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Back to School, the full video 

The meeting with Alessandro Sartori at Milano Unica February 2018

The second edition of Back to School took place on February 8, 2018, during the third day of Milano Unica.

Over 1,300 Italian and international students from 54 Italian fashion schools participated in the meeting with Alessandro Sartori, Ermenegildo Zegna’s Artistic Director, in conversation with the fashion editor Simone Marchetti.


View the full video of Back to School


Sartori won over the audience with his down-to-earth, passionate and professional approach, offering several stories and insights, a source of inspiration for all the young participants who are currently studying to build a career in the fashion industry.  

 

Alessandro Sartori underscored the importance of integration between the worlds of education and industry, to establish a dialogue that combines the present and the future, represented by emerging talents.

 


The concept at the core of the meeting - “Crafting Modernity” – was illustrated by Sartori in a brief interview before the meeting: start from artisanal and traditional activities, keep an eye on the future and combine artisanal quality with the modernity of the proposals.

 


The relationship of the Zegna collections with the city of Milan was also central to his insights, as was the important value of Made-in-Italy production, synonymous of quality and style all over the world.

 


During the Back to School event, Alessandro Sartori, together with Simone Marchetti, recounted the fundamental milestones in his education and career, touching on very important topics for the young audience, like the importance of a solid education and technical expertise, but also the value of the artisanal and traditional activities, increasingly in demand today.


Hence, the importance of knowing how garments are created, which Sartori defined as “a need and an obligation”: disassembling an item in order to understand its construction and the composition of its materials is essential to learning how to work effectively and knowingly and designing products that will last over time.  


The discussion topic then progressed to its natural consequence: sustainability. In a world where products become obsolete so quickly and disposables are the rule,  how important is it, in a sector like ours – namely, the textile and the fashion industry, which is one of the world’s most polluting - to design sustainable products? In Sartori’s opinion it is of the essence: the starting point is the materials, and we need to use quality materials that are eco-friendly and beautiful. It is therefore key to work with suppliers that invest in research and development, like Milano Unica’s exhibitors.


The meeting ended with a rich Q&A session and, above all, with Alessandro Sartori’s passionate suggestion to the attending audience: work with dedication and curiosity, don’t worry about working too hard and never relent on your determination to express yourself and what truly represents you.