Meet Beatrice Bocconi, Redress Design Award 2020 Menswear Finalist

Beatrice Bocconi

ITALY

For her Redress Design Award collection, Felt in the Streets, Beatrice Bocconi crafts durable workwear from textiles handmade from scraps of denim and canvas. “Both are made from cotton, both create pollution - but both can be recycled, again and again,” explains Beatrice, currently studying Fashion Design at the Nuova Accademia di Belle Arti, Italy. “I give them new life, using various techniques of reconstruction and dying.”

Only low impact processes are considered: a felt-like textile is created by distressing the fabric surface; a camouflage, which draws from images of Antarctica’s landscape, seen from above - by assembling the pieces using techniques from the Japanese Boro tradition. Some are then dyed with natural ingredients including coffee, soil and turmeric. 

Inspiration comes from various sources: “The varieties of sounds, distortions, instruments and visuals in music contribute to an imprecise, distorted, messy aesthetic,” says Beatrice. “When I travel, the streets, buildings, and people also inspire me - as does nature and its landscapes.” . Garments are designed to be worn across seasons. Features such as detachable sleeves, utility hoops and pockets lend interest and versatility.

“The world is being flooded with trash and the fashion system is a large contributor to this,” says Beatrice. “My goal is to design workwear/streetwear made entirely with natural fibres, which are long-lasting and intended for people who work or do outside activities but who still want to be cool and unique in a conscious and handmade way. Sustainability to me means repairing, giving new life to forgotten textiles and creating something personal and handmade. It is the future of fashion, and as a designer I feel responsible for creating something that doesn’t have an impact on our lands and, with my clothing, push people to do the same in their environments.”