Venice Fashion Week 2020. Pieces Of Venice: The souvenir that makes a difference.
The Venice Fashion Week 2020 was different than in previous years. The whole year of 2020 was different than the previous year. Venice has, along the world entered to difficulty connected to Coronavirus. Even though the tough quarantine managed to flatten the curve of the virus in Italy, with the reopening of schools and loosening restriction, the problems with closings and public gatherings occurred again.
Therefore, this year´s Venice Fashion Week organized and prepared 2 versions of the event – both online and real-life, or offline.
One of the themes of this year´s Venice Fashion Week was to promote Venice as a centre of production and creativity. Venice Fashion Week is the project by Venezia da Vivere, with the patronage of Comune di Venezia, in collaboration with Tavolo Veneto Della Moda, Associazione Piazza San Marco, Apritimoda., Do. Ve, Venice Photo Lab.
Venice Fashion Week
Like everyone, I live in an atmosphere of instability. Yet, I was happy the Venice Fashion Week came as the example of being prepared for both options, without any big problems. The times are given, and we need to react with flexibility and to be able to bring what we want to bring to our audience if we want to continue with our missions.
Among the events, I had a pleasure to attend with a maximum security and hygiene measures was the inauguration of the new design souvenir object by the initiative „Pieces Of Venice“. The new object was inaugurated in the historical, Emilio Ceccato Boutique, on the misty autumn evening of 22nd October.
Emilio Ceccato is the producer of the iconic gondolier´s straw hat, with a flat brim, which is famously known all around the world through the silhouette of gondoliers.
„Pieces of Venice is a business project conceived by Luciano Marson and conducted with his wife Karin Friebel, born from the love for the city of Venice, for its materials, for its craftsmanship, for beauty ...“
The project is creating a network among Italian and Venetian designers. The chosen designers are designing a product, that is also useful or a souvenir object. The pieces are created using recycled wooden materials from the Venetian lagoon. What is interesting in their initiative is, that they give life to the old material.
The items are at the beginning roughly processed mechanically by industrial machines, and continued with a handmade process until the final creation.
A bit of "background" and reasons why we could have seen Pieces of Venice at Venice Fashion week in the words of the organzers of Venice Fashion Week - Lorenzo Cinotti & Laura Scarpa (Venezia Da Vivere).
Why was Pieces of Venice selected for Venice Fashion Week and why was Historical Boutique Emilio Ceccato selected as its presentation – location?
"Pieces of Venice is a project which is a crossover between traditional techniques and cutting edge design and Emilio Ceccato, being a historical Venetian shop reinventing gondoliers outfits as everyday garments was just the ideal location."
Do you believe that supporting of local makers can improve this group´s economic situation? Probably it is not easy to be an artisan in Venice or Italy, with the costs and bureaucracy, that must be undertaken. With the concurrence with the cheap low quality imported items, it is often a kind of bravery.
"We do indeed envision a future for Venice, for craftsmen and for Venetians. So we’re coherent with a process that envisions this future. We think people will naturally shift to a lifestyle where owning something that is of quality will have them buy less products which they can develop a personal relationship with, and that product will be locally produced and sustainable."
Lorenzo Cinotti & Laura Scarpa Venice Fashion Week, Venezia Da Vivere
Important factors of this production by Pieces Of Venice is, that they provide job opportunities to disabled and disadvantaged people.
The chains of the collaboration are chosen, to give a job possibility to providers not only of the obvious choice. They choose to work with people, that they want to support and opportunity. Pieces Of Venice collaborates with the FUTURA – Cooperativa Sociale and supports it with beneficial activities.
Recently, pieces of Venice has received an important Industrial Design Award - XXVI COMPASSO D'ORO for the Social Design Company project.
Compasso d´oro – the Golden Compass was established in 1954. Its Compasso d'Oro ADI Award is the oldest but above all the most authoritative world design award. Its aim has always been to highlight the value and quality of the products of Italian design. It paved a road to the design from Italy, that has a special place in the world until today. Among the first winners of Compasso D Oro in 1954 were Olivetti with its Typewriter or sewing machine by Nizzoli and Necchi.
The duo was kind to give me extended info and to share with me a few more sentences. Let´s hear what they can tell us today!
The initiative was born 3 years ago. It goes on not only to produce beautiful objects. It is to both raise awareness of Venice problematics and to support people in a need of help. Maybe you were wondering, that there is care needed while maintaining Venice as beautiful as it can be?
Part of the profit from the sales goes to the organization that is cleaning the surfaces of Venice. This means, from every sold object, percentage goes to the non-profit assosiation Masegni& Nizioleti. They are the volunteers who clean the city from the dirt and graffiti pollution.
So what was the idea to create a new object that we can see today?
„ We observed that Venice is a huge seller of souvenirs. In the past, it was a city of art, artisans, handmade quality and objects that could have been done only in Venice. Today it almost does not exist. Most of the souvenirs and goods that are sold in Venice are imported from China.
We wanted to create souvenirs that can be sold in Venice, are accessible and can redirect people to locations where they refer to. „
Pieces Of Venice
For instance, the newest object is called San Polo 16/17, which is the very address of the historical Emilio Cecchato boutique, where the object was inaugurated and you can find it there.
I am hoping, that the prize will give to association desired fuel, visibility and will perhaps inspire other individuals to take the action and to create helpful circular- economy activities.
What is your dream for the next chapters of Pieces of Venice?
„ Our dream is to be the best souvenir of Venice. We want to help people by our designs and to change, what can be changed.“
Pieces Of Venice
Few days after providing these photos and talking to Luciano Marson and Karin Friebel of Pieces Of Venice, I took couple of friends to have a look at their creations in Emilio Ceccato Boutique. Here are some of their reactions after I have explained them more about the designers, the initiative and the story behind.
"Beautiful objects, especially that they are from wood which is like a pieces of Venetian Lagoon. Really interesting idea."
"I love the object of gondolier´s hat. It looks just like a real one. I love the mesmerizing blue color of the ribbon and smart packaging there is used."
" We heard about Pieces of Venice, it resonated. But we had no idea that they are working in this way and that they support all thee initiatives".
I am writing this article in one misty Venetian afternoon. I don´t know, what will be next, I have a fear for my dear ones. But I know, that if we will surround ourselves with the strength of solidarity and collaboration, the world can be a better place.
I hope you have enjoyed this article and a small virtual meeting with the creators of Pieces of Venice Luciano Marson and his wife Karin Friebel. When you are in Venice, you can come to explore and buy their products in Emilio Cecchatto boutique right at Ponte Rialto.
Or, you can click on their website and buy the beautiful wooden products that have a meaningful mission. And by choosing Pieces of Venice, you will "save Venice one piece at the time".
The website of Pieces Of Venice :
The website of Emilio Ceccato Boutique:
The website of Venice Fashion Week:
https://www.venicefashionweek.com/press/
Photography, text Karolinska Structures Of Venice 2020