GREENWASHING

GREENWASHING

Greenwashing i.e., communication or marketing strategy pursued by companies, institutions, entities that present their activities as environmentally sustainable, trying to conceal their negative environmental impact.

I would say this is happening more and more, what do you think?

Let’s go back to Trieste where the 20th edition of International Talent Support was held, it was launched in 2002 and has become a platform for showcasing and supporting young talent.

The historic location at the Salone degli Incanti in the heart of Trieste was the scene of the presentation of “The First Exhibition: 20 years of contemporary fashion evolution,” an exhibition that enjoys the patronage of the Ministry of Cultural Heritage and will be open to the public in spring 2023.

In jury Orsola De Castro referred as the pioneer of upcycling

Her schedule these days shows a constantly updated Utopia continuation of the flagship themes of Fashion Revolution of which she is a co-founder.

Instead of making people feel guilty, we help them recognize that they have the power to do something to bring about positive change.

I find this a great place to start in general.

Greenwashing is not just about the fashion industry.

We could mention glaring examples in music as well, or in marketing: misleading advertisements and greenwashing.

Not to mention the nonsense in terms: we are at the point where we are given advice bordering on the ridiculous to reduce the use of electricity under the illusory assumption that we can reduce bills that have become unaffordable, but at the same time incentives for electric cars are published in the Official Gazette.

And how should we charge them, then?

IL TRAGHETTATORE

IL TRAGHETTATORE

“Il traghettatore” which is not proper to translate simply with the ferryman, initially made me think of something else, I don’t really mean Charon, even if in fact my mind inevitably associates the idea, but I would not have guessed who or what would be the object of the transfer despite the clue suggested to me from Monica: once again this reading is thanks to her.

Annalisa Menin, branding and communication expert, moved to New York realizing a dream common to many.

But life teaches each of us that if on the one hand it gives, on the other it takes away… sometimes in a ruthless and cruel way.
The appointment with Annalisa’s destiny is for the day after her thirtieth birthday: the day her husband Marco dies.

Among the pains to be faced, there is also a decision to make: stay in New York or return to Italy?

A real survey was born, which evolved into a blog: My last year in New York

And the blog became a book but also a charity initiative in favor of young Italian students eager to live the same American dream: Remembering Marco

Then?
And then five years passed and the need to tell stories, not to forget, became the need to be reborn.
The transition had to take place.

 

Heart in transit.

And Il traghettatore was born.

Very often Monica and I discuss how to face mourning, how to live as survivors.

Everyone has their own story, but those who have known the pain of loss can see the shell hyding the suffering of those who have experienced similar pain, which is not the same for anyone.

But with this book Monica also gave me another trip: I often repeat that if I had a time machine I would like to go to New York in the 80s

And although this reading did not teleport me into the past, I still had the opportunity to “see” through the words of the author places, roads, details, I could “feel tastes,” imagine “perfumes” and I breathed the air of New York.

Curious coincidence on page 405: even my grandmother said exactly the same words to me: the beautiful silence was never written. And this is a quote that will remain with me forever.

I conclude with another sentence from the book which I feel as absolutely “mine:”
The sense of guilt is that gift that you never stop receiving.

This time I strongly hope that it is not the same for you.

MILAN FASHION WEEK

MILAN FASHION WEEK

The 2020 edition of the fashion week in Milan has ended, an important and iconic event that this year had a particular role: the watchword is phygital.

As for Micam, PHYGITAL indicates the interconnection between the real world and the digital world: a new dimension in which the words physical and digital merge, giving rise to an overlap between communication and interaction allowing an offer both online and offline.

These days I have already published on social media some videos of the events that have struck me most, even if the range of events and fashion shows is so large that it is a challenge to try to “summarize”.

I try to do as the serious blogs that manage to outline in points: would you like to retrace Milan Fashion Week in 5 steps?

  1. I was struck by Missoni’s idea of telling the new collection through a real postcard from the Sacro Monte of Varese, the video begins like this: “Varese is like a dream …” and this tribute to the roots moved me which for me are very important “to fall in love with a place

  1. The event. I have already widely declared my highest esteem for King George and therefore I let you imagine with how much trepidation I followed the docufilm and the parade on TV. At the first trouser suit in a variation of green I was already stretched … forget about it

    TIMELESS THOUGTS

  2. Salvatore Ferragamo presented an amazing fashion film that I hope you didn’t miss the other day (when I shared on Twitter and Facebook) because unfortunately the video is no longer available.

    In a deserted Milan during the days of the lockdown, the presentation of the collection inspired by Hitchcock’s masterpieces, directed by Luca Guadagnino, took on an absolutely magical flavor, the quotations from The birds, Vertigo and Marnie chase each other. The garments that even have colors such as Hedren green, Vertigo mauve or Bodega Bay sky, are real tributes, not to mention Mariacarla Boscono‘s interpretation. 

  3. 4. Valentino transforms the former Macchi foundry at Bovisa with plants and flowers from 8 different countries and chooses to show ordinary people: street casting instead of professional models. The message is romance and the key word is re-meaning, which I like. and you?

