NABA presents a brand-new Made in NABA garment, a result of its longstanding collaboration with Shima Seiki Italia - a global leader in knitting machinery production. For the second edition of this project, the partner shared its expertise and technologies with students, enabling a zero-kilometer production directly at NABA's Milan campus, utilising the Shima Seiki SSR 112 machine in the Academy's Knitwear Laboratory. This project, born from the aspiration to craft a premium garment that embodies a strong sense of belonging with the Academy for its wearers, emerged from an open competition among students and Alumni of the Fashion Design Area (link) at the NABA Milan campus.
Made in NABA: the sweater vest's realisation
Under the coordination of Sara Khalilnejad (NABA Fashion Design Academic Assistant) and Gianluca Catalani (NABA Fashion Laboratory Assistant), with guidance from Saverio Palatella (NABA lecturer and Knitwear Designer), alongside Colomba Leddi (NABA Fashion Design Area Leader), Luca Belotti (Course Leader of the Masters of Arts and Academic Masters in the Fashion Design Area), Michele Corradini (Course Leader of the Bachelor of Arts in Fashion Design), and Intissar Bouhi (NABA Fashion Design Academic Assistant), the competition aimed to create a Made in NABA sweater vest that best represented the values of the Fashion Design Area in terms of belonging and community.
Among the numerous submissions received, a jury composed by NABA lecturers, representatives from Shima Seiki Italia, and industry professionals - including designer and Academy lecturer Saverio Palatella - selected the proposal of Maria Llinares Torregrosa, Master of Arts in Fashion Design Alumna, as the one that most effectively conveyed the value of belonging to an academic community and identifying with its identity. Her proposal, "From Another Prisma," emphasises contemporary society's richness by celebrating its plurality and diversity. Beginning with a communal perspective characterised by the participation of individual viewpoints, this concept finds expression in a gender-neutral jacquard design that interprets and reflects the NABA logo in all directions and layers.
The sweater vest was crafted with the technical support of IAFIL Industria Ambrosiana Filati Spa, renowned for crafting top-quality yarns from the world's finest cotton and precious fibers. For its creation, IAFIL provided the Sea Cashmere yarns, skillfully combining cotton and cashmere for a velvety and silky effect. The spring/summer Made in NABA sleeveless sweater vest is set to be produced in two colour variants, blue and taupe, and in limited quantities. It will be gifted to a select group of industry professionals, ambassadors, talents, and Alumni who share and represent the values of the Academy, embodying them daily through their work.
The NABA Vest at Pitti Immagine Filati
The Shima Seiki Italia team will exhibit and wear the sweater vest at the upcoming edition of Pitti Immagine Filati, the semi-annual event dedicated to the world of yarns, fibers, and complementary merchandising sectors in spinning and knitting. The event will occur at the Fortezza da Basso in Florence from January 24 to 26, 2024, within Shima Seiki Italia's space.
