Italian Fashion & Innovation

Home , Fashion in Milan, Fortezza da Basso, Italian design, Italian fashion

Derek Pante Azmina Karimi Morgan Taylor Russell Taylor

Introduction

In Spring 2008, the Italia Design team researched the fashion industry in Italy, and discussed briefly how it fits into Italy’s overall innovation. The global public’s perception of Italy and Italian Design rests to some degree on the visibility and success of Fashion Design. The fashion and design industries account for a large percentage of Milan’s total economic output— as Milan goes economically, so goes Italy (Foot, 2001). Fashion Design clearly contributes to “brand Italia,” as well as to Italian culture generally. Yet, fashion is not our focus in this study: innovation and design is. Fashion’s goals are not the same as design. For one, fashion operates on “style,” design works on “language,” and style to a serious designer is usually the opposite of good design. Yet to ignore the area possibly creates a blind spot.

With the resource this year of some students with great interest in this area it was decided that we should begin to investigate how fashion in Italy contributes to innovation, and how fashion in Milan and other centers in the North of Italy sustain “Creative Centers” where measurable agglomeration (a sign of innovation) occurs. Delving into Italian Fashion allowed us to rethink certain paradigms. For one, how we look at Florence as a design center. Florence has very little Industrial Design and, because of the city’s UNESCO World Heritage designation, has very little contemporary architectural culture. This reality became clear after four years of returning to the Renaissance city. As Andrea Branzi so bluntly put it this year, Florence is “a tourist town,” a place to escape from— a place that one always looks out from when in it (Branzi, 2008). But Florence as a capital for fashion is thriving and bringing important cultural touch points to the Renaissance city. Studying how Florence works as an innovation and agglomeration center for fashion causes us to look differently at Florence in regards to design and innovation.

In course work prior to departing for in-field research in Italy, Azmina Karimi and Derek Pante, the designated “fashion team,” explored topics such as the history of the fashion industry, its incorporation of the Italian tradition of quality, and its association with politics, architecture, and design. These topics Italian Fashion & Innovation Italia DesignFieldSchool. 2008 andthenvisitedresearched byKarimiand Pante duringthe2008 and CittadellaModacomplexinMilan,areas thatwere researched inSpring by lookingatthePittiImmagineeventinFlorence andtheCorsoComoarea This paperwilldescribethefashionindustry’s current role ininnovationItaly, in-field through observationsandinterviews. and Milan’s respective innovationcycles.Theseinferences were thenverified Italia Designteamcouldinfertherole thatthefashionindustryhasinFlorence Chiang’s workformedthefoundationalbasisoninnovationfrom whichthe a museumofancientpoliciesandartifacts”(Chiang&Taylor, 2007,p.2). by contemporaryideasforittomoveforward andstay‘alive’,tonotremain major pointsbeingthatacity“mustchange,andbereinvigorated andaffected synthesized alloftheseworksintoasinglepaperin2007,withonethe cycle were explored insubsequentyears.HeatherChiangandRussellTaylor agglomerations (2007)andtheCreative Class(2007)playintheinnovation into InnovativeCities(2005)andhowtheyoperate,whiletheroles that in pastyearsandresearch papers:MadisonPoonandRussellTaylor looked The topicofinnovationinItalyhasbeenexplored extensivelybyItaliaDesign dialogue onItalianinnovation. to understandtheItalianfashionindustry, whichwasthenappliedtoour 2008) and“FashioninMilan”(ibid).Thisresearch servedasacontextualbasis 2008 project website,“Florence andFashionsincethe1940s”(Karimi&Pante, more in-depthinformation,pleaseviewthepresentations ontheItaliaDesign will betoucheduponinthispaper, butwillnotbedescribedinfulldetail—for 2 Italian Fashion & Innovation domain where innovationcanbeobservedandstudiedinItaly. where agglomerationsandsocialinteractionscanoccur. Fashionisyetanother the industryandoutsideofit,are metthrough thedevelopmentofspaces fashion industry, andtherefore theneedsofknowledgeworkerswithin to interactagainstthebackdrop offashion.Ineachcase,theneeds the city’s infrastructure, creating open,accessible workers tonetworkandshare knowledge;inMilan,fashionisembedded lead toclustersofactivityknownas innovation, butindifferent ways.InFlorence, fashion-related eventshave The Italianfashionindustryplaysakeyrole inbothFlorence andMilan’s Thesis agglomerations Innovative CitiesinfomodelbySamanthiJayetileke,KatrinaChua, both importanttothedevelopmentofinnovationinacity—successful environment attractsandsustainsknowledgeworkers,supportsthe glomerations provideanareaforworkersand companiestoclusterand construction ofsocialspacesinthecity, and makeitenjoyable;andag As wecanseeinthismodel,“environment”and“agglomerations”are where knowledgeandexpertiseexchangecan occur. environments , allowingknowledge Azmina Karimi,&GurpreetBadesha forpeople 3 -

