Beauty tells the story of what makes ‘Made in Italy’

Beauty is never an end in itself, especially in fashion where aesthetics go hand in hand with the manufacturing and construction of products, an all-Italian know-how that the world envies. Here, beauty is also useful, as evidenced by the immersive exhibition entitled, precisely “Useful beauty”, dedicated to the images created by the photographer Heinz Schattner and set up in Milan at the Meet Digital Culture Center. A cross-section of fashion through the products of the 7 associations that make up Confindustria Moda, which with this event want to promote the beautiful and well-made, also an expression of a cultural background that belongs to the fashion sectors, from footwear to bags, from fur and clothing to fabrics, jewellery, eyewear, and leather. In fact, according to a recent study by Censis entitled “The fashion sector: a pillar of the Italian economy” it turns out that fashion is fully part of a cultural activity, affecting people’s mental wellbeing and lifestyles and transforming ingenious products into useful objects. You can see this in Schattner’s photos – indeed, he defines himself a photographer rather than a fashion photographer – where you get a sense of how a product can become a painting and arouse emotions. His images represent the total freedom of expression that gave life to the shots, combined with precise technical choices.

From the left to the right: Franco Gabbrielli President Assopellettieri, Ercole Botto Poala President Confindustria Moda, Giovanna Ceolini President Assocalzaturifici, Simona Greco Fiera Milano Global Exhibitions Director, Roberto Tadini President AIP, Giovanni Vitaloni President Anfao

Beauty, products, and culture were the leitmotivs of the exhibition’s presentation evening, an occasion on which to recall the upcoming fairs of Micam, Mipel, TheOne Milano (from the 19^th to the 23^rd of February), partially coinciding with Homi Fashion&Jewels (17^th-20^th), and Lineapelle (21^st-23^rd February). Events preceded by Milano Unica (31^st January – 2^nd February) and Mido (4^th-6^th February) and belonging to the Confindustria Moda associations, represented by the president Ercole Botto Paola: “It is not correct to say that culture does not make money;” – he said, introducing the event – “the sectors of Confindustria Moda have a turnover of 108 billion euros and ‘Made in Italy’ is a label that gives a competitive advantage worldwide. And after the pandemic, the world wants our products. We did not expect such a brilliant recovery in the sector and the first months of 2023 also bode well, despite the presence of many critical issues such as the energy crisis which has eroded margins”. The virtuous link between culture and industry was also underlined by Tommaso Sacchi, Councillor for Culture of the Municipality of Milan, and was reaffirmed by Maria Grazia Mattei, founder and president of the Meet Digital Culture Center, a physical and virtual space, created in the belief that innovation is a cultural fact, even before a technological one, and that the diffusion of digital culture favours the growth of the economy. “Ours is a humanistic approach to digital” – explains Mattei – “which connects and integrates with the future MAD, Museum of Digital Art, opening in 2026 (the first of its kind in the world), which will be located in the nearby spaces of the former Albergo Diurno in Porta Venezia”. Paola Frassinetti, undersecretary of the Ministry of Education and Merit, underlined the importance of digital for the transition of companies and the role of training for the fashion sectors. “The Ministry is making an effort to renew ITS (Istituti Tecnici Superiori) in order to revitalise Italian craftsmanship and excellence” – she recalled – “The right mix of digital and creativity is essential to attract young people”.

At the Meet in Milan the event “LA BELLEZZA UTILE”: THE SECRETS OF THE SUCCESS
OF MADE IN ITALY FASHION WORLDWIDE. In the picture Maria Grazia Mattei, President MEET, is speaking

At the Meet in Milan the event “LA BELLEZZA UTILE”: THE SECRETS OF THE SUCCESS
OF MADE IN ITALY FASHION WORLDWIDE. In the picture: during the conference. From left to right: Tommaso Sacchi Assessore alla Cultura di Milano, Paola Frassinetti Sottosegretaria all’Istruzione, Maria Grazia Mattei President MEET, photographer Heinz Schattner, Ercole Botto Poala President of Confidustria Moda and journalist Nicole Bottini.