Changing RooTs

At Pitti Filati, an immersive installation on the theme of fluid identities.

Changing RooTs

At Pitti Filati, an immersive installation on the theme of fluid identities.

Polimoda is taking part in the 92nd edition of Pitti Filati, where it presents an immersive and interactive installation devised and developed by Polimoda students that explores fluid identities, freedom of expression and sustainable thinking.

Changing RooTs at Pitti Filati
Changing RooTs at Pitti Filati, ph. Matteo Oltrabella

Fluidity declined in hybrid identities and cultures, without losing touch with our roots: this is the theme of the Changing RooTs installation presented by Polimoda for this edition of Pitti Filati. It is a collaborative project by students from the master’s courses in Fashion Trend Forecasting, Sustainable Fashion, Textiles from Farm to Fabric to Fashion and Fashion Art Direction, and from the undergraduate course in Fashion Design; a multi-sensory installation through which these young creators invite visitors to think about differences as possibilities for empowerment, adding together multiple layers of their own DNA and their own identity.

Like trees that grow and change season after season, while remaining rooted in the earth, we humans have the right and the desire to grow, experiment, challenge rules and find ourselves, while continuing to celebrate our origins, our past and our communities. An invitation to open our minds in terms of inclusiveness to build new hybrid communities without gender, racial or cultural discrimination, in line with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals championed by Polimoda.

Changing RooTs is a choral work, starting with the concept and themes that are proposed by students of trend forecasting, perfected in terms of sustainability by the sustainable fashion team, and then translated into fashion accessories by fashion design and textiles creatives, before finally being developed into an installation by the art direction group. The students imagined a rotating changing room, with six different corners and a sound shower that invites visitors to step into the shoes of others and immerse themselves in new identities thanks to headwear-artworks inspired by various radical cultures, in a celebration of diversity as sociological richness.

The Outrigeous headwear, with contrasting volumes and shapes that intertwine, represents the multiple aspects of the human personality. Rogue Rodeo reinterprets the cowboy hat and challenges gender rules with bright colours, fringes, beads and draping. Knitted Guardian is inspired by the shapes of Saturn’s rings to represent our human connection with the universe. The Modern Medusa represents feminine strength and the different facets of a woman in an evolution of the femme fatale from Greek mythology towards a more modern vision of femininity. Patchwork Protection celebrates a groundbreaking fusion of different cultures, combining the shapes of the Albanian Qeleshe with the intricate patterns of the indigenous Peruvians of Cuzco. Finally, Streetwear Opulence represents a new take on the baseball cap through elements of the traditional Austrian hat and the richness of Indian embroidery, merging past and present, streetwear and opulence, in an elegant and contemporary accessory.

The project was curated by Silvia Amorosino, Federica Forti and Arianna Mereu, with sound design by Francesco Rossi.

The works have been created with the help of materials and yarns kindly donated by Alpes Manifattura Filati, Botto Giuseppe S.p.A., Cotonificio Olcese Ferrari, Filati Naturali, Filpucci, Lanificio dell’Olivo S.p.A., Marchi & Fildi, Mister Joe, Pinori Filati, Tollegno 1900.

Changing RooTs offers an immersive experience, inviting people to explore different identities in a dialogue that eliminates differences, emphasises freedom of expression, and values diverse roots.

The installation can be visited at Fortezza da Basso in Florence, ground floor, Central Pavilion, from January 25 to 27.

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