Italy's Tailoring Renaissance: Social Sewing Network and Alta Sartoria Show

A national network of social tailoring workshops was established on January 25 in Termoli, bringing together about forty sewing labs across Italy, including projects in Scampia (Naples), a Sicilian fashion lab run by a Gambian youth, and the Nigerian women's group Action Woman in Castel Volturno. Partners include Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore di Milano, Accademia delle Belle Arti Napoli, Slow Fiber, association Next, and e-commerce Gioosto. The network aims to revive craftsmanship, foster social inclusion, and promote sustainable fashion. Separately, during Milan Fashion Week, the collective show 'È di scena l'Alta Sartoria!' featured five high-end tailoring brands: Bruna Couture, Giusi Munafò Couture, Mariateresa Pellegrino, Sartoria Prisciantelli, and Syrtaria. The event, organized by Camera Showroom and Confartigianato, paid homage to Giovanni Battista Giorgini's first fashion show in 1951 at Villa Torrigiani in Florence, which launched Italian haute couture internationally. The resurgence of tailoring reflects a shift toward slow fashion, handcraft, and sustainability, countering fast fashion's overproduction and supply chain issues.