In the historical districts of Genoa, a city that inspired this iconic garment’s history &
culture, creativity, technology and responsible production
come together to set a challenge to its future
Genoa, 5-8 October 2023
8 June 2023 – Jeans are the hero of fashion history: from a fabric worn by dock workers, it has become an iconic garment that has abolished the differences of generations, social classes, seasons and genders. There is a pair in every wardrobe: jeans are a part of every lifestyle and collective imagery.
The original birthplace of jeans, Genoa is now proposing such new values as creativity, technology and responsible production, respecting the cultural heritage so profoundly involved with the city here it all began: Janne, the Old French name for Genoa, according to the Oxford English Dictionary, is where the heavy cotton now used for jeans was originally made. The Genoese were the first to come up with the idea of using indigo to dye the fustian fabric produced there.
The concept of next-generation jeans takes shapes in Genoa from 5 to 8 October with GenovaJeans (a concept by Manuela Arata, President of GenovaJeans). GenovaJeans will project its values through design, art, innovation and responsible production, transforming Genoa into the national and international landmark and showcase for all innovators and the jeans community: from creators and producers to contemporary consumers, embracing the culture of responsible design and innovation to become the leading change-maker.
The event, with a unique new format, will take place in Genoa’s historical centre, transforming the city into an open-air networking space, with the aim of creating an innovative jeans community with a circular and inclusive approach, in accordance with the green policy undertaken by the city of Genoa and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
Marco Bucci, the Mayor of Genoa says: “We are ready to host an event that will give the opportunity to discover one of the most famous fabrics and garments in the world, whose origins are deeply connected to our city. This four-day event is part of the huge GenovaJeans project: we aim to highlight the best of craftsmanship and commerce, acting as a boost for the industry and becoming part of our economy on a long-term basis. Shaping the next generation jeans, which is becoming more and more conscious on sustainability, we will bring back the roots of this fabric, narrating the history of our city to the whole world. Genoa is ready to approach the fashion industry, starting from the iconic garment which was used more than 150 years ago by workers in our harbour”.
“GenovaJeans is a project that aims to cultivate and convey multiple and cross-cultural ideals”, says
Anna Orlando, Co-ordinator for Municipality of Genova. “The 2023 edition intends to be even more
inclusive, also involving historical and cultural aspects. In addition to the events dedicated to industry professionals, an extensive agenda of performances, shows, concerts and artistic installations will be also open to the public, achieving the main role of art and culture: to develop a strong sense of identity with the community. In the case of Genoa, this means achieving the city’s recognition as the unquestioned capital of jeans and therefore one of the international pop-culture cities, capable of attracting truly everyone.”
“After the 2021 edition, we are now launching the first authentic edition of GenovaJeans, which fits into the international agenda with an important focus on responsibility and sustainable innovation. With the slogan ‘Jeans before blue jeans’ (M. Cataldi Gallo), we will bring companies, creatives, designers, technology producers and industry experts together with buyers, traders and end users, because innovation comes often from consumers, who in recent years have become more conscious about environmental and ethical issues, compared to previous generations. Genoa, which has always been an innovative city, will also contribute to this annual event with investments to valorise the Via del Jeans (‘Jeans Street’) and its history, focusing on the growth and development of the area that five centuries ago produced, traded and used this fabric,” says Manuela Arata, President of GenovaJeans.
A creative yet informative storytelling, curated by Sergio Salerni, in charge of the concept of GenovaJeans set-ups, will transform evocative city locations into collectives of brands, artisans and
established and new generation designers, along with innovative companies from the whole supply chain.
The University Library (Biblioteca Universitaria) in Via Balbi will host main brands, while the new creatives – brands and next-generation designers adopting circular eco-design strategies to create jeans with a smart approach – will participate in a collective exhibition at Metelino. The whole production chain and Italian icons of the supply and value chain, representing all the production stages, will be present in the Oratory of San Tommaso, while CNA Federmoda member companies will exhibit at the Laboratorio del Jeans in Via di Prè and Confartigianato members will spread out in the magnificent atriums of the famous Palazzi dei Rolli.
