Menu
Menu
FUORIMODA! Raising Our Voice Against Fashion’s Injustices
FUORIMODA! Raising Our Voice Against Fashion’s Injustices
5 min read
|
5 min read
|
In 2024, Matteo Ward published FUORIMODA!, a book that is both a call to action and a guide for navigating the complex, often troubling world of contemporary fashion. Edited by De Agostini Mondadori, the book features contributions from leading voices such as Hakan Karaosman, Giuliana Matarrese, and Dr. Mauro Picardo, with a foreword by Sara Maino and the renowned artist Michelangelo Pistoletto.
Why FUORIMODA!
Matteo wrote this book because, in his words, “in the face of injustice, there must always be someone willing to raise their voice and declare: FUORIMODA! (Out of Fashion!). Why shouldn’t that someone be us?” The project emerged after years of working at the forefront of sustainable innovation and following the deeply emotional experience of producing JUNK, the docu-series that exposed the devastating human and environmental cost of fast fashion.
Writing FUORIMODA! was not an easy journey. It came with a sense of responsibility. A responsibility to be honest, inclusive, and clear about the contradictions of the system while inspiring collective action.
The Story Fashion Doesn’t Tell
The book traces the origins of the modern fashion system back to 1678, when King Louis XIV and his minister Colbert introduced the concept of fashion “seasons”, pushing nobility to renew their wardrobes at least twice a year. What began as a financial strategy for the French crown evolved into today’s global machine, producing over 100 billion garments a year (most of them made at rock-bottom prices and destined to be quickly forgotten or thrown away).
This system has proven profitable for a few, but unsustainable for everyone else. Its darkest truth was laid bare by the Rana Plaza disaster in Bangladesh, where over 1,100 garment workers died due to unsafe working conditions in a collapsing factory. Yet, even in the face of tragedy, the fashion industry kept moving, seemingly unstoppable. FUORIMODA! asks the pressing question: Does it make sense to continue like this?
A New Way of Seeing Fashion
Through the book, the readers is taken on a journey to explore the four pillars of the fashion system, exposing their impact while offering pathways to rebuild fashion from the ground up. One of the central ideas of FUORIMODA! is simple yet powerful: “Give clothes the same value we give to food.” Just like food, every piece of clothing comes from finite resources and directly affects both our bodies and our planet. By buying less and buying better, demanding transparency, and making conscious choices, consumers and citizens can reclaim their power to transform the system. This shift is not about individual perfection but about collective action and a shared understanding of fashion as part of a global ecosystem.
An Invitation to Act
FUORIMODA! is an invitation to participate. It speaks to both those who wear fashion (aka. every single one of us, unless you are running around naked, in that case we should be friends come visit us in Rome) and those who create it, calling for a shared commitment to preserve the diversity and beauty of our world. The book envisions a future where fashion design regains its role as a force for good, shaping a system that is not exclusive to a privileged few but necessary for everyone. By raising our voices together and declaring what must be fuorimoda (out of fashion) we take the first steps toward a more equitable future, because there is so much beauty out there worth fighting for.
FUORIMODA! has been published in Italian by DeAgostini Mondadori, and can purchase it here.
In 2024, Matteo Ward published FUORIMODA!, a book that is both a call to action and a guide for navigating the complex, often troubling world of contemporary fashion. Edited by De Agostini Mondadori, the book features contributions from leading voices such as Hakan Karaosman, Giuliana Matarrese, and Dr. Mauro Picardo, with a foreword by Sara Maino and the renowned artist Michelangelo Pistoletto.
Why FUORIMODA!
Matteo wrote this book because, in his words, “in the face of injustice, there must always be someone willing to raise their voice and declare: FUORIMODA! (Out of Fashion!). Why shouldn’t that someone be us?” The project emerged after years of working at the forefront of sustainable innovation and following the deeply emotional experience of producing JUNK, the docu-series that exposed the devastating human and environmental cost of fast fashion.
Writing FUORIMODA! was not an easy journey. It came with a sense of responsibility. A responsibility to be honest, inclusive, and clear about the contradictions of the system while inspiring collective action.
The Story Fashion Doesn’t Tell
The book traces the origins of the modern fashion system back to 1678, when King Louis XIV and his minister Colbert introduced the concept of fashion “seasons”, pushing nobility to renew their wardrobes at least twice a year. What began as a financial strategy for the French crown evolved into today’s global machine, producing over 100 billion garments a year (most of them made at rock-bottom prices and destined to be quickly forgotten or thrown away).
This system has proven profitable for a few, but unsustainable for everyone else. Its darkest truth was laid bare by the Rana Plaza disaster in Bangladesh, where over 1,100 garment workers died due to unsafe working conditions in a collapsing factory. Yet, even in the face of tragedy, the fashion industry kept moving, seemingly unstoppable. FUORIMODA! asks the pressing question: Does it make sense to continue like this?
0:00/1:34
0:00/1:34
A New Way of Seeing Fashion
Through the book, the readers is taken on a journey to explore the four pillars of the fashion system, exposing their impact while offering pathways to rebuild fashion from the ground up. One of the central ideas of FUORIMODA! is simple yet powerful: “Give clothes the same value we give to food.” Just like food, every piece of clothing comes from finite resources and directly affects both our bodies and our planet. By buying less and buying better, demanding transparency, and making conscious choices, consumers and citizens can reclaim their power to transform the system. This shift is not about individual perfection but about collective action and a shared understanding of fashion as part of a global ecosystem.
An Invitation to Act
FUORIMODA! is an invitation to participate. It speaks to both those who wear fashion (aka. every single one of us, unless you are running around naked, in that case we should be friends come visit us in Rome) and those who create it, calling for a shared commitment to preserve the diversity and beauty of our world. The book envisions a future where fashion design regains its role as a force for good, shaping a system that is not exclusive to a privileged few but necessary for everyone. By raising our voices together and declaring what must be fuorimoda (out of fashion) we take the first steps toward a more equitable future, because there is so much beauty out there worth fighting for.
FUORIMODA! has been published in Italian by DeAgostini Mondadori, and can purchase it here.
Contact
Let’s start a conversation
Join us for a chat to talk about your business
Contact
Let’s start a conversation
Join us for a chat to talk about your business
Contact
Let’s start a conversation
Join us for a chat to talk about your business