Giovanni Battista Giorgini held a fashion exhibition in Florence on February 12, 1951, which forever altered the course of Italian fashion by introducing the concept of “made in Italy” to the world. Since that day, which occurred 72 years ago, Italy has dressed everyone in the globe, from Hollywood stars to notable figures, sparking a global fashion revolution that has permanently altered the history of our nation. Under the auspices of the ICE Agency (Italian Trade & Investment Agency), the Italian Embassy in Seoul, and Unindustria, the exhibition “Italia è di Moda,” from an idea and curated by Stefano Dominella, president of the Fashion and Design section of Unindustria, is held in Seoul, South Korea, in the halls of High Street Italia, from 1 to 12 February (Union of Industrialists and Companies of Lazio).
The entire world has been “dressed” by Italy, from Hollywood divas to significant figures in world history, sparking a worldwide fashion revolution that has altered the course of our nation’s history. Italian fashion has always kept up with the trends and frequently sets them. Made in Italy has always garnered attention by deftly straddling innovation and tradition, past, present, and future, talent and creative genius, business and economy. This has been true from the calm and elegant style of the 1950s through the nonconformist creations of the revolutionary generation of the 1960s and 1970s, up to the explosion of the progressive phenomenon of the ‘young career’ of the 1980s.
Italian fashion today contributes in more ways than one. The manufacturing firms, designers, and collections still have an impact on the rest of the world. Made in Italy has been associated with quality on the catwalks of Milan, Paris, and New York since the 1980s, and the items produced by Italian businesses have evolved into true symbols of aesthetic excellence. Here is the exhibition “Italia è di Moda,” a fascinating exhibition itinerary with previously unseen clothing and materials, a creative-artisan excursion for both a technical public and for regular exhibition visitors.
As a result, the exhibition will be framed by unpublished works from significant archives and modern collections created using techniques that have shaped the most significant chapters in the history of global fashion and are still practiced today with undeniable mastery, in part because of new technologies. Additionally prominent will be plisse, embroidery, millimetric ribs, hand-painted textiles, and numerous other sartorial techniques. The most significant Italian fashion houses’ extraordinary ingenuity is on exhibit, along with its sartorial wonders. The black and white jacket by Giorgio Armani, the all-white ensemble by Walter Albini, the coat by Max Mara, the ironic milk-themed design by Franco Moschino, featuring a wide skirt over which a black and white cow dominates, and the dress by Emilio Pucci with the print that made him famous throughout the world are just a few of the 50 creations that were drawn from significant historical archives.
Here are some examples of gowns from the Gattinoni historical collection: Lana Turner and Kim Novak in georgette and duchesse satin; Audrey Hepburn in an empire style; Anita Ekberg, the lead character in Federico Fellini’s film; little black dresses by Anna Magnani; a long tail dress with Etro’s iconic paisley print; a colorful print by Gianni Versace; red by Valentino Garavani; sartorial prowe Just a few examples. Along with the aforementioned endeavor, the Italian Fashion Days in Korea trade show will also be held in Seoul from February 1–3 under the auspices of Emi-Ente Moda Italia. Italian Fashion Days in Korea is an event held in collaboration between Aip, Assocalzaturifici, Assopellettieri, Sistema Moda Italia, and Ice Agenzia with the goal of showcasing Italian collections of clothes, footwear, fur, leather products, and accessories for men and women to Korean shoppers.
An ad hoc pavilion will be set up within the event for the display of the capsule collections of three young designers to buyers and the Korean press. The designers were chosen by Stefano Dominella, president of the Fashion, Design department of Unindustria. One of the most significant markets in the global fashion system, the Korean market will be the first for the three designers, Francesca Cottone, Gianluca Saitto, and Michele Gaudiomonte.