MILAN–At The La Scala Theater Academy, a group of about 16 young women between the ages of 20 and 30 are celebrating a job well done on the tutus and the leotards they crafted embroidered by hand for the “Cinderella” ballet that recently closed at the 18th century opera.

The school’s year-long costume design program students are exposed to the theater world – from the building block stages of costume design to the anxious moments before showtime, where gowns and capes need last minute alterations before stepping out under the spotlight and before the world’s most formidable opera and ballet critics.

During the 1100 hours of coursework and manual labor, the students are also faced with the task of crafting by hand period pieces like 17th century brocade gowns and boleros fit for the Bonapartes or the Coburg Gothas.

“They really have to start from zero – from the petticoat to the wired corset to the embroidery,” said costume design professor Chiara Donato.

“After completing this course, a lot of them go on to work with big ateliers like Versace or to start their own ateliers making wedding dresses or ball gowns, mostly because they obtain such a broad range of education from this program,” Donato added.

The school’s organizers said that about 50 or 60 young people apply per year. Only about 16 or 18 of them will be selected for the program. The cost of the course is 7000 euros, which is considered a competitive college tuition by Italian standards. Only a handful are allowed to apply for need-based student loans.

Milan native Alessia Fregonese, a 21 year old from Milan said that in high school she made purses and wallets by hand for fun and played drums in an orchestra. She found out about La Scala’s school through a friend who had heard about their Open House. “It was the perfect environment for me.”

Also seeking the excitement of the stage, Francesca Gennari, 21 year old from Torino opted for La Scala’s school rather than a traditional fashion school because she wanted a full-immersion course in how things work backstage.

“In the end, I am really learning a sense of teamwork here. I don’t think I would have gotten that from a traditional fashion program.”

ALSO IN THIS ISSUE: Costumery At World’s Oldest Opera, Gherardini: Preserving Icons, Musella Dembech: Father and Son, Brunello Cucinelli: The Solomeo School 

MILAN—Livia Firth, founder of Eco Age, is perhaps one of the fiercest proponents of ethical and sustainable fashion in the world. With the help of Italy’s fashion chamber and its president Carlo Capasa, the Green Carpet Fashion Awards took place at Milan’s La Scala opera house fashion pillars like Giorgio Armani, Anna Wintour, Alessandro Michele, and Miuccia Prada mingled with Hollywood stars like Colin Firth and Dakota Johnson.  From the crimson velvet stage of the world’s oldest opera house, they all paid homage to the artisans and game changers in the industry.

By uniting Hollywood’s A-List and Italy’s vanguard fashion labels to promote the cause, Firth and Capasa may have found the secret sauce to achieving a 360 degree sustainable industry and shining a spotlight on some of the smaller realities that make up the backbone of the fashion industry.

Chiara Vigo, master sea-silk artisan, received the Artisanal Laureate award. Vigo is reportedly the last weaver to make sea silk in the world.  Her craft dates back to biblical times and traces of the fabric can be found in royal Egyptian tombs and in the ruins of Ancient Greece.

“My advice to young people today, is take it slow. There is no place for speed in Made in Italy,” Vigo said, in an emotional speech.

The seamstresses of Maison Valentino, who craft the house’s red carpet gowns by hand, received a heartfelt standing ovation and the award for The Art of Craftsmanship. The founder Valentino Garavani has said in his memoirs that they are the secret to his success. This was also echoed by his successor Pierpaolo Piccioli on stage who wore a white robe to match the team to show his admiration for their dedication and skill.

Other winners included the owners of New Life Yarns and the Como-based Taroni silk mill.

Emerging designer Tiziano Guardini received the Franca Sozzani GCC award for best emerging designer. Other nominees included Co|Te, Matea Benedetti of Matea, and Leo Macina of Leo Studio – all up-and-comers who have embraced sustainability and are committed to working under an ethical ethos for years to come.

“For me, sustainability and not creating waste and polluting the earth has always been a part of my credo. Thanks to technology, that is now possible,” Macina said.

“Italian textile makers are really working hard to put forth sustainable offerings. As designers, we are not only trying to eliminate waste but also design our fashions in a way that eliminates the use of metals and plastics. It’s the future. It’s our future and our message we want young designers to hear,” CO|TE Tomaso Anfossi and Francesco Ferrari said.

The event Firth coined the “Academy Awards of Sustainable Fashion” closed with Prada, Michele, Giorgio Armani, and Pierpaolo Piccioli standing side by side in silence onstage in acceptance of the CNMI Sustainability Award – a striking sign of fashion’s solidarity with the cause.