo in search of novelties and research brands. Now in its seventh year, the section, curated by Giorgia Cantarini, has welcomed around forty young labels, many of which have since established themselves or won prizes in the most prestigious fashion competitions, such as Connor McKnight, Phipps, Federico Cina and Uniforme.

"S/Style fills a gap in the menswear sector by presenting a selection of designers who are virtuous examples of responsible fashion. Our partnership with Kering-MIL is a concrete step to push these promising designers to learn more about innovative solutions," comments Giorgia Cantarini.