Italian Fashion & Innovation networks withothersintheirfield. companies from allovertheworldtonotonlyexhibittheirworkbutalsocreate stage,anopportunityforknowledgeworkersand function asaninternational 2007, p.22).Inthisregard, thePittieventsinFlorence are importantasthey these citiesare incredibly persistentintheirinnovation” (Chiang&Taylor, order knowledgeexchange,andoncedeveloped, tosustainquickinternational events. According toChiang,innovativecities“arehubs,in often international One ofthemajoraspectsaboutPittiImmagineisthattheyare international 1. BuildingInternationalNetworks “Bimbo” (children’s clothing)eventinJune2008. points inFlorence through observationsandinterviews from thePittiImmagine p.22). KarimiandPanteconfirmedtheexistenceimportanceofthesethree overall create anexcitingplacethatisfullofenergy(Chiang&Taylor, 2007, among eachotherincloseproximity, and3)attractingmore talent,which building networkstoexchangeknowledge,2)collaboratingwithclientsand the enginethatfuelscreative cities.Theseclusterssupporteachotherby1) institutions andotherestablishmentsthatforminnovationcentersbecome Agglomerations are clustersofknowledgeworkers,creative firms, research agglomerate, throughout theyearduringanumberofdifferent fashionevents. These spacesallowknowledgeworkersandfirmstocometogether, or nearby StazioneLeopaldaculturalandeventcenters(PittiImmagine,2008). that centermainlyaround fashion,andisheldattheFortezzadaBasso The PittiImmagineisaseriesofannualtradeshowsandexhibitionsinFlorence Florence: AgglomerationHubs FashionEventsasInternational Exhibitors, buyers,representativesandothers from allovertheworldgatheratPitti. Pitti ImmagineBimbo,Summer2008 4

