Green Fashion Week in Rome (2017)

Bird’s-eye view on Green Fashion Week at Rome

The sixth edition of Green Fashion Week came to its end, but no need to be sad. I believe we are just in the beginning of an enchanting story. A story that began taking shape at Dubai and continued evolving while making stops at Abu-Dhabi, Milan, Los Angeles, Las Vegas to arrive at Rome (6-9 Nov. 2017). You can read all the details around the event at the Green Fashion Week website as well as get educated by all the information thoughtfully delivered at their page and the way the event was made CO₂ neutral by offsetting the footprint of all the factors surrounding the event.

What I want to share with you is the part of the story that I was fortunate to see revealed in front of me. The events during the green fashion week were at luxurious locations around Rome as well as at the open at some of the famous Roman squares, streets and monuments as the location chosen for the third day of the fashion week — Fori Imperiali.

This day was not for the public, not even for the media (in a way), my seat was overseeing the Foro di Augusto from which I could observe everything that was happening amidst the ruins, just like looking through a time portal and observing our own generation. Sometimes, in order to get a different perspective changing your actual physical perspective helps.

Just like Robin Williams made his students climb on top of the desk in “Dead Poets Society” to get a different perspective, seeing the show from a bird’s-eye view engaged me on another level. At first I got a bit disappointed and was about to lose interest as the models were walking carefully on the uneven ‘catwalk’ due to the fact that I was seating so far above that it was impossible to see any details of the garments. Thus, I was gazing at the augustus surrounding under the sounds of the classical music coming from the orchestra from the Conservatorio di Milano, I felt the show like none before.

As the aim of the event that day was to make promotional materials to spread the word of sustainability among the fashion lovers and the world, there were few camera guys and photographers. I was observing all the people around me trying to see the models, many attempting at taking pictures, some fortunate enough to have good cameras probably succeeded, but the rest were left disappointed to see their phones reaching the end of their capabilities, not being able to bringing the usual satisfaction of ‘Insta-perfect’ picture to their owners, so they had to stick to the selfies #GREENFW #begreen or some blurred images of the show that appeared in a way unreachable, not for the phone, nor for the naked eye.

In the meantime, the models were walking forming a snake like path while the photographers were buzzing around them. At this very moment fashion was high, powerful, unreachable at the same time exaggerated and insignificant: magnified by humans as we are the ones who decide to give power to the idea of fashion. Being the creators of it, the industry future is in our hands and thus we cannot be doomed by it. The designer, the mistress, the merchandiser, the buyer — we all have a common goal and fashion is our language.

“Because of language, man has access to the past and the future. He can express the true and the untrue. Language helps him understand both what is and what could be.”

~Wesley Douglass Camp (1915–1991)

Maybe as the reign of Augustus initiated an era of peace come to be known as Pax Romana, the Green Fashion Week will be the beginning of a long peaceful relationship with nature, starting by creating a minimal waste culture and spreading the word of it.

All good things come to an end.. feeling insignificant among nature

As the show was over, the girls and I decided to go for a drink, as this is Rome — anything is possible, even seeing the designer after the show. Yes, such an exciting city! We were just on our way, when I saw Kristina Burja, the founder and designer of Krie — a well-established Croatian fashion brand. At first glance, I saw her saturated green dress as we crossed paths and I though she is one of the models, because I recognized the design from what I managed to see from far just minutes ago. But it was Kristina in her own designs as another lady was going to take a picture of her at the background of the magnificent Imperial Forum.

Carpe diem! I was shy, but my friend encouraged me, so I asked her if I could also take her picture and she agreed. Unfortunately, the lighting wasn’t working for me (during the whole show)… details. She struck me as a humble persona. I think that she is a perfect example of the new wave in fashion. If we see more down-to-earth professionals, we can engage into more honest conversations that matter for the industry and the community as a whole. Thumbs up for keeping it real!

“In the vision of a future, better for fashion, better for this world, nothing must be wasted. Every element can be recycled. In my collection I use polyester created from recycled polyamides.”

~ Kristina Burja

I will leave you with some food for thought from Dead Poets Society (recommending the movie, if you haven’t see it):

O Me! O Life!

O Me! O life!… of the questions of these recurring;

Of the endless trains of the faithless—of cities fill’d with the foolish;

Of myself forever reproaching myself, (for who more foolish than I, and who more faithless?)

Of eyes that vainly crave the light—of the objects mean—of the struggle ever renew’d;

Of the poor results of all—of the plodding and sordid crowds I see around me;

Of the empty and useless years of the rest—with the rest me intertwined;

The question, O me! so sad, recurring—What good amid these, O me, O life?

Answer.

That you are here—that life exists, and identity;

That the powerful play goes on, and you will contribute a verse.