Milan's February 2024 Fashion Week: Embracing Diversity with an Array of Unique Artisanal Creations

 

 

In an era in which diversity is a distinctive trait that enriches the social fabric, fashion becomes the perfect stage to celebrate multiculturalism, promote inclusion and honor manufacturing craftsmanship. During the last edition of GX Fashion Week 2024, held on Monday 26 February 2024 in Milan, at Palazzo Emilio Turati, a masterpiece that stands in Via Meravigli, these values ??emerged forcefully, transforming the catwalks into manifestations of creative successes. The event was not only an exhibition of the latest design trends, but also a celebration of multiple identities that make up the contemporary world. Designers from every corner of the globe have brought with them unique influences, weaving stories of tradition and innovation. What made this Fashion Week even more significant was its emphasis on inclusion. Models of different nationalities were the undisputed protagonists of the fashion shows, breaking stereotypes and demonstrating that beauty is truly universal.

 

The catwalks have become authentic reflections of society, where every individual has found space to express themselves and feel represented. Manufacturing craftsmanship was also valued and celebrated. While the world of fashion often turns to large-scale production, this GX Fashion Week placed an emphasis on craftsmanship, bringing the focus back to traditional techniques and fine materials. The clothes on display proved to be the strong points of the craftsmanship put into play by each designer, each representing their creator through refined details and impeccable workmanship.

 

 

Each piece translated into a tribute to dedication, taste and refined research. “Our vision for this Fashion Week was to create an authentic space where diversity was celebrated in all its forms. We wanted to break the traditional mold and offer an inclusive platform in which every person, regardless of origin, felt welcomed and represented", declares Gentiana Dervishi, organizer, now a point of reference for big names in the sector, "We worked closely with designers and models coming from various countries, with a wide range of cultural backgrounds, pushing on the concept of wealth on textile contents and customs-cleared models. Craftsmanship was at the center of our Fashion Week. We tried to enhance the work of the stylists who participated, showcasing their skills and their commitment to quality and attention to detail.

 

 

We wanted to demonstrate that fashion can be both beautiful and ethical and in this we promoted these aforementioned incontrovertible contents. One of the main challenges was knowing how to dare, focusing on designers of absolute merit and value. Our event inspired people to embrace craftsmanship which, forcefully, remains one of the cornerstones of my fashion ideals. My intent must translate into a catalyst for positive change in the fashion sector, pushing towards greater inclusion and sustainability and we will continue to work on this. We want to demonstrate, as we have been doing for years, that it is possible to combine ethics and creativity, hoping that our organization will act as a guiding star in the world I love most: fashion", concludes Gentiana Dervishi. The designer who opened the evening with her masterpieces on the catwalk was Margarita Kola, an Albanian with 30 years of experience, who began her career as a child, a daughter of art, coming from a family of tailors and growing up among scissors , needle and thread.

 

At the age of 22 he moved to Greece, where he immediately began working for great stylists in the production sector and his work spread throughout the world. In the last five years she has opened her own atelier in Greece under the brand called “Atelier Margot”, specializing in wedding and evening dresses, while also continuing to produce for other stylist and designer colleagues. He has only been living in Italy for a short time, he has moved his brand to Cuneo, where he lives and has already taken part in previous Aps Showteam fashion shows. In his collections he is inspired by inner strength in all the most varied intentions. Michele Umberto Perrera, brand Sartoria Perrera is a stylist who today has 70 years of experience, where for decades he has been very successful and appreciated throughout the world. His sartorial works have received success and acclaim. He took part in the Sanremo Fashion Festival in 1968. In 1971 he received an invitation to join the "Accademia dei Sartori di Roma", a reality founded in the 18th century. From 1974 onwards it confirmed itself as a staple for the annual fashion shows held at the Teatro Regio in Turin. It has also been making women's clothes for 50 years.

 

 

The 80s and 90s were a source of sartorial research for him, the recognition of which identified him among the promoters of the new and sophisticated innovative technologies that he began to popularize from 2000 onwards. From here he wrote and designed a publication called "Treatise for Tailoring", a masterpiece that went viral all over the world, whose sartorial techniques contained are appreciated in the most influential salons in the sector. The Cav. Perrera specializes in the design, creation and packaging of top-level clothing for both men and women. In 1970 he placed second in the then very renowned "Golden Scissors" competition, receiving the prize called "Il Centimetro d'Oro". He is part of the association organizing the event and his precious advice makes solid quality shine through. He has participated in all the GX Fashion Weeks of the last 5 years. Ketty Nuñez, brand Kenu, is a stylist who discovered her talent for the love of art since childhood. She was immediately inspired by her hometown, Cartagena with its wonderful beaches, built in colonial style. The stylist likes the definition “it's like living in a museum”. Art is present everywhere and there are numerous traditional textile shops, a detail that made it easier for her to have her first contact with her passion for sewing. Ketty has always wanted to design and create high fashion clothes and since high school she decided to undertake the path that would see her establish herself as a seamstress six years later. But it was long after studying history at the University of Cartagena and pedagogy at the University of Zurich in Switzerland, that he decided to return to design in order to establish himself in the world of fashion. Kenu is his brand and since the beginning it has represented elegance and good dressing in Switzerland.