Italian Fashion & Innovation companies asitisnowthe largestclothingtradeshowinEurope. Establishing how thePittiImmagineis an importanteventforbothsmallandlarge a 31-year-old footwear designer from Amsterdam working for Vans, mentioned other thanseeing“David.”Inaninterviewin-fieldthis summeratPitti,Neilson, So Florence isnowbringing thedesignintelligentsiatocityforreasons da Basso,are suchspaces of thenewvariety. centers thatserviceawidevarietyofneeds.Pittispaces, suchastheFortezza Fiera. Overtimesuchdedicatedspaceshavegivenway totradeandexhibition But, Milandidthiswithdedicatedeventspacessuch astheTriennale andthe show, whichwouldrecognize thebestofeverythree-year cycle. awards were created atthesametimetoaddsomethingbeyondannual Nuovo PoloFierain2005(Cochrane&Taylor, 2006).TheCompassoD’Oro reinforced yetagaininMilanwiththeconstructionof MassimilianoFuksas’ that remains inplaceMilantothisday. Theimportanceofsuchspaceswas publishing, designmagazines,andcritics—animportantrelated infrastructure was partofanimportantsequencemarketingandpromotion thatincluded happening inMilansincethe1950’s (Foot,2001).Thecreation oftheseevents designelitetoseewhatis Fuori Salonehavebeenattractingtheinternational capital inthefirstplace.TheannualeventssuchasSalonedelMobileand was, inmanyways,whatputMilan,forexample,onthemapasadesign relationship toDesignandInnovation.Thecreation of exhibitionsandevents Italy haslongunderstoodthevalueofexhibitions,course,andtheir tourists. Forthesakeofourmuch-belovedcity, wecanonlyhope. impact onthecity, onethatmaybegintorivaltheeconomicreliance on into aconference, convention,andeventcityhashadamassiveneweconomic sustain itsagglomerationbeyondtheevent.ThetransformationofFlorence vagabond-ish nature. Itisclearlythenetworksthatformfrom Pittiwhich even Milan.There issomethinginteresting aboutthistemporarinessand Yet, during“Pitti,”Florence isItaly’s mostimportantfashioncapital,eclipsing for example,thedesignclustersinMilanZonaTortona Durini. ortheVia in temporaryormulti-purposefacilities,sonopermanent“district”iscreated; Siena, SanGimignanowouldbeotherexamples).ThePittieventsare housed being crushedundertheweightofsuchaneconomichandshake(Venice, economic generator:tourism.Yet citiesinItalythatliveonlyontourismare obstacle toeconomicgrowth inareas notconnectedtothecity’s primary urbanism inacontemporarysenseisbyandlargeimpossible.Thismajor of Florence hasbecomea“museum,”andgrowth anddevelopmentofthe that oncewastheprotective citywallsofFlorence. Whatisinsidethewalls Interestingly, Pittieventsoccurinfacilitiesjustoutsidetheencircling ring 5 Italian Fashion & Innovation decades toincludecultural events(“Taste,” aculturalfood fairthattakes growth. Forexample,thePittiImmaginehasexpanded overthepasttwo developments, signsofasystemthatencouragesand supportsinnovation to establishrelationships among knowledgeworkersaswelldrivenew not tosaythatthePittialonecanfuelinnovation,but itcertainlyishelping agglomerate, thePittiImmagineissupportinginnovation inFlorence. That’s By havingalargegatheringspaceforknowledgeand creative workersto creative worker. Pitti asaculture reflecting backtheurbanneeds,beliefsandvaluesof fashion toart,culture, and technology. Butmuchmore importantly, itexhibits creative culture. Theseare someexamplesofthePittiexpandingfrom just sustainable mobility”anditsimportancetocontemporarylifestylesthe Nazionale CicloMotocicloAccessori),asawaytohighlight“environmentally Fortezza— acollaborationbetweenthePittiandANCMA(Associazione we witnessedabicycleartinstallationpieceonthemaingrounds ofthe and ideasthatpermeatetheeventspace.DuringourvisittoPittiImmagine, sustainable approach tofashion.There are alsonumerous non-fashionexhibits event wasdedicatedentirely tofirmswithanethicalandenvironmentally For instance,oneoftheexhibitionspacesat2008PittiImmagineBimbo produce clothing,butalsobringnewperspectivesanddirections forfashion. The PittiImmaginehas,inrecent years,beenattractingfirmsthatnotonly 3. AttractingMoreTalent industry. collections andwhatrecent trends theyhavebeenseeing from throughout the owners’ stores, butalsotogettheirideasofwhattheyexpectseeinfuture (shop owners)theirupcomingcollections,inhopesofgettingbrandthe Interview 2,June28,2008).Herjobattheeventwastonotonlyshowclients the PittiImmagineisprimarilyforestablishingnewclients(Karimi&Pante, marketing coordinator from Venice workingforLeeJeansEurope, statedthat for knowledgeworkerstocollaboratewithclients.Maria,a27-year-old Another importantaspectaboutthePittiImmagineisthatitprovides aspace 2. CollaboratingwithClientsinCloseProximity 1, June28,2008).Thisisclassicagglomerationgrowing. effectively todifferent membersofthediversecrowd (Karimi&Pante,Interview representatives from different partsofEurope, theycouldcommunicatemore from placessuchasSpainandAustria,amongothercountries.Byhaving the companiespresent. TheotherVans representatives thathewaswithwere a presence inEurope through thePittiImmagineisanimportantgoalforall 6 Italian Fashion & Innovation innovation. for “knowledgespillovers”andothermechanismsofagglomeration provide discourseopportunitiesandreinforce andsupportthepossibility home accessories)(PittiImmagine,2008).Culturaleventssuchasthese place attheStazioneLeopalda)anddesign(“PittiLiving,”aneventfor Bottom Row:Bicycleinstallation;entrancetothe“EcoEthic”exhibits Top Row:EntrancetotheFortezzadaBasso;Vans exhibit Pitti ImmagineBimbo,Summer2008 7

