For example, Stella Jean has prepared a collection based on the national clothes of the Kalash people, located in Pakistan, on the border with Afghanistan. Fashion designers from the Fashionable Art Show project not only held their shows, they managed to organize an ecological flashmob when the models not only walked near the Dome Cathedral, but also cleared the Dome Square from garbage. We talked with Natalia Siassina, the organizer of the action in Italy, about this event and about eco-fashion.
Fashionable Eco Art Show 2019, photo © Moskvin_photo
- How was born the idea of this action?
- I accidentally met with Tatyana Lavrova, Estonia's coordinator of World Clean Up Day. The "Let’s do it" international movement was born in this country, when an Estonian entrepreneur gathered his own people in 2008 and cleaned the beach. Through her - with the Italian branch of “Let's do it Italy”, and then with the World's coordinator of the “Let's do it” Julia Menhel.
I wanted to combine a useful environmental campaign with a vibrant fashion show. I wanted to turn boring models with sad faces into a world show and at the same time convey concepts such as multiculture and environmental friendliness. So that not only thin and tall models, but also simply beautiful women, no matter what height and weight, with their individuality, creative personalities, artists, singers, sportswomen would appear on the catwalk ... And of course, using environmentally friendly materials produced locally, without the use of slave labor with a payment of 1 dollar per day of work.
- Did you succeed?
- Yes, we attracted not only professional models, but also well-known artists such as Marina Kaminsky, Inna Varivonchik, Olga Potyomkina, Malú Cruz Piani, Evgenia Petrova, international artists such as Zelie Adjo (Togo) and Eva Kurganova (Ukraina), gymnast Violetta Ballyrano.
Models cleaned Milan's Dome Square from garbage, photo © Moskvin_photo
- How many people saw you?
- Many thousands of people saw us directly on Dome Square - on this day the square was especially crowded. But well-known bloggers Erica Santos and Anna Gyrolanna came to us. The live broadcast attracted the attention of more than 58 million subscribers of the most popular bloggers on the planet, it was seen by residents of 179 countries. So this can be called a great success.
- What was the main criterion for selecting designers for your project?
- As already said, environmental friendliness, brightness and identity. Therefore, we chose stylists from Africa, Asia and Europe. We have shown that collections of clothes and accessories made from recycled materials and environmentally friendly fabrics can be both chic and glamorous. Six collections were selected for Eco Art Show: my T Art Revolution, Anna Ho Fashion (Nigeria), LASABIRA (Kazakhstan), MAKA (Russia / Israel), Kl'art Claudia Padure (Romania) and IrEne (Italy). This event not only demonstrated fashion collections, but also made it possible to get acquainted with new stylistic concepts, with personal stories of designers, models and artists from different countries who are not indifferent to the problem of planet's pollution.
Erica Santos, Natalia Siassina and Anna Gyrolanna, photo ©eventmir mir
- When was your company born and what is the peculiarity of your brand?
- I created the brand "Tailor’s art révolution" 4 years ago. After many years of working with the most famous brands of Italy and other European countries, I had a desire to create my own brand that would meet the needs of modern life. We can say that I made it for myself - an energetic mother, an entrepreneur with many hobbies and interests, I practice sports, even when I pick up children from school, I ride on roller skates. Therefore, the clothes should be elegant, but at the same time always “fresh”, easy to clean, so that they can be washed in the washing machine and can be not ironed. And for the winter collection, I use breathable fabrics, but with a thermal pad that maintains optimal body temperature.
Evgeny Utkin at Fashionable Eco Art Show 2019, photo © Utkin
- A few words about the rest of the stylists and participants in the event.
- Anna Ho from Nigeria uses the traditional fabrics of the entire African continent for her collections in the European style. MAKA - Maria Makarov, an Israeli artist from Russia, showed her own painted stoles and accessories on the theme of the ecological flashmob. IrEne - an Italian brand represented by show lady from Siberia Vera Atyushkina - showed a flower dress with the slogan against forest fires. Romanian designer Claudia Padure presented an elegant collection of her Cl'Art brand, in which a male accessory - tie - acted as a component for evening dresses, demonstrating the idea of a second life for garments. The Kyrgyzstan-Italy Association, another show organizer, introduced the Kazakh brand - LASABIRA.
Vera Atyushkina in a flower dress with the slogan against forest fires, photo © Utkin
- Not only designers participated, but also artists and sculptors. How did you manage to combine them?
- For many years of work, I have developed a large creative team that supports me. For example, our event was attended by members of the “A.M.A.” (Arte Moda Ambiente), which brought together creators of different directions - artists Michelangelo Magnus and Ennio Bencini, art glass specialist Sante Pizzol, photographer Nino Care' and digital scenographer Federico Bozzano, who worked on the film “Avatar”. All of them are representatives of the R.A.O. movement, they use eco-friendly materials in most of their works.
- We are talking about a new event in Milan, Italy, which was organized by you and your team, most of them are Russian-speaking immigrants from the ex-USSR, how do you explain this?
- Yes, I am Russian, from St. Petersburg, moved to Italy 25 years ago and I can say that I feel like Russian-Italian. In Russia, I opened the first fashion business, and still follow this path. A passion for experimentation and innovation in various fields of life led me to organize events in the European capital of fashion.
Natalia Siassina attracted not only models, but also artists, photo © Ernestina Calciano
- The Fashionable Eco Art Show project received the patronage of the Milan Fashion and Design Department and was presented in the official calendar of Milan Fashion Week, how did you manage to do this?
- Thanks to the unification of several associations involved in cultural and social projects, such as VITARU and ADDA, the international association for the copyright protection.
- You founded the association VITARU? Tell us about it.
- Yes, I founded this non-profit association, and I am its president. The VITARU Association assists Russian-speaking women in Italy who have suffered from violence or are in a difficult situation. It works on a volunteer basis, and a lot of women go to us in difficult life situations, and we are trying to help them. At the moment, we are at the forefront of the international movement of support, integrate and protect the rights of Russian-speaking compatriots around the world.
On Dome Square that day was especially crowded, photo © Moskvin_photo
- What are the plans for the future of the Fashionable Art Eco Show project?
- In the very near future, the project will go to Venice with an exhibition in one of the ancient palaces of this wonderful city - the Palazzo Zenobbio as part of the 58 Biennale. Opening plans for next year, we can already announce the Fashionable Art Eco Show again and invite the whole fashion world to participate in the “World Clean Up Day 2020” on September 19, 2020. Next year we even plan to hold the World Eco Fashionable Art Awards.
