Milan Fashion Week closes with a gala promoting sustainability

MILAN — Milan designers wrapped up six days of runway womenswear previews with a gala award ceremony at Milan's famed Teatro alla Scala to honor innovations in sustainability.

The first iteration of the awards was launched in 2017 in a bid to recognize green innovation in an industry long associated with excess, and better brand communication about steps they are taking to improve their carbon footprint.

This week also marked the second edition of the Black Carpet Awards, honoring excellence among people of color living and working in Italy as a means of promoting equity.

Black Carpet awards return

British fashion designer Ib Kamara and Angolan supermodel Maria Borges handed out honors at the second edition of the Black Carpet Awards honoring contributions of people of color working in Italy across a variety of sectors.

Honorees included shot-putter Danielle Madam, actor Alberto Malachino, Cinzia Adanna Ebonine, an educator who founded a platform to promote inclusive education, Justin Randolph Thompson, founder of Black History Month Florence, and Alice Edun, the founder of Italy’s first haircare brand for curly hair.

Despite an international audience, many of the award winners made their remarks in Italian, expressing it as a political choice to demonstrate their full integration and self-identification as Italian.

“It remains correct to bet on the competencies of young Italians of foreign origin, in a context like Italy that too often marginalizes us, or wants to make us invisible,'' Adanna Ebonine said. “This award makes me seen in my entirety, not just as a Black person who works in a prevalently white context, but as professional who tries to make a difference in her own way.”

Anna Wintour stopped by to meet the honorees before the evening ceremony.

Afro Fashion Week founder Michelle Francine Ngonmo, who launched the prizes, said she hopes that more sponsors come forward so future editions can come with prize money.

Fashion-forward Ferrari

The fashion side of the Ferrari carmaker draws on automotive innovations for its luxury apparel collections aimed at brand aficionados.

Ferrari Style's creative director, Rocco Iannone, offering supple leather looks inspired by sports cars interiors. Innovations this season include a treated leather for a worn, grease-monkey look, and denim with fibers that have been pulled in lines to create tactile pinstripes. The accessory of choice remains the hard-case clutch shaped like a sports car.

"Performance for us is craftmanship, and it is conveyed through fabrics,'' Iannone said.

Tokyo James touts imperfection

British-Nigerian designer Tokyo James took a swipe at the fashion world's pursuit of perfection with a collection that include little misalignments, like wonky seams.

“We have to stop pursuing perfection all the time,'' he said. ”It's a fight against the way the industry is. We need to be more fluid."

Tokyo James made his Milan debut several seasons ago when there appeared to be a Renaissance of Black designers on the Italian fashion scene. He is one of a few who remain.

"I'm hoping for better days,'' James acknowledged backstage.

Francesca Liberatore offers sculpted looks

Francesca Liberatore paid tribute to her father, the sculptor Bruno Liberatore, with a collection that made his pyramidal structures the leitmotif.

Models wore stylized bell skirts with jutting pyramids over knitwear for a fun, playful look that became more serious and wearable in a later mini version with pink cotton panels. Liberatore designed floral patterns that were embroidered white-on-white “to show the importance of roots.”

"It was my personal story, with my father,'' Liberatore said.