Italian Inspired Upcycle

Upcycled Fashion In Italy

 A little update about the use of recycled materials in fashion in Italy.

Maybe not everyone knows that Salvatore Ferragamo, aka “the shoemaker of dreams”, was one of the first designers to use recycled materials for his creations...he noted that candy wrappers were a strong material and braided them to create the upper part of his shoes in the 1940s. Due to the big economic crisis during the second world war, expensive materials were not available or affordable.

And what about today? Italians always prefer quite classic styles and it is hard to market unusual looking products here, in my opinion, if not connected with luxury and properly marketed with expensive campaigns. Here are some examples of high market brands that are surprisingly producing recycled materials collections:
Moma Boma creates bags using vintage newspaper, magazines , measure tapes, and (my favourite) pages from kids school scrapbooks, with maths or other subjects assignments and exercises on.

Momaboma arose from Maurizio Longati's passion who, in 2003, build up to little firm from the idea of creating accessories and objects obtained by recovering waste materials… smelling to bit like nostalgic. Nowadays Momaboma has become to successful firm with 300 dealers in Italy and 100 abroad. Its brand mark is now famous in fashion and design trade.
Recently to new service has been MYMOMABOMA, the virtual platform which permit everyone to realize one's own handbag personalized by regaining the farthest memories.