I have written about it before – and will most likely write about it again and again – but to me what is so important and interesting about fashion is that it touches us all.
Fashion as a form of expression blooms in every corner of our world, and Matera, a small Italian city with a population of 60,000 that pales in comparison to the population of 2.3 million in Rome, is no exception at all.
The city, which is also listed as a UNESCO world heritage site thanks to its beautiful tourist attractions, was awarded the honour of European Capital of Culture for 2019 – and for good reason too.
Each year, the city hosts a fashion awards show called the Città dei Sassi Fashion Awards, aiming to promote the work of smaller and less identifiable designers who perhaps are not given the recognition they deserve during larger evens such as Milan fashion week.
Always hosted in Matera, this year saw the ninth iteration of the awards, applications for which were accepted until the 21st of February. After this point a Council that acts almost like a small-scale version of the CFDA (Council of Fashion Design of America) or BFC (British Fashion Council) narrows down the applicants to a shortlist of eight.
These candidates then present their original creations on the runway, making for one of the most glamourous nights in Matera’s cultural calendar. This year the designers were charged with representing peace and integration in their work, resulting in a show that celebrated diversity.
At the end of the evening, the council decides a winner after having watched the runway presentation of each designer. This year, the prize was awarded by the city’s mayor to Mara Piras, a small designer from Sardinia, chosen thanks to her “ingenuity and potential”.
In a fashion climate that seems often only to want to celebrate already established designers who have an unfortunate monopoly over the industry, events like the Città dei Sassi Fashion Awards in Matera play an integral part in ensuring that small designers like Piras are not left by the wayside.
the Città dei Sassi Fashion Awards in Matera play an integral part in ensuring that small designers like Piras are not left by the wayside.
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European Capital of Culture for 2019
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