Maria Luisa Frisa on Fashion's Pandemic Reckoning and the Need for Cultural Investment

In an interview with Artribune, curator and IUAV professor Maria Luisa Frisa discusses the fashion industry's response to the COVID-19 pandemic, emphasizing the need for structural change rather than a return to pre-crisis norms. She highlights the open letter by Dries Van Noten and other designers calling for revised production calendars, and Giorgio Armani's decision to move his Armani Privé haute couture show to Milan. Frisa critiques the Italian government's handling of culture, noting the exclusion of women from decision-making and the postponement of the Venice Architecture Biennale to 2021 and the Art Biennale to 2022. She advocates for a renewed focus on Italy's manufacturing system and the cultural role of fashion, lamenting missed opportunities for a national fashion museum. Her exhibition 'Memos' at Museo Poldi Pezzoli in Milan explores the relationship between contemporary fashion and historical artifacts, arguing that curation is akin to design. Frisa calls for investment in fashion education and a shift away from gigantism toward sustainable narratives.