Italian Fashion & Innovation campus. TheCorsoComo willactasalinkbetweentheCittàdellaModaand apartments, amuseumto archive great designersofthepast,andauniversity (Menkes, 2004).TheCittàdellaModawillincludeshops, hotelandresidential Repubblica plan,whichisaregeneration plantotransformthecityby2009 The developmentgoingonaround CorsoComoispartoftheGaribaldi Corso ComointheFuture:AnEnvironmenttoSustain andAttract green fieldpark,and,atits heart,theCittàdellaModa(Menkes,2004). area. Thesedevelopments include newmunicipalbuildings,astate-of-the-art noisy traffic andurbandevelopments thatare occurringinthesurrounding walls ofthebuildingsprovide abarrierofsortstoshieldtheblockfrom the of theblock,creating alivelyspacewhere peoplecan shop,eat,andrelax. The restaurants. the restaurants In the late afternoon, set up tables along the center designer clothingstores, cafes,bookstores, smallhotels andresidences, and The CorsoComoarea iscurrently alongpedestrian-only blockofup-scale Corso ComoNow:AnEnvironmenttoSocialize the citybyadjacentGaribaldiTrain andMetro station. City, isrisingfrom theground mere blocksaway, bothconnectedtotherest of that Milan’s huge-scalenewdevelopment,the“CittàdellaModa”,orFashion are usedforshopping,eating,andsocializing.Itisnocoincidencebyextension intoaseriesofmultifunctionalspacesthat garage but,inthe1990s,turned Corso Comoarea, asitethatusedtohouseanoldprintingplantandparking reusing olderindustrialsites(Florida,2005).Agoodexampleofthisisthe undertaken efforts tomovesmartgrowth, forinstance bycleaningupand talent attraction”(Chiang&Taylor, 2007,p.12).Thesetypesofcitieshave environment asasource ofeconomiccompetitiveness, quality-of-life,and forward-looking regions thatwanttoattractknowledge workers“seethe workers are justasessentialtothecycleofinnovation.AsChiangstated, developments thatencouragesocialinteractionandattractoutsideknowledge are nottheonlyareas thatare importantforinnovationtooccur;public But, largeexhibitionspacesandeventsforknowledgeworkerstocluster display theircollectionsandfacilitatebusinessrelations. Milan FashionWeek, which,likethePittiImmagine,allowsfashiondesignersto opened in2005(Cochrane&Taylor, 2006).IthoststheMilanoVendeModa, or FieraMilano. ThisexhibitionhallwasdesignedbyMassimilanoFuksasand Milan, likeFlorence, hasalargeexhibitionspacetohousefashionevents— Attraction Milan: FashionasanEnvironment forSocializationandTalent 8 Italian Fashion & Innovation new agglomerationcenter. Corso ComoandtheGaribaldiarea ofMilanlooktobeformingitselfintoa difference. Thatsaid,forthepurposesofthispaper, there islittledoubtthat projectssignificant doubtthatthegovernment-funded willmakemuchofa have already beguntohearsignificantfearsthatthishasalready occurred, and In ourinterviewswithleadingdesignersinMilanoverthepastfiveyears,we come from alloverItalyandincreasingly from alloverEurope andtheworld. “spillovers” thatcreate newopportunities,astalentedyoungdesignersstill of thepositivepull,momentum,andseeminglyunshakeableattraction another creative city. Milan,ifitdoesnotdoso,desperatelyriskslosingall Agglomeration centersmustdoso,orrisklosingthebestinagivenfieldto horrid “liveable”city, seemstobeattemptingcatchupinthisregard. Pierce andTaylor onthistopic).Milan,whichhaslongbeenknownasarather choices, andtheirneedsare formingcities(seethe2008paperbyBrokenshire, to somedegree calltheirshotswhenindemand.Creative workershavemore positive urbanspaces.Theyare oftencomingfrom allovertheworldandcan talent, inthefuture. Creative workers,asweknowfrom Florida,demandsuch knowledge workerstothearea, aswellactanattractionforoutside the Isoladistrictonfarside.Thesedevelopmentswillnodoubtbringlocal Restaurants setuptablesinthecenterofCorsoComo,givingpeoplechancetounwind aftershopping. The blockislitteredwithclothingstores,bookcafes,restaurants,andmore. Corso Como,Summer2008 9

