Gilberto Calzolari wins at the green carpet fashion awards
Italian fashion talent Gilberto Calzolari has been announced as the winner of The Green Carpet Talent Competition and awarded an exclusive Mentorship Programme from The Bicester Village Shopping Collection by Value Retail, designed to nurture the fashion world’s future stars.
For the second year running, The Bicester Village Shopping Collection by Value Retail returns as partner of Eco-Age and Camera Nationale della Moda Italiana (CNMI) at “The Oscars of Sustainable Fashion” and launches its Mentorship Programme for the five finalists of the CNMI Green Carpet Talent Competition.
As winner, Calzolari will have the opportunity to show during Milan Fashion Week, in February 2019 and be featured in Fidenza Village’s 2019 Creative Spot boutique, a pop-up showcasing emerging design talent.
Calzolari’s unforgettable sustainable creation was made with used jute coffee bags from Brazil, and purchased from the Navigli market in Milan where they are generally sold to be used as barriers to curb the flooding of canals, a growing concern due to climate change. The dress was also lined with an archival fabric and embellished with Swarovski's lead-free Advanced Elements crystals.
Carefully crafted to nurture, inspire and provide an international stage for the next generation of designers, the year-long mentorship will offer winner Gilberto, and the other four finalists, Teatum Jones, Davide Grillo, WRAD Living and Behno unrivalled access to The Bicester Village Shopping Collection’s award-winning retail experts while leveraging the Collection’s exceptional platform for exposure.
This year’s programme will be tailor-made for each finalist, helping to pinpoint exactly where they are on their journey and support their individual needs for sustaining a successful fashion business. As part of the exclusive opportunity, the finalists – who each share a personal interest in sustainability – will have their designs showcased throughout the Villages during 2019.
The first stage of the mentorship programme challenged each finalist to design their unique interpretation of this summer’s most coveted accessory: the bandana. In collaboration with The Bicester Village Shopping Collection, each bandana shines a spotlight on the importance of sustainable materials using the finest Italian craftsmanship. The bandanas will be available to guests during October as a gift offered with purchases and via Instagram competitions, exclusively at Fidenza Village, near Milan.
Desirée Bollier, Chair – Value Retail Management: “I am delighted for Gilberto Calzolari, his design truly embodies the spirit at the heart of these awards. Gilberto’s dress, made from coffee bags and lead-free Swarovski crystals, has been made with remarkable attention to detail. Sustainable fashion is a growing conversation and global movement that we must continue to encourage within the industry, starting by nurturing the design stars of tomorrow. The Bicester Village Shopping Collection Mentorship Programme, awarded to each of the five finalists, demonstrates our promise to these designers and our commitment to a sustainable future for our industry, providing them with the support and inspiration to make a positive impact as they fulfil their incredible potential.”
This year’s awards featured the return of Tiziano Guardini, the winner of the 2017 Franca Sozzani Award for Best Emerging Designer, who made a special appearance to mark the completion of his twelve-month mentorship with The Bicester Village Shopping Collection. Guardini also saw one of his cruelty-free designs worn at this year’s awards by Chinese celebrity and judge of The Green Carpet Fashion Awards, Hu Bing.
Talking about the experience, Guardini comments: “The skills I have learnt during my time with The Bicester Village Shopping Collection have been instrumental in my development; I am incredibly grateful to all involved in helping me to improve my business acumen. I am excited for what the future holds and delighted to continue raising awareness around sustainability through my respectful and experimental designs, the people that wear them and the generations that will learn and benefit from them.”