The G20 summit closes today in Rome and heads of state and government of the world's 20 largest economies will then reach Glasgow for the UN Climate Change Conference (COP26).
Usually, when there are such events, the attention of the fashion media is reserved to the outfits chosen by the participants or by their partners. Yet this time there was a fashionable moment at the summit, but it didn't revolve around a particular style choice by the heads of state invited or by their partners. This moment of fashion came indeed courtesy of Brunello Cucinelli, also known as the "king of cashmere", invited to speak at the conference by Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi.
On his Instagram page, Cucinelli wrote about his invitation at the Rome G20, "Major topics were discussed, such as the fight against climate change, the pandemic and measures to support global recovery. My contribution concerned in particular Human Sustainability and Humanistic Capitalism, topics that are particularly dear to me, to which I have dedicated and still passionately dedicate my work and my life."
"It was with honour and extraordinary emotion that I addressed those human beings to outline my dream of returning to believe in a new harmonious respect for the planet. In greeting and thanking them, I hope my heart suggested the right words for a request addressed to them, I like to believe, on behalf of the whole of mankind: 'Oh my esteemed and powerful temporary guardians of Creation, you who are responsible for the beauty of the world, please show us the way to life. May Creation protect us and enlighten us towards a new universal Humanism'."
Cucinelli believes indeed in a new kind of capitalism that doesn’t exploit human beings but that gives back to the community. When last year Covid hit Italy hard, he started posting positive messages and optimistic letters on his Instagram page. Then, last summer, he launched a project in support of mankind, consisting in taking garments that remained unsold from his shops, labelling them as "Brunello Cucinelli for Humanity" and donating them, a reasonable alternative to what other companies usually do - destroying unsold stock from previous collections or offering these designs s discounted deals at luxury outlets.
When vaccines became available, Cucinelli established a vaccination hub in Solomeo, the hamlet he restored over the years and the place where his headquarter is also based. The hub guaranteed vaccines for his workers, but was open to locals as well.
Prior to the G20 Summit Cucinelli unveiled a new project, the creation of a Universal Library (with a project by architect Massimo de Vico Fallani), located in a fine 18th century villa with a large park in Solomeo, that will be open to the public and will store books about philosophy, architecture, literature, poetry and craftsmanship.
Defined by Cucinelli himself as "a fascinating new initiative for humanity" the project is inspired by Emperor Hadrian's words, "Books show the way to life, and founding libraries is like building public granaries."
But if Cucinelli looks at humanity and crafts, at the G20 there was also a link between fashion and technology through the Sustainable Markets Initiative (established last year by HRH The Prince of Wales at the World Economic Forum's annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland) Fashion Taskforce.
Chaired by Federico Marchetti, founder of the Yoox Net-a-porter Group, and boasting among its members Riccardo Bellini, president and CEO of Chloé; Maximilian Bittner, CEO of Vestiaire Collective; Gabriela Hearst, founder of Gabriela Hearst and Riccardo Stefanelli, CEO of Brunello Cucinelli among the others, the Fashion Taskforce unveiled, as part of The Prince of Wales' visit to the G20, a Digital ID. The latter, initially a QR code, but brands may choose their own platforms and formats, from the blockchain to NFTs, will allow consumers to gather further information about a specific product and discover its sustainability credentials, guaranteeing transparency and traceability.
In the last few years quite a few brands and groups have been moving towards this solution: in 2019 French luxury goods conglomerate Louis Vuitton Moët Hennessy (LVMH) started exploring the possibilities of the blockchain and invested millions to establish the AURA platform, that recently turned into a Consortium (that now comprises also the Prada Group, Compagnie Financière Richemont and OTB). The groups that joined the AURA blockchain want to give their consumers a message about responsible sourcing, traceability along the supply chain and sustainability, as the blockchain allows companies to track the raw materials and original components employed to make a product.
"The new Digital ID shows how business is committed to meaningful, measurable change: providing customers with the information they need to make cleaner, healthier, and more sustainable choices. It shows that business doesn't just talk about these issues, but has taken action," the Prince of Wales stated while at the G20 summit in Rome. Let's just hope these initiatives are not temporary stunts to attract the attention of the media (well, in Cucinelli's case they certainly aren't stunts...) and that more will follow along these lines in future.
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