The smart innovation on stage in New York

04 April 2018

On March 22 the leaders of the fashion industry, educators, designers and journalists all gathered in New York for an exclusive event organized by C.L.A.S.S. with the support of the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA)

For its 10th anniversary, C.L.A.S.S. (Creativity Lifestyle and Sustainable Synergy), an international hub based in Milan, founded by Giusy Bettoni and specialized in the integration of new smart values in products, fashion and furniture companies, has chosen New York, the world capital of communication, to share with top players in the fashion industry the path that, since 2007, has seen a hit with its partners. On 22 March, on the occasion of the World Water Day, "An Evening of Smart Innovation" presented an immersive experience telling the story of C.L.A.S.S.’ visionary journey.

Organized with the support of the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) and curated by Ginger Design, an eclectic team of Italian artists, film makers, food and textile designers, the event presented the forward-looking journey of C.L.A.S.S. aimed towards smart innovation, with a focus on the 4 key areas that today define new standards for the fashion industry: Heritage, Smart Innovation, Circular Economy and Design Responsibility.

The film by Cristina Picchi presented the harmony between the phases of the textile process and the natural cycles. The pièce de resistance was a three-dimensional installation designed by Cécile Feilchenfeldt that contained exquisite knits allowing guests to walk through the area to inspire creativity and explore the limitless possibilities using innovative smart materials. So, with responsible design in mind the guests were able to touch and feel the luxurious smart textiles supported by sustainable credentials from Bacx by Centro Seta, Bemberg™ by Asahi Kasei, ECOTEC® by Marchi & Fildi, Organic Cotton Colours, Re.VerSo™, ROICA™ by Asahi Kasei, TINTEX Textiles, and Zignone.

Giusy Bettoni and the C.L.A.S.S. team from Milan and New York, as well as several of their partner representatives from around the globe were on hand to engage designers and educators and answer questions related to smart materials and processes. Designers and educators were pleased to learn about the new C.L.A.S.S. e-commerce site dedicated to emerging designers and fashion startups, as well as new details regarding C.L.A.S.S. Education as a university learning resource, co-founded with James Mendolia, FIT Professor, MFA Fashion Design and FIT Sustainability Council Member.

Among the participants of the event:

Julien Labat, president of Edun and Marilyn Balkaransingh Director of Fabric R&D of Edun, J.R. Campbell and Young Kim Thanos of Kent State’s School of Design and Merchandising, Lisa Smilor and Stephanie Soto of CFDA, Nomi Dale Kleinman of FIT, Susan Easton, founder of From the Road, Nicole Fischelis, Heron Preston, Luciana Scrutchen of Parsons School of Design and Kay Unger, chair of the Board of Governors for Parsons.

In the photo: James Mendolia, Giusy Bettoni and Kay Unger

From INTIMA MEDIA GROUP
for years alongside C.L.A.S.S. and its partners in the field of B2B communication and the development of new synergies
for intimates, sea, hosiery and sportswear sectors...

CONGRATULATIONS AND BEST WISHES FOR THE NEXT 10 (AND MORE...) YEARS OF SMART INNOVATION!