010 Carlo Capasa
This year marks the 60th anniversary of the Camera Nazionale della Moda Italiana, the governing body of Italian fashion. During that time the industry has gone through quite a lot of changes, but arguably no more so than in the last decade. Fashion shows have become far more than just an industry affair attracting editors and journalists, but a consumer-facing event that are powered by social networks and digital technology, which has helped democratize the industry. There has also been a growing self-awareness within the industry about its impact on the environment leading to the rise of more sustainable fashion. The blurring of sartorial gender lines and brands grouping their menswear and womenswear shows together have changed the landscape even further. All of this has transformed the way the world interacts with fashion. Helping The Camera, as insiders like to call it, weather these profound changes is its president Carlo Capasa. Appointed in April 2015, Capasa has, in the space less than three years jumpstarted to the way The Camera operates. Dusting off the institution and putting into overdrive new initiatives designed to build a global engagement with Milan as a fashion capital. His strategy has been to focus on three key areas: Promotion and supporting emerging Italian design talent with initiatives like MILANO MODA GRADUATE, which highlights the best young talents coming out of the most prestigious Italian fashion schools. The Green Carpet Awards, designed to underline the importance and wide reaching potential of sustainable fashion. And he introduced a new Digital strategy that saw The Camera’s website get a facelift, its social media platforms also became a priority and a powerful tool for promoting Italian fashion online. The Camera’s Instagram feed alone now counts more than 150 thousand followers. Capasa, who has a love of black perfecto biker jackets, has been a fixture on the Italian fashion scene for years, having spent the bulk of his career as the chief executive and co-creator of Costume National, a brand he founded with his brother — and the company’s designer — Ennio Capasa in 1986, until the brothers announced their resignation in March 2016. But here he talks about his plans for the future of The Camera in a fashion world that is more fluid, flexible and forward thinking than ever.