As part of the Europe Month in Cuba, the Embassy of Italy, the Italian Agency for Foreign Trade (ICE) and the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS), presented a project dedicated to creativity Cuban culture and the talent of young people in the fashion field, highlighting peculiarities and links with Italian culture.
In the setting of the “Fábrica de Arte Cubano”, a symbolic place of creativity and art in the capital Havana, representatives of Italian and Cuban institutions attended a unique and original parade which gave visibility to the results of the collaboration of the two countries in fashion and design sector. During the event, divided into two parts, the show gave space to the garments designed and made by 32 young designers who participated in the fashion, design and tailoring workshops promoted by AICS and ICE.
“It was an important opportunity to once again celebrate the talent and creativity promoted through the collaboration between Cuba and Italy,” – declared the Italian Ambassador Roberto Vellano.
The parade was opened by the “Avenida Italia” project, coordinated by the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation, in the municipality of Centro Habana, together with the Provincial Government of Havana and Unioncamere Piemonte. During the circular fashion workshop of this initiative, the young participants were inspired by the comic book characters on Avenida Italia contained in the book “Graphic Habana”, presented last November on the occasion of the Italian Culture Week. The clothes were made thanks to the creative recycling of clothes collected through a Circular Fashion campaign, launched in January this year, in which various institutions participated, donating a contribution of around 500 items.
The second part of the fashion show was dedicated to the results of the “Guayabera” Project, promoted by the ICE Agency in collaboration with the CubaLab company and sponsored by the Istituto Marangoni of Florence. The fruits of the theoretical and practical lessons imparted were presented on the catwalk from prestigious Italian fashion professors to young Cuban designers during a course that took place in Havana between January and March this year. The models presented are the interpretation made by each of the designers of the Cuban garment par excellence: the Guayabera. The work of exchange and contamination between the historical elements of the Cuban garment and the innovations and experience of Italian fashion make each piece presented unique and unrepeatable. The fabrics and accessories used for the packaging are all high fashion, and were donated by a prestigious Italian company.
