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MILAN GOES GREEN
Italy’s fashion capital is turning over a new leaf with a wave of eco-conscious buildings,
businesses and boutiques. Green, it seems, is the new black
M I L A N
– and there are more in the
works. Econtamination, an
exhibition of eco-friendly
products held within the Milan
Furniture Fair in April, is set to
expand massively in 2012.
“There will be products made of
100% recycled micro-fibre, eco-
cotton and linen, bags and
accessories made of aluminium
cans, magazines and chocolate
packaging,” Boraschi enthuses.
The experience will be rounded
off with vegan cuisine, organic
wine and, for the extremely
conscientious punter, eco-
friendly pet food.
As part of the city’s annual
fashion week last September,
I
nMilan – the stark,
industrial hub of northern
Italy – there is something
brewing. Geared towards
commerce, it has always been
the plain, hard-working sister of
Rome and Florence; a gritty
metropolis serving as the centre
of Italy’s booming fashion,
design and financial industries.
It’s a city for working people,
and it doesn’t put on airs. But
now there is another facet to
Milan’s down-to-earth charms:
it’s going green.
From eco-conscious fashion
brands, events and shops to
hotels and organic eateries, a
crop of green-minded
businesses is popping up across
Italy’s most conventionally grey
city. One of the movement’s
ringleaders, Cristina Buraschi,
spreads the word through
Equology – a network of ethical
marketing and communications
professionals who promote
sustainable business inMilan.
“Unfortunately Italy has lagged
behind other European
countries in terms of
environmental respect,”
Boraschi explains. “This is a new
trend for us, but we are moving
on andMilan is the main city it’s
happening in.”
The changing tide is partly
down to growing cultural
awareness, says Boraschi, but it’s
also the excitement generated
around newly elected mayor,
Giuliano Pisapia. Last year, his
campaign placed environmental
issues at the top of the agenda; a
congestion charge much like
London’s introduced by Pisapia’s
predecessor is set to tackle
pollution, while two newmetro
lines have been promised to
encourage use of public
transport over cars. “When
Pisapia was elected there were a
lot of people celebrating,”
Boraschi says. “Young people,
old people, families with
children – all so happy that the
city has a new face.”
Such is the enthusiasm for all
things green that last year
Equology successfully launched
a handful of fairs and events in
Milan highlighting eco design
Equology was involved in So
Critical, So Fashion, which
showcases 20 fashion labels that
use sustainable design
principles in their collections.
This year, the event will
introduce VegHip Fashion, a
vehicle for brands like Ecoist
and Uroboro Design, whose
work rejects leather and animal-
based materials in favour of eco-
friendly materials like recycled
tyre. If that’s not enough, there is
also VegHipWeek, the food
festival run last October in
conjunction with international
VegetarianWeek, also to be
resurrected in 2012. “Because
the number of people who are
more sensitive to environmental
issues is growing, we asked
certain restaurants inMilan to
offer special vegetarian or vegan
menus to demonstrate how this
type of food is good, tasty and
varied,” Boraschi adds. “It was
really successful and went far
beyond our expectations. The
Italian people are definitely
catching on.”
Monica Maya Devi, who
opened theMudra Natural Cafe
and wellness centre a year ago in
the buzzy Navigli district, agrees
that people are steadily
beginning to appreciate the
holistic lifestyle. “The appetite
for organic food inMilan keeps
growing. Our cafe is a friendly
place with a warm atmosphere,
good for body and soul,” she
says. It uses only organic
ingredients and the menu offers
Eco city: Italy’s commercial hub is
embracing environmental issues
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