Carla Sozzani Celebrates Italian Designers, New York Store’s First Anniversary
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WHEN IN ROME: Knowing New York Fashion Week is all about the search for the latest and the greatest, 10 Corso Como founder Carla Sozzani decided to showcase the finery of five Italian designers Saturday night at its downtown store. With the support of Carlo Capasa, chairman of Camera Nazionale della Moda Italiana, and Maurizio Forte of the Italian Trade Commission, the mix-and-mingle also marked the one-year anniversary of the retailer’s South Street Seaport store.
The decision to spotlight Italian talent during NYFW was logical for Sozzani. “This is the future and 10 Corso Como has always been about trying to promote and find new designers. Here, people are super attentive and concerned about the future of the young generation.” she said.
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While major designers and international brands may draw the media, lesser-known talent today will one day lead the fashion industry. “I think everybody should think about the future. You realize very well that the generation of the so-called big brands — and people like me — are growing up. We need a regeneration. Actually, it should be called the regeneration,” she said with a laugh.
Turning more serious, Sozzani said young talent needs more than media attention to build their businesses. Acknowledging how the expense of having a runway show eliminates many young designers from participating in fashion week, she said, “Everything is in the hands of the big groups and designers. It has become impossible for the young.…We need people to finance the young designers.”
Her daughter, Sara Sozzani Maino, is another believer in young talent. The Italian Vogue-er said, “I have been doing this for the last 10 years or more. We have to believe in the new generation of creatives and support them,” she said. “I had the chance to begin and work [in fashion] because the door was open to me. I always thought, “What about all those people nobody opens the door for?’”
One of the newcomers to the New York scene was musician Cody Simpson, whose fashion week outing will include trips to Christian Cowan, Romeo Hunte and Bibhu Mohapatra and various parties. “I’m having a ball. I get to wear something different three times a day. It’s not the usual thing,” he said. “I’m loving it. I get to meet a lot of new people. It’s where a lot of collaborations get started so it’s good.”
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