Alumni
Fashion Design Alumna Italia Hannaway Champions Sustainability and Zero Waste in Fashion
Fashion Design Alumna Italia Hannaway is a champion of sustainability and zero waste, and her apparel line, Italia A Collection, is a testament to that. She started her zero waste fashion collection as a student on the San Francisco campus when she participated in the Fibershed NorCal Design Challenge in 2018 and created the winning design.
California Apparel News quoted her in a recent article: “[FIDM] implemented the sustainability portion of the curriculum for fashion design, and Fibershed pushed the envelope toward thinking through a different approach to fashion. They wanted a zero-waste design. I decided to take on the challenge and create a zero-waste design marker and garment for their fabric. The award was for climate-beneficial wool.”
We caught up with the zero waste fashion designer to learn more.
Tell us a little about your brand Italia A Collection: Italia A Collection is a zero waste designed collection that creates stylish and travel chic jumpsuits and pants, effortlessly bridging day into night. My sustainable collection is classic, sophisticated, and reflects a bold and confident woman that is socially conscious about what she is wearing. I was inspired to launch this collection at San Francisco Fashion Week, and share my vision of fashion, and that sustainable design is empowering.
What is “zero waste” and how is your brand aligned with this? Zero waste design is the concept of creating an unconventional series of patterns of rectangular shapes and strategy to create technical pattern making skills and innovative design sense simultaneously. Zero waste design is not just about eliminating waste, but about understanding the value of what you are creating.
The Coastal Loungesuit was the first design in the collection and was apart of a FIDM design challenge by Fibershed. The parameters were to create a zero waste marker and design with a 0% fallout using up to 4 yards of 44” wide Climate Beneficial Wool, a regenerative textile from a ranch in Northern California. This introduction to sustainability at FIDM aligned my brand to think more responsibly when designing.
Why is sustainability important, especially in fashion? Sustainability is revolutionary. It speaks globally and the expression of responsible design is empowering, combining quality design with ethics and style.
What inspires you in your designs? Creative inspirational emotions that can be brought on by a color, nature, beauty, and empowering women.
What do you love most about design? I love the limitless freedom that comes with designing and the ability to express yourself through your designs.
Tell us about a challenge you have overcome in your career: My first public speaking presentation was at Apple in San Francisco for Sustainable Fashion Week. The United Nations was there, and I was a guest speaker to discuss my zero waste design. For me, public speaking was a challenge that I overcame this year.
Why did you choose FIDM? I chose to finalize my education at FIDM to gain technical skills and relevant designer skills for the fashion industry. FIDM granted me a Artistic/Industry Merit Scholarship, for artistic achievement.
How do you feel FIDM prepared you for what you are doing now? FIDM prepared me in many ways to be a successful designer. The SF campus has given consistent attention and holds a genuine interest in every individual. I think that being apart of a female-driven school can be very inspiring and FIDM’S design ethics has made a huge impact on me as a designer.
How do you go about setting goals and achieving them? Goals can be a challenge, it’s a gradual climb to achieve what you envision but the outcome of following through always leads you to the right place in your life. I am determined but also creative so I believe in what I do, that is the core of achieving a goal.
Learn more at italiaacollection.com and follow on Instagram @italiaacollection.
Categories: Fashion Design Alumni
