First announced in June this year, the sustainable supply chain project FUTURE/Lab has now launched. Developed and supported by leading Italian fibres and yarns specialist Fulgar, in collaboration with Italy’s Nuova Accademia di Belle Arti (NABA), the project is now being is realised by ten talented third year students from the academy’s BA Fashion Design.

Fulgar aims to create a ‘crucible of new 4.0 designers’, all with a deep commitment to green issues, who can express their ethical creativity through a more sustainable approach involving experimentation with new fabrics and production processes with reduced environmental impact.

For me sustainability means responsible production. The importance of the Future/Lab project lies in raising awareness and using sustainable materials – Lucia Grande

For more than ten years now, Fulgar has been working towards greater sustainability through a green corporate programme and an entire portfolio of ecological products. The company has asked young designers to create their designs using only fabrics produced by Italian companies part of the sustainable supply chain, made from some of the ecological yarns in Fulgar’s green portfolio: EVO by Fulgar, the bio-based yarn obtained from castor oil, Q-NOVA, the eco-friendly fibre obtained from regenerated raw materials, and the biodegradable Amni Soul Eco yarn.

Let’s meet the ten talented young NABA students...

Zhewen Yan, 22 years-old, chose a fabric by Jackytex with recycled Q-NOVA fibre by Fulgar to make a functional casual jacket that transforms into a backpack. “For me, sustainability is a new initiative. The project supported by Fulgar in collaboration with NABA was very important, because I’m convinced that sustainability can usher in a future without wasting materials or generating pollution. The possibilities are infinite, like the name of my project,” Zhewen said.

Mar'yana P'yetsukh, 21 years-old, chose a fabric by Gipitex made using Fulgar’s bio-based EVO yarn, combining it with a weave by Omega Filati to create a double-sided outerwear garment in a minimal style. “For me sustainability means cutting consumption. The Future/Lab project promoted by Fulgar in collaboration with NABA is important for communicating the concept of sustainable fashion by creating garments whose purpose is to reduce consumption and the environmental costs this involves,” Mar'yana commented.

Lucia Grande, 21 years-old, chose a fabric by the Italian company Olmetex with Fulgar’s bio-based EVO yarn to create an eco-sustainable padded jacket with Thermore padding, displaying a clear military inspiration. “For me sustainability means responsible production. The importance of the Future/Lab project lies in raising awareness and using sustainable materials,” added Lucia.

Gianfranco Marraudino, 21 years-old, chose fabrics by Pontetorto using Amni Soul Eco yarn to create an activewear outfit that’s also perfect for smart working. It comprises leggings, a long-sleeved sweater with raised collar and zip fastening. The zip is biodegradable and is provided by the Nyguard Not Just Any Zipper company. “For me, sustainability means responsible design and production. Future/Lab gave me the opportunity to find concrete applications of what I believe is the value of sustainability through a creative process,” said Gianfranco.

Diletta Critelli, 21 years-old, chose a fabric by the Arpatex company made using regenerated Q-NOVA by Fulgar to make a garment that is both sophisticated and comfortable, with soft oversize sleeves that give the impression of cushions. Diletta enthuses bout the project: “For me sustainability means responsibility, and the Future/Lab project has taught me expands that I should no longer approach fashion with a purely aesthetic vision, and that I should add an ethical dimension. This will give a new interpretation to my idea of fashion.”

Luciano Di Marco, 22 years-old, chose karkadè techinical fabric by Limonta, using bio-based EVO yarn by Fulgar and bio-based Nyguard Not Just Any Zipper zip fasteners to create a genderless sleeveless padded jacket. “For me sustainability means responsible production. I’m very grateful to the Future/Lab project because it gave me, a young designer, the opportunity to enter a completely new world, the world of a sustainable supply chain,” explains Luciano.

Jennifer Gervasi, 24 years-old, has created a sparkle effect track suit made with Luxury Jersey fabric with Fulgar’s Q-NOVA fibre. The garment is a perfect reinterpretation of noughties pop culture fashion mixed with 1970s floral prints. “For me, sustainability means circularity. The Future/Lab project encouraged me to believe in the possibility of a sustainable rebranding of teaching institutions, with the aim of training new designers,” says Jennifer.

For me sustainability means the environment. The Future/Lab project has given me the opportunity to experiment with sustainable materials and use them creatively – Giulia Gadda

Pierfrancesco Pierucci, 22 years-old, chose Farfalla fabric by Maglificio Alto Milanese, made using Amni Soul Eco yarn, to create hand-dyed men’s trousers with a streetwear cut. Pierfrancesco tells us what sustainability means to him: “For me, sustainability means above all responsibility. The importance of the Future/Lab project has enabled me to encounter new sustainable materials and to experiment with them”.

Giulia Gadda, 23 years-old, chose a fabric by Albiate1830 made with EVO by Fulgar yarn to create a fresh, light and above all easy-care, stretch jacket that’s made for comfort. It has square, decisive lines inspired by the iconic Barbour model. “For me sustainability means the environment. The Future/Lab project has given me the opportunity to experiment with sustainable materials and use them creatively,” says Giulia.

Alessia Santoro, 21 years-old, chose a bi-stretch jacquard lace material fabric by Iluna Group, made using Fulgar’s Q-NOVA yarn to create a clinging, semi-transparent one-piece in a palette of colours reminiscent of marine creatures. “For me, sustainability means necessity and responsibility. The Future/Lab project gave me the opportunity to try new things, encounter new materials with interesting characteristics and to broaden my concept of fashion,” Alessia illuminates.

View the design projects of the NABA design students…

The project, created in collaboration with NABA, is the first to be hosted on FUTURE/Lab, Fulgar’s virtual ecological best practice platform. Its objective is to relate the stories of young fashion designers, the best producers and the brands that collaborate with the company on shared projects to promote measurable, sustainable development.

Once again Fulgar has shown itself to be a leader in high-tech green developments in the textiles industry and an incubator for eco-aware innovation. Our congratulations to the company and to all of the students who took part in the project.

Fulgar Website

NABA Website