TREND, SUSTAINABILITY, SPECIAL PROJECT:
HOMI FASHION&JEWELS SHOWCASES THE INDUSTRY’S BEST OF SHARING, RESEARCH AND QUALITY

THE SHOW PRESENTED THE VERY LATEST IN JEWELS, COSTUME JEWELLERY AND FASHION ACCESSORIES, FROM MORE THAN 600 BRANDS

A truly privileged observatory, a strategic hub where visitors can discover the future of the sector, thanks in part to a clever combination of big & new names. HOMI Fashion&Jewels closes its first, independent, edition with positive results: dedicated to the finest personal accessories, the show was staged at fieramilano from 13 to 16 September 2019, with new products from 604 brands, around 30% of which from 27 different countries. There were numerous complete training sessions specific to the sector, along with lots of new products on display, offering an overview of the major trends: Fashion&Jewels collected a few day-by-day highlights on trends, events and special projects.

The show included SPERIMENTA, the section dedicated to niche, agile and smart companies that move without the weight of complex mechanisms and that take on major issues such as environmental sustainability and the recovery of materials from the point of view of a circular economy, with names like dalaLeo, whose necklaces are created by recycling the ring-pulls of food and drink cans. Or Cycled Project, which transforms the only part of a bike that pollutes the environment, the tyre, into accessories for men.

But also Maria Gualtieri, who uses old inner tubes, creating unique pieces inspired by the world of nature, Lalla’s, who, under hashtag #noplasticfuture, totally eliminates this material, replacing it with Murano glass, leather and wood, and UgualiMai, who makes bags and jewellery with used plastic bottles and garbage bags. Other brands in the Kori Jewels section include creations made using plant-based ivory and UrOburo an artisan jewellery label that uses only sustainable gold and diamonds.

Unique jewels and trends were the focus of TUTTEPAZZEPERIBIJOUX-THEINCUBATOR, the area for niche proposals characterised by originality and research, conceived and created by Maria Elena Capelli. The selection ranges from reinterpreted classics, like the gothic-style enamels by Sacramore Firenze, to the conceptual designs of Alice Visin, which combine matter and thought, and the narrative jewellery of Vivian, who hides and conveys a message inside every creation. The main focus of this edition is the popular trend of textile jewellery, made starting from natural and man-made textiles such as lurex and silk, but also metal and silver, weaving jewellery items that are absolutely unique, special and unprecedented, like precious crocheted creations.

The jewellery and accessories FASHION SHOWS were also extremely successful, telling a story through images of excellence in terms of craftsmanship, entrepreneurship and the jewellery industry. Accessories in general featured largely in the show, from jewels for pets to t-shirt that become jewel items in their own right. There was a strong reference to territoriality, with proposals paying tribute to the typicality of craftsmanship, along with numerous references to the long tradition of Sicilian art. The recurring element? Colour. The boundaries between the seasons fall and even the upcoming autumn-winter season promises to be rich in bright, warm shades, references to exotic graphism and a desire to escape. New ideas and opportunities for thought emerged from the TALKS, which drew attention to the environment, not only in terms of the products, but also in their content. “Sustainability as the future of fashion”, the talk organised by A.I. Aritisanal Intelligence, took centre stage at the opening of HOMI Fashion&Jewels. Because fashion, as emerged during the meeting, is the sector that has the biggest impact on the ecosystem after oil (about 80% of the fabrics used are synthetic). This means that revolutionising the segment with an ecological paradigm is a goal for the future that we simply cannot ignore. The protagonists of the change are, first and foremost, the new generations and this was the perspective taken by Sara Azzone, Director of IED Milan, who stressed the role of education in teaching youngsters the values of sustainable fashion and the technical possibilities of its implementation.

The projects of the students resulting from the partnership between IED Milan and the Italian Consortium for the Implementation of Detox and Greenpeace Italy, were displayed within the show and represent a tangible example of green fashion. Forerunner of all this is Bav Tailor, one of the first designers to use alternative materials, such as recycled fish skin, and she, too, was among the participants.

Tomorrow’s creativity becomes an experience to be seen and experienced interactively thanks to IAMTHEMAKER, the HOMI Fashion&Jewels project directly involving exhibitors and buyers together with influencers and opinion makers in the sector. These are the people who reveal the secrets to creativity: sharing, meeting and comparing notes with other operators who embrace the same philosophy of quality research and experimentation are among the main reasons why they chose to take part in Homi Fashion&Jewels. Made-in-Italy and Italy as a country were recurring themes: the former seen as an asset to be exploited on international markets, and the latter as a point of reference for foreign exhibitors who believe that Italy is an important testing ground, where they can assess the reaction of a knowledgeable public, a mirror for fashion all over the world.

The appointment is for the upcoming editions, from 15 to 18 February 2020 and then later in the year from 19 to 22 September.