  4. Final theme

MICAM 90 #StrongerTogether

MICAM 90 #StrongerTogether

The 90th edition of the MICAM exhibition closes today  which had MICAM in Wonderland as its theme with a great MICAM Digital Show in collaboration with the NuORDER platform, not only for e-commerce but also for after-sales services and above all communication.

After the debut in February, the MICAM X area  focuses meetings and workshops on four points: Art Fashion Heritage & Future, Retail of the future, Trends and materials, Sustainability.

But above all it should be noted the magic of #MicamTales which ranges from the Tea Tasting with set-up and White Rabbit to the IKIDS square: a fairytale setting in which there is also the most large shoe made in Italy with Lego bricks.

Special mention for #MicamDolls: an evolution of the collaboration with Humana which since 2017 has collected 21,500 pairs of unsold shoes with the initiative A hand with the feet and which this year has introduced the Wonder Dolls whose proceeds will go to the education of children in Malawi.

These dolls are inspired by Alice in Wonderland characters and are created with recycled yarns by the artist Allison Hoffmann who crochets them.

A special space has been dedicated to new designers,  MICAM is in fact a very important showcase that offers previews of what will be new trends to come.

Slippers stand out more among the novelties for the summer.
Very colorful and available in various versions from extra light to tank, padded, and decorated with stones or fur.
Here you can convince me because my retrograde vision takes over …

Seriously, one thing is sure: the right praise must be given to those who do not give up and do their utmost to restart with courage, inventiveness, spirit of adaptation and ability to evolve #StrongerTogether.

WAR OF THE WORLDS

WAR OF THE WORLDS

What time is the end of the world?
No, let’s start from the beginning: The War of the Worlds is a novel written by H. G. Wells, one of the forerunners of the science fiction genre, originally published in installments in 1897 on the Pearson’s Magazine in London.
First curious anecdote: HG Wells took in part inspiration from Giovanni Schiaparelli’s theories about Mars (and if you always read me remember our save the date 🙂 )
The astronomer and director of the Brera Astronomical Observatory in Milan observed some lines on the surface of the red planet, and hypothesized that they could be natural channels for the transport of water as they changed from one observation to another.
At this point there is another beautiful smile because what is one of the painful keys for all of us Italians? Knowledge of English!
Why do I say this? Because its natural channels were translated with the wrong term that distorted the theory by transforming them into artificial canals. Hence the assumption that they had been excavated by … Martians, precisely.
These famous “Martians” who populated the fantasies of many, embodying the most varied forms and descriptions, before being replaced by the most universal aliens.
These famous “Martians” who inspired Wells first and then Welles, Orson Welles.
Curious also this coincidence, one e above all and a patented invention separates them, another curious fact, always in 1897, always in London, and always by an Italian: Guglielmo Marconi.
Why do I switch to radio? Because in the meantime we arrive in 1938, and the radio is still the fledgling mass media and, exactly as it works today for the internet, it is seen as a form of potentially dangerous communication. It is seen as a vehicle of social mutation, for the rapid diffusion to the easy reach of a large number of people, and above all harmful to the publishing giants, worried about losing their income.
And precisely at CBS Orson Welles conducts The Mercury Theater on the Air: a program consisting of the narration of the great classics of literature, for the truth poorly paid and not much followed.
But Orson, at that time a Shakespearean actor, expresses his genius by using the program also to deal a blow to the system, deciding to cut the news in real time, and in view of the imminent Halloween, structures the Martian invasion described in the book like a real-time radio commentary.
It is in fact on October 30, 1938 when the reading of the opening words of The War of the Worlds is on air, interspersed with musical broadcasts, as usual, until an announcement interrupts the music and transposes the text setting it in the United States. With the help of screenwriter Howard Koch, completed with mock interviews with experts, imitations of press releases from the authorities, and sound effects to which Orson Welles pays special attention.
At the beginning and during the transmission it is clearly stated that it is the transposition of the novel, but many tune in at different times and the illusion effect created artfully succeeds perfectly.
It is said that a man called the New York Times to ask “what time is the end of the world?” to which the famous song written by Michael stipe of R.E.M. is inspired.
There is a chorus that supports the exaggeration of the estimates that count people running in the street, panic scenes, or hysteria, and I honestly don’t intend to dwell on the numbers, since, especially in this period, we everyday hear tragic counts.
In fact, in Grover’s Mills, New Jersey, there is a commemorative plaque with the following inscription:
On the evening of October 30, 1938 Orson Welles and The Mercury Theatre presented a dramatization of H.G. Wells The war of the worlds as adapted by Howard Koch. This was to become a landmark in broadcast history, provoking continuing thought about media responsibility, social psychology and civil defense. For a brief time as many as one million people throughout the country believed that Martians had invaded the earth, beginning with Grover’s Mill, New Jersey.
The important thing that Orson Welles has more or less voluntarily shown us is that people are led to believe rather unconditionally what is communicated to them by the mainstream mass media.
How many times have we heard “TV said it?”
How many care to check the news?
This time I went beyond coffee time, but today we can also indulge in chocolate, what do you say?
Now I conclude with the last strange coincidence: in The War of the Worlds the Martians are defeated by a virus.

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