sustainability

The Most Wonderf… Wasteful Time of The Year

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Low impact Christmas #formodernhumans


Christmas is the most celebrated holiday, a time to spend with family and loved ones. Yet, in modern times, it has become just another occasion to overconsume. More than the atmosphere, the tradition revolves around buying and, even more troubling, tossing out the day after.

Indeed, the waste we produce grows exponentially during the festivities. Wrappings, gifts, food – people consume and throw away everything. To demonstrate it, see the average fast-fashion Christmas sweater worn just for the occasion and then discarded right away. Those garments go directly to replenish the horrendous clothing island in the Atacama Desert in Chile.

(In case you do not remember about it, please read here)

In fact, the most wonderful time of the year corresponds to the most wasteful time of the year.

However, sooner or later, any excess becomes exhausting. And for those who choose a conscious lifestyle, the need to clean up the festivities routine is deeply felt. But, paying attention to our lifestyle and consumption habits doesn’t mean giving up the celebrations. On the contrary, a low impact Christmas is possible, pleasant and more meaningful.
And yes, we can definitely enjoy it!

What we can do for a low impact festive season


So, what can we do for a low-impact Christmas and festive season? Here’s our advice:

• As a general rule: avoid single-use items.

• Christmas decorations: we never throw them away. We just mix them differently, and the atmosphere is created around us. Those who interact with us will surely remember our lovely polar bears! In case you missed them, have a peek at our Instagram.

• Wrappings: avoid too much paper for packaging and use non-plasticised wraps. Also, recycle them.

• Food: throwing away food is an insult to humanity. There are so many recipes for food leftovers.

• If you cannot afford gifts, make something by hand. But please, don’t buy fast fashion. We don’t need more garbage.
For the same cost of a fast-fashion item, consider gifting a book.

Finally, whatever we buy for Christmas, make it last. And most importantly, let’s donate what we can.

A conscious lifestyle means intentional choices. It is not about deprivation but quality, values and meaning.
May your days be merry!

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Shop Small & Independent

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Anmi jewellery: a shared vision of fashion


Shop small and independent represents thoughtful choices to reclaim a sense of value. For you, but for us too. Indeed, supporting similar activities means being aligned. And sharing a vision of the world we want to live in. We contribute to defining the world by voting with our pockets. How we spend our money or don’t spend it at all – which in many cases would be great – shapes the world. And we do it all together.

For instance, we could argue against overconsumption and then offer you the same brands that thrive on that production model. Instead, we prefer to do our own research and find value outside the beaten path. In fact, consistency is a core value for us, which is why we seek out uniqueness.

Anmi: a brand with a fascinating background

shop small and independent
Anmi collections


Thinking about jewellery, the idea of supporting Anmi totally resonated with us, with the new path we have undertaken. An Italian brand located near the magical Pompeii, the ancient Roman city in Campania, close to Naples and Vesuvius. A designer with a long history in the fashion field, between Italy and France.

Exploring the Anmi archive to assemble unique pieces of jewellery was fascinating and modern at the same time. It felt like going through a process and realising that the time was ready. Sometimes, we would even puse, because it made sense in the moment – yet always with the intention of taking a different direction.

shop small and independent
Anmi collections


The archive is vast, and what once was considered a fashion leftover regained its value fulfilling the desire for uniqueness. In this line, the concept of asymmetry stands out. Moreover, the packaging is minimal on purpose.

Being mindful of your consumption doesn’t mean “buy nothing” at all. It’s about making intentional, conscious choices.
Shop small and independent!

Please, request your Anmi jewellery unique piece via email or DM.

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Change: Between Reality and Dream

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Post-pandemic fashion: illusions of change – A talk with Antonio Miranda


The alleged change brought in by the pandemic, and widely discussed in the fashion field, is mostly imanginary. We explored this topic in a conversation with Antonio Miranda, the designer behind the Anmi jewellery brand. With a lifetime of experience in fashion, Antonio offered unique insights into the industry.

Antonio invited us to the Piccolo Teatro to watch “Doppio Sogno” (Dream Story), by Arthur Schnitzler. Firstly, the show was absolutely stunning – far surpassing Kubrick’s film Eyes Wide Shut. Each character embodied multiple versions of oneself simultaneously, highlighting a dense psychoanalytical landscape. The interplay of mixed emotions and a profound flow of consciousness made the experience intensely captivating.
A special thank you to Ugo Fiore (assistant director and Antonio’s nephew) – we truly appreciated the opportunity!

