Momenting the Memento by Polimoda

An international event that will fill the streets of Florence

The appointment fixed for May 12 to 16 is not that of an ordinary conference. The creation of this professional and cultural event involving much of the Florentine artistic and fashion world, can be attributed to Linda Loppa, director of the Polimoda Institute in Florence, a strikingly beautiful woman with dark, keen eyes always matched by the colour of her clothes, a charismatic figure of the international fashion scene. Momenting the Memento is an international project which, on the occasion of the Annual Conference of the IFFTI network (International Foundation of Fashion Technology Institutes), hosted by an affiliated institute, will bring together in Florence various schools, businesses, celebrities from the world of fashion and innovation, artists and opinion leaders, to favour the exchange of experiences, to imagine and plan the industry’s future. The absolute novelty is its opening to the city, for the use of different areas and the involvement of the public.

Ms. Loppa, the prestigious IFFTI Annual Conference organized this year by Polimoda will be held in Florence, and its will be the involvement of the public. In what way?
For the first time in the history of the conferences of IFFTI, the foundation that unites 46 fashion training institutes, this international event is open to everyone interested in living a “moment” of interdisciplinary dialogue in historical landmarks of Florence. This is the meaning of “Momenting the Memento - Connecting Fashion Education and the City”. Which historical landmarks are involved and where will the debates be held? In addition to our headquarters in Villa Favard, the monumental complex of Santa Croce, the National Central Library, the Marino Marini Museum, Palazzo Strozzi, Palazzo Vecchio and the Odeon Cinehall will all be involved. The latter will host the debates and will be the centre from which all the participants will depart to visit the various installations, performances and workshops.

What do you expect, in the professionalism of the “visionaries” of tomorrow, for this “moment” that you have created? My wish is that these future visionaries may have a broader and more complete view of fashion, in order to become the new Art Directors of the future system. For this reason, I chose to invite to Florence creative artists and intellectuals, to reflect on the cultural value of fashion, to reconsider our work system and its anthropological, social and artistic significance. We have involved personages like Tim Blanks, journalist of great culture; Michel Maffesoli, anthropologist; Ou Ning, activist and writer; Diane Pernet, founder of ASVOFF Film Festival; Sissel Tolaas, artist; Olivier Saillard, director of the Galliera Fashion Museum in Paris and Jane Rapley, famous former dean of Central Saint Martins in London.

Speaking of the installations created by young talents, researchers and teachers that will be exhibited in various museums: will they have a theme? And what form will they take?
There are six areas proposed by Polimoda: Craft / Calligraphy / Body / Dress / Imaginary / Space. Six areas surrounding the “Fashion” object and representing the same number of ”languages”: manual skills, writing, the human body, tailoring and urban space, up to visual language.We will realise ten installations, ten performances and five video projects. In addition to these, Ou Ning’s temporary exhibition at the National Library, Michel Maffesoli’s “Lectio Magistralis”, “In conversation with” featuring guest speakers, the workshops at Santa Croce, and the video contest with Diane Pernet’s ASVOFF.