Phygital Sustainability Expo: Italian Politics Meets Fashion's Green Transition

The fourth edition of Phygital Sustainability Expo took place on July 5-6, 2023, at the Mercati di Traiano in Rome, featuring 97 speakers across 18 panels. Organized by Valeria Mangani, President of Sustainable Fashion Innovation Society, the event focused on sustainable fashion, including a Narrated Fashion Show highlighting carbon footprint, alternative fibers, and digital technologies. Notable attendees included Italian ministers Adolfo Urso (Made in Italy), Daniela Santanché (Tourism), Alessandra Locatelli (Disabilities), and other political figures like Federico Mollicone, Fabio Rampelli, and Alessandra Mussolini (MEP). The expo received support from ICE President Matteo Zoppas and SMI President Sergio Tamborini. Mangani, a former Vice President of Altaroma and Director of External Relations for Rome's mayor, is accredited with FAO and UN agencies. The event highlighted Italy's fashion export record of over 1,160 billion euros in 2022, but also concerns about Chinese consumer behavior post-COVID. Major Italian fashion players like Camera della Moda, Altagamma, and Pitti Immagine were absent, which Mangani attributed to fear of independent initiatives. The expo will be recognized by the UN at COP28 in Dubai.