However, before the show started, we exchanged some thoughts about fashion.

change
ANMI Collections – Made in Italy

Fashion and change


We quote Antonio Miranda:

“Those who changed because of the pandemic were already on that path before Covid19 hit. This is evident in the fact that most people either regressed or remained unchanged. And, look, in the fashion field, we talked endlessly about change. It seemed everything had to be different the following season. Well, now the fluff is even more pronounced.”

According to Anmi’s designer, those who changed were already sensitive to the topic. Somehow they were ready or at least open to it. In fact, they were on the route towards change. Therefore, the pandemic simply became the last drop or an invitation to take the next step.

But for the majority of people, nothing has changed – for the better, at least. And fashion remains stuck in the same cycle of emppty words – hot air, indeed.

In fact, the path towards change is individual. It is a matter of awareness and perspective. But, even though a shift in attitude depends on our journey, whatever our situation may be, we can get inspired by virtuous people and activities.

A play, a book, what we buy, define the universe we want. Let’s keep the door open, search for value, support and share it. That’s how we change!

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The Fashion Bullshit

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Exposing notorious fashion marketing empty claims


The fashion industry loves to discuss important matters that we would better describe as fashion bullshit.

How does the system work?
As soon as a new concept becomes popular in the fashion world, the proclamation is made. So the word spreads rapidly. As a result, marketing takes over the subject right away. And, once marketing steps in, you can feel the smell of it. What follows is an unmistakable sense of artificiality that permeates the entire communication strategy.

As voices outside the chorus, we’ve put together a list of some of the fashion bullshit: terms that, the more people in the field put at the centre of the discussion, the more they sound weird.

The fashion bullshit list

• New:
usually said about things done and redone. Again and again. Eye roll when you hear this word.

• Change:
a kind of mystical belief we like to talk about, but never happens.

• Luxury:
or the fake representation of it. What remains after the voluntary shift towards overproduction and mass distribution.

• Affordable luxury:
a total absurdity launched to compensate for the collapse of real luxury.

• Sustainability:
the biggest bullshit of our times. Most designers who wave this flag lack a distinctive design imprint, and as a result, have no real reason to exist.

• Diversity:
possible or allowed only in fashion shows or advertising.

• Inclusion:
possible or allowed only in fashion shows or advertising.

• Disability:
possible or allowed only in fashion advertising. But please, don’t show up during fashion event!

• Fluidity:
gender-fluidity is popular in fashion shootings. But when you go shopping, items are divided by categories. And so, the shop assistant kindly invites you to shop in the section assigned to your gender.

• Collaboration:
possible only as co-branding (sharing a profit). However, genuine exchanges are very rare among fashion professionals.

• Humbleness:
unreported, or simly missing.

Does anyone have anything to add to this list? We’d love to hear from you.

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The Wind of Instachange

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Navigating fashion’s social media revolution


The fashion system needs to change. In fact, social media accounts release various content on this topic, amplifying the conversation. New developments emerge, and the news has to be shared with everyone. Perhaps because they believe we haven’t heard this story yet.

The discussion about resetting the fashion industry started during the pandemic, although the system was in bad health a long time before. And the reason why it came out is not that it made sense to shift the approach by reinventing a stale system but because companies lost large amounts of money.
Indeed, money is the engine that drives the world. And apparently, finances are the only force capable of provoking any real shift. Many of those who operate in the system completely ignore the problems. Better avoid the risk of any further loss of capital.

Fashion system and change
Image via Ode to things Tumblr


However, the debate still goes on. Those who are aware of the multiple issues talk profusely and release interviews, podcasts. Top brands like to talk about change, but unfortunately, it is not tangible yet. Not even a hint of change.
Only a few smaller brands follow a different direction.

Real change or Instachange?


So we wonder if all the talks are just catchy content for social media, food for the so-called experts in the field who can show how cool they are by interviewing this or that designer. Yet, we fear that the entire debate will end up like COP26: nothing accomplished.

It is helpful to repeat concepts more than once because we tend to forget words quickly. And so listening again might help us keep the focus. But in the end, we must find solutions. If the fashion system needs to change, actions must follow the words. Otherwise, we’ll have beautiful Instagram graphics showcasing the wind of ‘Instachange,’ but no real progress will be made. So, we won’t solve any issue.

By the way, overproduction is the biggest concern in the fashion field. Any news about if and how are they going to solve it?

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