Intimo più mare n° 200 - Luglio 2015

ENGLISH TRANSLATION
The Ethical Fashion Initiative is a flagship programme of the
International Trade Centre, a joint agency of the United Nations and
the World Trade Organization. The Ethical Fashion Initiative enables
artisans living in urban and rural poverty to connect with the global
fashion chain. The Initiative also works with the rising generation of
fashion talent from Africa, encouraging the forging of sustainable
and fulfilling creative collaborations with artisans on the continent.
The Ethical Fashion Initiative produces high-end luxury pieces in
partnership with major fashion houses including Stella McCartney,
Vivienne Westwood, Chan Luu, Sass & Bide, Osklen, United Arrows
and Karen Walker to name a few. Stella Jean decided to be part in the
initiative and has visited Burkina Faso and Haiti to meet directly with
artisans and source fabric and jewellery items for her collections. For
the Ethical Fashion Initiative, Stella Jean is a key partner that shares
the same ethical philosophy.
The Haitian tradition of Art Naïf and artisanal handcrafts come to life
in collection of jewelry developed during Stella Jean’s trip to Haiti with
the ITC Ethical Fashion Initiative team.
The papier-mâché fruits are produced in Jacmel, the cultural capital
of Haiti and home to the country’s largest carnival, for which local
artisans craft colourful papier-mâché masks and decorations. The
Stella Jean collection was produced by a group of the most skilled
artisans in Jacmel. The fruit pieces were made entirely from a mix
of recycled cement bags and plant-based starches such as cassava
and each piece has been hand-painted with care.
Produced in a Port-au-Prince atelier of around fifty artisans specialized
in horn and bone material for the Spring Summer 2015 collection. This
animal by-product is washed, cut, shaped and polished to perfection
to achieve a smooth and glossy surface. Stella Jean designed these
pieces directly with the local artisans during her sourcing trip to Haiti
with the ITC Ethical Fashion Initiative.
The Stella Jean metal jewelry collection was made in several different
ateliers that are part of a large community of metalwork artisans based
in Croix-des-Bouquets, on the outskirts of Port-au-Prince. There, the
local metalsmiths forged the Stella Jean pendants and bangles out
of recycled oil drums using just a hammer and physical strength to
create the design. The final items were then hand-painted, making
each and every piece unique.
COMPANIES on page 170
FALKE - DESIGN AND PERFORMANCE
For its 120 th anniversary, this German firm has launched an innovative
line men’s and women’s stockings, featuring graduated compression,
combining style with great performance
The time-honored Falke tradition has roots dating back, as was
mentioned above, fully 120 years. A legacy devoted to a relentless
quest for quality, style and innovation in order to ensure hosiery
products that are right in fashion while boasting extraordinary
performance features, totally made in Germany, catering to both men
and women of distinction. In order to properly celebrate this important
anniversary, the company, by now led by the fourth generation of the
founder’s family, Franz Peter and Paul Falke, has proudly introduced
Falke Compression, the range of stockings boasting graduated
compression, inspired by products created to serve the athletic and
medical sectors, but flourishing aesthetic refinements for the ladies
and special performance for the men. Verena Bartl, senior product
manager for Falke’s women’s division, explained how this remarkable
new line came into being: “When it comes to women, Falke is the
undisputed specialist at creating perfect legs. The idea this time
around was to develop a technology that, not only makes it possible
to create a stunning aesthetic effect, but also improve the beauty and
well-being of the leg from the inside out. The goal is to translate the
concept of health and wellness into product which can be worn on
an everyday basis, without settling for compromises on the fronts in
the areas of either styling or functionality. For the men, on the other
hand, it’s more a question of performance features, being able to
come up with a versatile product capable of supporting and even
enhancing performance over the course of the working day, not to
mention during moments of leisure time activities”.
There are a number of different benefits provided by this innovative
line: “The carefully studied system of graduated compression which
has been incorporated into the design of the stockings, in keeping
with the most recent discoveries in the hosiery sector, stimulates the
arteries and veins, improving the circulation of life-giving blood, while
augmenting the supply of oxygen to stressed tissues. This imbues the
leg with a sense of elevated energy and lightness, while significantly
reducing levels of fatigue toward the end of a long day. The attractive
women’s line also features a series providing a shaping effect, for
legs that are more slender and gracefully sculpted. In the case of
the men’s products, the hosiery items provide a sense of well-being
and energy and may be worn for a vast array of different situations”,
explained Verena Bartl.
The line devoted to the women, called, Falke Leg Aesthetics, subtly
combines the aesthetic factor with functional considerations, including
three types of products. The series of pantyhose and mid-calf
length socks, Leg Vitalizer, featuring medium levels of compression,
guarantees stimulation to the arteries and veins located in the outer
layers of the skin, ensuring a sense of lightness and soothing relief,
even after long hours of standing. Not less important, the reinforced
pantyhose assure greater product wear, while the 3D technology
offers an attractive fashion aspect. Leg Energizer, on the other hand,
boasts high levels of compression, stimulating blood vessels located at
a greater depth in the leg, thanks to the double strand of Lycra from
which the pantyhose and stockings are made. This high-performance
series ensures revitalized, light and reinvigorated legs; in addition, it
makes it possible to present the development of unsightly varicose
veins. Among the exciting new developments in the women’s segment
one also finds the Shaping Collection, featuring pantyhose with a
flat-tummy effect which also shape the waist, hips and thighs. The
transparent or semi-opaque appearance of these products renders
legs elegant and highly appealing. The gentlemen are also demanding
this sort of high performance. Life Performance Solutions is the name
of a line of hosiery, perfect for travel, at work and during relaxing
leisure moments, thanks to a contemporary design, perfect for a whole
range of different occasions. The construction guarantees greater
circulation of the blood, bringing higher levels of oxygen to the legs.
This series offers two levels of graduated compression: Energizing
Cotton and Falke Energizing Wool with a medium compression for
stockings which ergonomically embrace the foot and leg, providing
support and sense of well-being; Falke Ultra Energizing, especially
indicated for frequent travel in airplanes, but also recommended for
men who have to remain standing or seated for extended periods of
time, offering a high level of compression and providing vital energy,
a sense of lightness for the leg and excellent support, avoiding the
unpleasant and unsightly problem of swelling in the lower limbs.
According to Verena Bartl one must not be alarmed by the initial
sensation when first trying these graduated compression products:
“People wearing a graduated compression product for the very first
time may be aware of a greater sense of tightness than with normal
hosiery. These products have to fit snugly; otherwise the beneficial
effects for the arteries and veins in terms of improved blood circulation
cannot be properly provided. Based on our extensive consumer
testing experience, we have come to learn that this initial sensation of
tightness disappears after wearing the products for just a few minutes,
as the very welcome energizing effect gains the upper hand. Once
a wearer experiences this relief of added vitality and lightness, he
or she quickly understands why these products have been such an
enormous success. My advice is to go ahead and try for yourself. You’ll
be very surprised”. This new range of high-performance products
represents a further demonstration of Falke’s ability to look to the future
and anticipate the needs of its customers. This farsighted approach
is also evident in the global presence of the brand, boasting retail
outlets in over 60 countries around the world.