Genoa is the place of opportunities, where jeans were born even before the name was coined. It’s a city packed with stimuli, a melting pot of traditions and cross-cultural links: the perfect place to bring together the global need to create synergies, share values and knowledge and learn to explore new horizons, with a perspective of responsible innovation and transformation, in the name of sustainability.
Genova Jeans and its responsible identity will be shared through a special tag with a QR code powered by C.L.A.S.S. (Creativity Lifestyle And Sustainable Synergy), a ‘passport’ describing companies’ choices regarding ethics, transparency and the traceability of such products as clothing,
accessories, bags, footwear and furniture.
A series of exhibitions will be set up during Genova Jeans. “Un mito nelle trame dell’Arte
contemporanea” (A Legend in Contemporary Art), conceived by ArteJeans Association and hosted at the Metelino Building, will display around fifty works, many of them shown here for the first time, made of Candiani jeans and donated to the city by renowned international contemporary artists ahead of the foundation of the first Museo Internazionale del Jeans, an evolving, diffuse museum project. The exhibition ‘’Alle radici del jeans’’ (At the Root of Jeans) will be hosted at MEI (Museum of Italian Emigration) and will illustrate the Genoese origins of jeans and their evolution over the centuries through historical discoveries and multimedia installations.
The Museum of the Risorgimento will host an original work by Ian Berry – an internationally- renowned British artist who owes his notoriety to the particular use of jeans fabric for his works – entitled Garibaldi in Jeans, where the protagonist wears trousers made of the typical blue fabric. Displayed in the museum in dialogue with the documentation underlining the use of jeans by Garibaldi and his followers and generously donated by the artist to the city of Genoa, this work is one of the most significant pieces in the permanent collection, where other highlights are Camicie Rosse (Red Shirts) and Jeans dei Garibaldini.
Visitors to the Diocesan Museum will also be able to see the Teli della Passione (Canvases of the
Passion), which are held to be the ancestors of jeans: a unique series of 14 linen canvases dyed with
indigo and painted with white lead around 1540 by the Genoese artist Teramo Piaggio to engage the
faithful in the stories of the Passion of Christ.
Created in partnership with CNA-Federmoda through its training organisation ECIPA, in connection with Fulgis (Fondazione Urban Lab Genova International School) and Duchessa di Galliera Institute, the Laboratorio del Jeans will be particularly relevant, hosting manufacturing and design initiatives and acting as an incubator to offer training in jeans processing to artisans and aspiring artisans in a fullyequipped facility, made available with the assistance of the industrial partners Candiani and Diesel.
Supported and hosted in specially set-up spaces by the Municipality of Genoa, the laboratory will
complement the important economic incentives provided by the city to those who decide to settle along the Via del Jeans, which stretches from Via di Pre to Via San Luca.
During Genova Jeans, the University Library will host numerous education and information events, workshops with world-renowned experts and international associations who will discuss the burning issues of ecological transition, the increasingly important role of technology and responsible consumption, design and circular economy and authentic communication related to next-generation businesses. In the area of responsible innovation, key players from the worlds of science, innovation, design and supply chain will also be involved.
Jeans lovers and consumers interested in learning about the cultural and international value of this iconic and always contemporary product will be able to take part in an extensive agenda of free public events open to the city, entertaining guests and local residents in the most authentic jeans lifestyle.
GenovaJeans is promoted by the Municipality of Genoa, in collaboration with ITA – the Italian Trade Agency, in partnership with the Region of Liguria, with the eponymous Promoting Committee, whose members include not only the Municipality of Genoa, but also the Genoa Chamber of Commerce, Candiani, ETT and the Project Creators, and enjoys the patronage of SMI – Sistema Moda Italia.
