C.L.A.S.S. ecohub launches C.L.A.S.S. ICON Award and names GILBERTO CALZOLARI the first recipient of the accolade

C.L.A.S.S. ICON is the annual award which bestows a visionary creative who tunes fashion design with responsible innovation and communication, raising awareness to new sustainable values. For an entire year, C.L.A.S.S. and Gilberto Calzolari bring forward a set of initiatives on research and communication to inspire both professionals and fashion lovers. Together they team up on materials research and educational projects both online and offline

 

Rome wasn’t built in a day. Sustainability culture neither! That’s why those great people striving to trigger change are definitively worth celebrating. That’s what C.L.A.S.S. ICON is about” says Giusy Bettoni, founder and CEO of C.L.A.S.S. ecohub.

Gilberto’s philosophy and collections totally capture the ZeitGeist of responsible and contemporary fashion. His approach is truly three-dimensional bringing together design, innovation and sustainability. We named him C.L.A.S.S. ICON 2020 not only because we share the same values but also because he strives to convey them to the end consumers with a powerful and inspiring message”.

For example, with the ultimate FW 20-21 TILT SYSTEM collection, the designer has blended smart-new and circular economy-sourced materials challenging the seasonality of fashion. An intriguing way of working, communicating and create new aesthetics.

I am so excited to roll up my sleeves and team up with C.L.A.S.S. to share a common path. Looking forward for an inspiring year to come!”, comments Gilberto Calzolari.

Born and raised in Milan, where he graduated at the Brera Academy of Fine Arts, Gilberto has worked as a designer for some of the most prestigious international luxury brands such as Marni, Alberta Ferretti, Valentino, Miu Miu and Giorgio Armani before launching his own brand in 2015. “GILBERTO CALZOLARI is the made in Italy high-end prêt-à-porter brand with a “green” heart that believes that elegance and beauty must go hand in hand with respect for our planet”.

In 2018 Gilberto Calzolari was awarded with the prestigious Franca Sozzani Green Carpet Award as Best Emerging Designer, while in 2019 he won the Monte Carlo Fashion Week Award as Best Emerging Designer for his contribution to sustainable fashion.

Like partners C.L.A.S.S. and Gilberto will team up to draw up THE SMART MANIFESTO, an annual declaration mapping values, priorities and ways of working to make fashion more responsible, ethic and innovative. The manifesto will be launched by C.L.A.S.S. and Gilberto this September in order to support the launch of his new collection, TILT SYSTEM Vol. 2.

In a groundbreaking development for the textile industry, C.L.A.S.S., an advocate for sustainable innovation, proudly highlights the achievements of its partner, ERCA Textile Chemical Solutions, with their latest innovation, REVE…