June Editorial
Angelina Jolie is the latest celebrity to venture into the fashion world, but unlike many famous peers, she does so on her own terms—keeping a decidedly low profile, which makes her approach all the more intriguing. Far from producing garments for shopping malls or chasing the latest fashion fads, the actress—long an advocate for human rights and environmental causes—makes it clear from the outset that she will use only vintage and deadstock fabrics for her creations and intends not to focus on logos or brand image but on showcasing manufacturers, atelier workers, and tailors—the lesser-known labor force in this industry. I was fascinated by this move from an actress who has always been countercultural and deeply committed to social issues. Typically, big stars—from the Kardashians to Sarah Jessica Parker to Jennifer Lopez, to name just three—have built fast-fashion empires under their names, arguably unnecessary, with mass distribution in department stores and luxury boutiques: exorbitant prices, unsustainable materials, and the brand name as the sole value.
The venture, called Atelier Jolie, seems aimed at entirely opposite goals—so much so that it defines itself as a collective.
“Designers,” Jolie says, “often sketch or approve designs, but it’s the tailors who make the real difference”, even though, sadly, they receive the least recognition and appreciation. Her Atelier is meant to be a place where creative minds collaborate with a seasoned, diverse family of tailors, pattern makers, and artisans from around the world. I’m very curious to see what the final pieces will look like: whether they mirror the actress’s own understated, tactile style—always special—and I already admire her choice to put craftsmanship and sustainable, inclusive artisanry at the center, rather than oversized logos and Times Square billboards.
On that note, I was struck by an interview with Brunello Cucinelli, in which the entrepreneur behind a true family-run company in Tuscany highlighted the problem that Italian atelier workers—vital yet increasingly rare—struggle to earn enough to convince their children to follow in their footsteps. Manufacturing firms that mass-produce thousands of garments profit, but atelier workers—those who construct a garment from a designer’s pattern, the tailors of old—are not well compensated. Today the fashion market increasingly seeks these skilled artisans in Italy, often acquiring the ateliers themselves and absorbing them into large-brand operations, leading to the disappearance of this artisanal profession, once passed down from father to son.
At Crida Milano, though by different paths, we pursue—like Angelina Jolie—sustainable fashion that respects people and the environment, and we struggle to find atelier workers within our scope, simply because we don’t yet have mega-brand volumes, nor can we produce thousands of garments in a single atelier. Yet small and medium enterprises form the vital production fabric supporting the Italian economy and should receive greater assistance and protection from the government. Italian craftsmanship in fashion is an extraordinary excellence: it would be wonderful if it could continue to thrive independently and not be sold off to the all-consuming luxury conglomerates.