Armani Tests Sustainable Cotton Production in Italy

FILE PHOTO: The logo of Italian fashion company Giorgio Armani is seen at a shop in Zurich, Switzerland July 8, 2021.  REUTERS/Arnd Wiegmann/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: The logo of Italian fashion company Giorgio Armani is seen at a shop in Zurich, Switzerland July 8, 2021. REUTERS/Arnd Wiegmann/File Photo
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Armani Tests Sustainable Cotton Production in Italy

FILE PHOTO: The logo of Italian fashion company Giorgio Armani is seen at a shop in Zurich, Switzerland July 8, 2021.  REUTERS/Arnd Wiegmann/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: The logo of Italian fashion company Giorgio Armani is seen at a shop in Zurich, Switzerland July 8, 2021. REUTERS/Arnd Wiegmann/File Photo

Luxury fashion house Armani Group has started an experimental agroforestry plantation in southern Italy to test new ways to produce cotton sustainably, it said on Monday.

Armani said cotton planting started last month over one hectare of land - to be expanded to five hectares - in the southern region of Apulia.

Agroforestry is a land-use system that plants trees in and around crop and pastureland.

"Over five years, this farm site will be among the first field experiments in Europe testing agroforestry cotton with alternative tree species and regenerative practices," Reuters quoted Armani as saying in a statement.

The project is in collaboration with the Sustainable Markets Initiative’s Fashion Task Force and the Circular Bioeconomy Alliance, both founded by Britain's King Charles in his former role as the Prince of Wales, Armani Group said.

Sustainability has been a growing focus for the fashion sector this year, with both Armani and Gucci and Yves Saint Laurent owner Kering pledging cuts to greenhouse gas emissions, and EU governments agreeing a ban on the destruction of unsold textiles.



Susan Fang Makes Milan Runway Debut with Joyous Confections Inspired by Mother’s Happy Childhood

 A model wears a creation as part of the Susan Fang Fall/Winter 2025-2026 Women's collection presented in Milan, Italy, Sunday, March 2, 2025. (AP)
A model wears a creation as part of the Susan Fang Fall/Winter 2025-2026 Women's collection presented in Milan, Italy, Sunday, March 2, 2025. (AP)
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Susan Fang Makes Milan Runway Debut with Joyous Confections Inspired by Mother’s Happy Childhood

 A model wears a creation as part of the Susan Fang Fall/Winter 2025-2026 Women's collection presented in Milan, Italy, Sunday, March 2, 2025. (AP)
A model wears a creation as part of the Susan Fang Fall/Winter 2025-2026 Women's collection presented in Milan, Italy, Sunday, March 2, 2025. (AP)

The last day of Milan Fashion Week dawned Sunday with fanciful and joyous confections shown beneath an arch of iridescent flowers by emerging designer Susan Fang, whose latest collection was supported by Dolce & Gabbana.

Fang said she was inspired by her mother’s happy memories growing up in rural China, incorporating bucolic scenes reproduced from her mother’s paintings.

"We wanted to embrace how culture is passed down to us, whether it's personal or through art," Fang said backstage after being congratulated by designers Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana.

Outerwear featured dreamy landscapes, including bursts of cherry blossoms against an azure sky or a babbling stream against a deep blue background. Dresses fashioned from strips of colorful fabric layered like a rainbow cake literally exuded what Fang called "a bouncy feeling of happiness."

Fang, who launched her eponymous brand in 2017 after graduating from Central Saint Martins, makes experimentation with materials central to her work. In that vein, the collection included a sculptural daisy dress of beaded florets mounted on a 3-D structure.

Fang said the collaboration with Dolce & Gabbana's artisans helped her try new materials, including denim and sequins, and focus on tailoring.