Feel the Green

On February 23 and 24, 2023, "Feel the Green | Behind the stage" will be held at the Officine del Volo in Milan, Italy, the first event dedicated to the behind-the-scenes of the Italian knitwear supply chain, emphasizing sustainability, creativity and uniqueness through talks, product displays, exhibitions, and on-stage meetings.

Inspiring the innovative format of Feel The Yarn® are the six pillars of the 4sustainability® system - PEOPLE, TRACE, MATERIALS, CYCLE, CHEM and PLANET - declined in as many thematic areas.

Characterizing the PEOPLE section will be the encounter between the worlds of work and school, in the belief that training and skills are decisive in accompanying the fashion system's transition to sustainability. Equally central are the enhancement of talents, attention to the well-being and satisfaction of resources, and respect for suitable working conditions.

The Talk "The centrality of the designer in manufacturing" (Feb. 24, 10 a.m.), in particular, will see entrepreneurs, institutions, and experts in the field confront each other, with the presentation of the results of the Con-Text research, financed by the Fondo di Ateneo per la Ricerca di Base (FARB), by Professors Giovanni M. Conti and Martina Motta of the Department of Design of the Politecnico di Milano. At the end of the talk it will also be possible to hold speed-dates between companies and students, accessible only after registering at the following link.

Focusing instead on transparency and traceability of the production chain, the talk in the TRACE section "Traceability and transparency of the supply chain for the credibility of change" (Feb. 23, 4 p.m.). Moderated by Ludovica Braglia (Ympact Benefit Society), the discussion is an opportunity to understand how basic these two factors are for consolidating relations with stakeholders while also improving corporate reputation. Managing the supplier network efficiently, above all, is the only way to lessen the impact of risks arising from the complexity, fragmentation, and global scale of the supply chain. In addition to the presence of important suppliers in the industry, this area also features a 1:1 scale reconstruction of a knitwear product supply chain, from fiber to finished knitwear.

The MATERIALS area is marked by the role and quality of raw materials to be used in production, along with the redefinition of purchasing policies from a sustainable perspective. A number of national and international fiber producers and certification bodies will be present to showcase sustainable Italian yarns from Feel The Yarn® member companies. Also planned will be a "trend" section by students from the Politecnico di Milano - Knitwear Department. Francesca Rulli, CEO and Founder of Process Factory/4sustainability® will moderate the Talk titled "The importance of sustainable raw materials in fashion company purchasing policies" (Feb. 23, 2 p.m.), which will help explore this evidence and its implications for the supply chain.

The reuse of regenerated fibers, the reconstruction of the recycling supply chain from the used garment to the fiber prepared for carded spinning, and the proposed educational tour will be among the highlights of the CYCLE area. In the Talk "Recovery, Reuse, Recycling and Sustainable Design as Concrete Initiatives of Circular Economy" (Feb. 23, 10 a.m.) moderated by Marta Martina (NLE), production and consumption models will be discussed instead. The economic model based on the typical take-make-waste scheme, made anachronistic by the scarcity of materials and resources, is outdated. The alternative? A responsible model based on sharing, reuse, reconditioning, recycling and innovation also in terms of design."

For the CHEM and PLANET areas, two talks with a strong cultural, as well as technical, appeal: "Chemical risk monitoring and reduction of toxic and harmful substances in production cycles" (Feb. 23, 12pm) and "Good practices for reducing the environmental and social impacts of production" (Feb. 24, 12 pm). The focus of the two panel discussions, moderated respectively by Francesca Tardelli (Process Factory/4sustainability®) and journalist Laila Bonazzi, is always processes. Reducing and monitoring chemical risk through a good chemical management system and reducing the impacts of fashion production will be treated as concrete examples of applied sustainability.

Initiative Organized by Feel the Yarn® with the support of Pantone®, 4sustainability®, Politecnico di Milano - Department of Design, NLE (Nuova Libra Editrice) and CSM (Milan Chamber Showroom).
Partners: Artifex Fibrae, Brachi Testing Services, Dell'Orco and Villani, Dueenne, Dumar S.A, Enka, Fibre Pregiate, Finissaggio & Tintoria Ferraris, Gruppo Colle, Indigo, Mohair South Africa, Multidata, Shima Seiki Italia, Stucken Group, Sun Tex,Spinning mills: Avia, Botto Giuseppe & Figli, Casa del Filato, Cotonificio Olcese Ferrari, Dì. Vè, Filati Biagioli Modesto, Filati Naturali, Filatura di Pollone, Filatura Papi Fabio, Filatura Pettinata Luisa 1966, Filatura Tollegno 1900, Filitaly-Lab, Filivivi, Filmar, Filpucci, Iafil Industria Ambrosiana Filati, Ilaria Manifattura Lane, ISY by Torcitura di Domaso, Lanificio dell'Olivo, Linsieme Filati, Manifattura Sesia, Monticolor, Pecci Filati, Pinori Filati, Servizi e Seta, Suedwolle Group Italia, Zegna Baruffa Lane Borgosesia.

For information: team@feeltheyarn.it
Event registration and program available at: https://feeltheyarn.it/it/sostenibilita/feel-the-green-2023/