by Carolina Davalli — Grey Magazine, February 2024
Photography by Peppe Tortora. Styled by Priscilla Cafaggi. Model Diletta Paci @ Next Models Milano.
Grey Magazine's Heritage series gives voice to the far-sighted fashion generation of designers and emerging brands establishing themselves in the contemporary scene. For its 6th edition, Heritage presents Florania — the independent, solarpunk, circular and genderless brand founded in 2021 by designer and illustrator Flora Rabitti.
Describe your work using only movies, books or records.
"The House of the Spirits (1982), The Dressmaker (2000), Planet Sauvage (1973), The True Cost (2015)."
Which encounters shaped you as a creative?
"I was lucky enough to jumpstart my career working for Miu Miu's design department, just before graduating. There, I met many professionals and had the privilege of assisting them. In various subsequent roles as designer and illustrator, I encountered people who believed in me before I even believed in myself. They've been unexpected mentors — almost all of them were women."
What are the milestones of Florania's history?
"In 2021, right after the brand's birth, we showcased during Tanzania's Fashion Week — a surreal and beautiful experience. We also presented in New York and Tokyo. In May 2023, we received the Design for Change award from Camera Nazionale della Moda Italiana and Max&Co, and in September we made our first appearance on the official MFW schedule."
Guide us through your creative process.
"Before designing the clothing, I start by creating a comic, an artwork or an illustration. I like to imagine characters and bring them to life on paper. Then I exchange ideas with my team through constant brainstorming sessions. The production phase follows: I visit the community of tailors we collaborate with and talk to various local suppliers. Then it's time for sewing, and finally the ideas take shape."
What does the word "radical" mean to you?
"To feel a little anger allows us to create interesting alternatives for the future. In my case, the founding principles of the brand and my daily life are: circularity, rebellion, and inclusion. Regenerative and inclusive design, the valorization of existing materials, and the restoration of the identity of discarded garments offer vital opportunities for work, innovation, and scalability."
How would you describe the Florania community?
"They are people who stand out more for their cultural and values differences than for their age or gender. They are circular-nauts — explorers and dreamers, rebels of clothing."
What is the number one rule of Florania?
"Nothing with a high environmental impact comes out of our studio. I refuse to produce items without a conscious and clean supply chain. Moreover, we don't throw away anything that can be repurposed."
Which words are you planning to add to Florania's future glossary?
"Artisanal and agitated."