 

 

A mix of classic and elegant cuts with a touch of extravagance and femininity. They followed stylists from the jewelery sector, promoted by the MUBRI Spain Association. Non-profit organization, with the mission of promoting associated jewelers, such as Elsy Aragón, a Venezuelan who lives in Spain and owner of the INDIGO brand. She loves creative, personalized and fashion jewelry, an area in which she specializes. Passionate about geometry, architecture and industrial design, from which she draws inspiration to create her collections. Volume, dimensions and modules are important characteristics present in his creations. Elsy Aragon presented an exclusive collection of jewelery meticulously designed to highlight individuality and enhance the innate beauty of each person. Each piece sparked a deep connection with those who admired it. He has participated with clear success in intercontinental exhibitions, receiving acclaim and fanfare from the highest global personalities in the sector. Martha Guevara, from whom the eponymous brand, Venezuelana, began in the jewelry sector in 2012. She expresses her passion for the art of fire through the fusion of elements from different disciplines where porcelain and glass occupy a place of honor in the creation of unique pieces, decorated in metal through the use of advanced goldsmith techniques. His jewels have enchanted various salons in Madrid, catwalks of national importance in Spain and Latin America. Martha Guevara is also the author of three books, authentic manuals in digital version, which have become a point of reference in trade shows around the world. Andreea Siia, a designer of Romanian nationality who lives in Spain, wanted to convey sustainability, femininity, exclusivity and refinement.

 

 

Learning the craft in an artisanal way in the workshops of established jewelers, he falls in love with metal and decides to dedicate himself completely to it in 2022, creating unique and personal jewels that reflect his essence, inspired by his travels, art and nature, so much to establish itself immediately in the sector. Each piece of jewelery created by Siia is unique and personalized, making it a special piece for those who purchase it. The brand is inspired by the beauty and diversity of nature to create designs that evoke the elegance of organic shapes, such as leaves, branches and flowers, using high quality materials such as silver, gems, gold. Delphine Tempels, a designer of Belgian origin, produces exclusive pieces to which she adds personalized details, using noble raw materials such as silver, 18-carat gold and precious gems. The brand is based in Ibiza. In this feminine, free and delicate collection, which evokes the Pitiusas Islands (Eivissa and Formentera), its Mediterranean corals, the rocks of its coves and the play of brilliance of its crystalline waters, Delphine brings the ancient technical tradition of granulation.Elena Vicente, a Spaniard from Salamanca, created the Evivid brand in 2023, which represents the conscious manifestation of her passion for creating unique and meaningful jewelry that captures the essence of each person. His family's move to Milan marked a turning point in his life, leaving his profession as an engineer to explore and develop his passion professionally.

 

 

But Evivid is not just Elena; mining engineer and gemologist, specializing in diamonds, trained in 3D jewelry appraisal and design, fashion designer creating beauty, value and trust. The fashion shows closed with the A Tangerine design brand, a line of luxury women's clothing created by designer Lejda Troci, to celebrate the fusion of the heights of fashion nostalgia with the energy of the present. Lejda's models have attracted the attention of the upper middle class even in the United States of America, where he currently lives, then in Albania, his country of origin, passing through Italy and extending his consensus in various Mediterranean states . A Tangerine Design in addition to this Milan fashion week, has just achieved enormous success at New York fashion week a few days ago. A sophisticated style, composed of luxury fabrics, set and elegant handcrafted details created with crochet, inlaid with intricate threads with crystal reflections. Refined, elegant details where high quality fabrics play a fundamental role in the creation of distinctive clothing items. These materials add a feeling of opulence and sophistication. Overall, this style has clearly captured the essence of timeless elegance with a distinctive and charming look. To make models wonderful and enchanting, a team of make-up artists and hair stylists from numerous countries around the world: Silvana Mekoqi, Alex Radulescu, make-up coordinators, Arta Kola Corrado Costanzo, hair stylist coordinators, then Livia Qoshjea, Valentina Shala, Liljana Grembi, Liri Maletaj, Vjollca Bregu, Giulia Stracquadagno, Hgroina Miftari, Ledi Dupi, Flavia Halili, Jetmira Rrucaj. At the opening, the large audience, made up of fashion authorities and institutions from various states, admired the Italian national champion dancer, Florence Gavinelli, dancing. The General Director of the sector Alessia Xhafa coordinated the work and finally the event was presented by the blogger, communicator, radio host and podcaster Alessio Marrari.