Italian Fashion & Innovation Corso Como The planneddevelopmentoftheareaaroundCorsoComo,includingCittàdellaModa. Garibaldi RepubblicaPlan,2009(Planned) 10 Italian Fashion & Innovation There isbutoneArmani. ever beabletodobeautiful qualitythingslikeItaly. competition fordesign,there issomecertaintyinthebeliefthatnoonewill difficult ithasbecomefor Italiancompaniestodifferentiate withglobal for thepowerofItalianqualityasabasisdesign.Given howincreasingly By lookingatItalianinnovationthrough thislens,wegainanewappreciation + theimportanceofGoldenQuaddistrictinMilan + thetiesbetweenfashion,publishing,andarchitecture industriesinMilan + thestatusofCittàdellaModainMilan innovation inFlorence + newexhibitionsatthePittiImmagine,andwhethercansustain evolve infuture studiesinclude: agglomeration centersinMilanandFlorence. Specificareas thatweneedto continue toevolvethistopicaswewatchwithinterest whathappenstoboth but thatisthepointourresearch hasgottentothus far. Inanycase,wewill Italian Fashionandicebergsdon’t belonginthesamesentencetogether, us. Thestudiesconductedin2008were justatipoftheiceberg.Perhaps future Italiateams,justasHeatherChiang’s workservedasafoundationfor from the2008ItaliaDesignteamwillhopefullyserveasafoundationfor The research, observations,interviews,andfindings regarding Italianfashion planned CittàdellaModawouldnotbecreated. within acity, andwithouttheseelementsinplace,newinnovationslikethe open, accessibleenvironment are importantelements inthecycleofinnovation surrounding developmentsinMilan).Well-supported agglomerationsandan and opportunitiesforcurrent andfuture interactions (CorsoComoand knowledge exchangethrough agglomerations(PittiImmagineinFlorence) we haveseenthecontemporaryfashionindustryincrease opportunitiesfor is playkeyroles inItaly’s overallinnovation.From ourobservationsin-field, The fashionindustryitselfdoesnotdriveinnovationinItaly;whatit Conclusion may trulybeabletosustaincurrent knowledgeworkersandattractnewtalent. Garibaldi Repubblicaregeneration planare complete,theCorsoComoarea then alsofuelinnovation.Inthefuture, whentheCittàdellaModaand environment canalsoattractoutsideknowledgeworkersintothearea, who is thenfedbackintotheirworkandhelpfuelmore innovation.Thisincreased canstimulatetheircreativity,constantly energizedwhichinturn creativity that By increasing thequality-of-lifeofanarea, knowledgeworkerswillbe 11 Italian Fashion & Innovation Puglisi, L.(2007).Italy:ANewArchitectural Landscape.NewJersey:JohnWiley Pitti Immagine.(2008).Immagine:AboutUs. Menkes, S.(2004).Fashion:TheRegenerationGame. Gehl Architects. (2005).Milan—GaribaldiRepubblica. Foot, J.(2001)MilanSincetheMiracle:city, culture andidentity. NewYork; Florida, R.(2005).CitiesandtheCreative Class.NewYork. Abingdon,Oxon, ArchiPortale. (2007).Masterplanarea Garibaldi-Repubblica. Outside ReferencesCited: Karimi, A.&Pante,D.(2008).FashioninMilan. Karimi, A.&Pante,D.(2008).Florence andFashionsincethe1940s. Chua, K.&Shinto,Y. (2008).MilanInnovativeCity. Italia DesignPresentationsCited: Cochrane, J.&Taylor, R.(2006).NuovoMilano. Chiang, H.&Taylor, R.(2007).Innovation,Agglomeration&Creative Cities. Italia DesignResearchPapersCited: Branzi, A.(July2008).DesignMuseum,MilanTriennale. Italia DesignInterviewsCited: References & SonsIncPublishing. http://www.pittimmagine.com/en/chisiamo/index.php http://www.iht.com/articles/2004/02/25/rmilan_ed3_.php http://www.gehlarchitects.com/index.php?id=165303 Oxford: Berg. UK: Routledge. asp?preview=&IdProg=3456 http://www.archiportale.com/progetti/schedaprogetto. http://www.sfu.ca/italiadesign/2008/pretrip/design-innovation.html http://www.sfu.ca/italiadesign/2008/pretrip/florence.html http://www.sfu.ca/italiadesign/2008/pretrip/design-innovation.html http://www.sfu.ca/italiadesign/2006/file/papers/NuovoMilano.pdf http://www.sfu.ca/italiadesign/2007/page/Papers.html 12