Accademia Aldo Galli at Pitti Immagine Uomo

Accademia Aldo Galli in Como presented an installation by Alessia Basilico, a Fashion and Textile Design graduate, at the famous Pitti Immagine Uomo event. This work is part of the broader IED Identity project which, under the project curatorship of the multidisciplinary artist Michel Comte, has encouraged young designers to reflect on the possibility of expressing their identity through clothing.

The Academy's course, known for its excellence in exploring the potential of materials, guides students to transform textiles into true protagonists of the creative process, using them as a starting point for experimentation and innovation that gives rise to unique and avant-garde sartorial solutions.

Alessia Basilico responded to this challenge with the project Piccole Cose (Small Things). The essence of her work is based on the belief that clothes are our calling card to the world. Choosing what to wear and what materials to wrap around our body is not just a question of style, but a powerful way of communicating who we are and what we want to say to society.

The installation was presented in Florence in the former Teatro dell'Oriuolo together with ten other projects selected from all the IED locations in Italy, Spain and Brazil.

Each student was given a cubic structure measuring two metres on each side. Alessia transformed hers into an immersive room, covering the walls with eight different types of printed fabric. Some designs originated from the spontaneous gesture of throwing natural pigment powder directly onto the fabric, while others were created by hand with instinctive, monochromatic strokes, inspired by the ancient Japanese art of sumi-e.

Inside the cube, an air mattress on the floor added a touch of instability, representing the complexity and constant change of the world. This mat was covered with a ribbed knit cloth, handmade with a knitting machine. Woven between the ribs of the knit were blue chiffon ribbons, symbolising the precious little things hidden in the weaves of our hectic daily lives.

An audio accompaniment intensified the experience, cleverly combining voices and sounds to accentuate the feeling of instability.

The realisation of this project was made possible thanks to the collaboration with Creazioni Digitali, a leading digital printing company in the Como silk district, which supplied over 50 metres of fabric needed for the installation. The synergy between Accademia Galli and Creazioni Digitali, led by founder Roberto Lucini, has been going on for years, promoting projects geared towards sustainability and supporting young talent.

Through Piccole Cose, the Galli Academy not only distinguished itself at Pitti Immagine Uomo, but also launched a powerful message: fashion can and must once again become an act of caring for ourselves and the world, helping us to reveal who we are deep inside.