Ferrari Fashion School and Nieuwe Instituut
Once again, Milan reaffirms its status as the capital of innovation and fashion with the launch of an experimental pop-up store by Nieuwe Instituut, in collaboration with Ferrari Fashion School. This initiative enabled students to participate in an innovative workshop during Milan’s 2024 Design Week. Throughout this intense week, the students had the opportunity to work with an unusual yet fascinating material: donated human hair.
Their goal?
To transform it into recycled fabrics through a creative and sustainable process. The students utilized their skills to sew the hair onto various fabrics, creating unique designs and shapes. These not only explored new aesthetic frontiers but also highlighted the importance of recycling and reuse from an eco-sustainable perspective.
New Store
Named “New Store,” the pop-up introduced a completely revolutionary mode of interaction: visitors were invited to contribute not just their hair, but also their ideas and time, thus becoming co-creators of a final product that represents a new value economy. This approach allowed for direct experimentation with sustainable practices in the fashion sector on the ground.
One of the most innovative aspects of the workshop was the collaboration with South Korean artist Woo Jin Joo, who led the participants in creating a fabric made entirely of human hair. This project challenged the prejudices and the sense of disgust often associated with such materials, and it also showcased the aesthetic and practical potential of hair as a sustainable resource.
A sustainable workshop with Ferrari Fashion School and Nieuwe Instituut
The experiment conducted at New Store 2.0 represents not only a step forward in the search for new sustainable materials but also a paradigm shift in thinking about how fashion can actively contribute to the sustainability of our planet.
The students from Ferrari Fashion School have demonstrated that with creativity and innovation, it is possible to reinvent waste materials into valuable resources, paving the way for a future where fashion is not only visually appealing but also good for our world.
