“Moda”: Where I Fit In and Who We Are Through (Sustainable) Fashion Lenses
LEARNING COMPANION
TO EP2 OF UNLEARN
View Episode 2 Part 1
View Episode 2 Part 2
PUBLISHED
April 7, 2025
WORDS BY
GIULIA BALDINI
As a former fashion design student and fashion house employee, Zoe Map remembers finding out that full-time fashion wasn’t the career she was interested in pursuing. It was shallow, sexist, and body-shaming. Later in life she came across sustainable fashion, discourses around diversity, and engaging conversations involving culture. Maybe fashion isn’t so empty and negative, after all. There’s a silver lining surrounding the fashion industry and there are active agents who are making this space a safe haven for all.
Fashion, “moda” in Italian, is a transdisciplinary art, language, and way of life that brings culture and communities together in the name of belonging to spaces, values, and aspirations.
It is through the art of making clothes, the skill of critical thinking, and the passion for a sustainable future that we can spark an enticing conversation around media representation and cultural appropriation. Especially when the protagonists are Black Italian women in the industry. Zoe’s questions throughout the podcast are connected to her own geographical and personal contexts, with vivid interest and passion for hip hop, streetwear, and modern fashion history. What can we find in ourselves through an analysis of the relationship between the American and the Italian youths inspiring each other’s fashion styles? How do we react to topics like cultural appropriation or sustainable fashion, when we still are living the effects of the veneration of logo-mania in hip hop culture, since the Dapper Dan’s days with the Gucci, Versace, and Fendi replicas? Lastly, how do we merge two cultures (Italian and American) without the negative impacts of cultural appropriation, particularly when marginalized communities in both Italy and the US are involved?
From the archives of Zoe Map. Bambole Kokeshi and collage. Early 90s.
Stephanie Cavalli is the daughter of a Guadaloupean mother and an Italian father. She spent her childhood and adolescence in Roma, and is now in Pennsylvania. As a former model and a current business woman, she takes pride and joy in managing La Garçonne, her local antique clothing shop with curated selection of vintage pieces.
Brooklyn-based Rosie Mae is a veteran multi-faceted creative with Italian ancestry from her mother’s side. With more than 15 years in the sustainable fashion space, Turner holds several titles, including but not limited to textile artist, swimwear designer, vintage fashion archivist, and climate justice activist.
There’s an immense scholarship in the field of fashion psychology, which brings to the surface themes of “fitting in” that impacts our identity and how we perceive each other at large. For biracial Black Italian women, conversations around inclusivity and belonging to a certain group through fashion choices start from how we see our own selves through the experiences and interactions with the world around us.
Baldini and Turner have always been some sort of outcasts, coming from two different geographical contexts. Baldini had the chance to explore fashion through the lenses of being a consumer and a scholar, writing about the behind the scenes of the fashion world and what it does mean to her. This has led her to become closer to more groups of social activists, media professionals, and educators who are in alignment with each other, beyond their fashion tastes.
Turner has found a way to fit in by staying strong in her global mindset, which made her an exceptional and conscious sustainable designer. Growing up in a small town in Illinois, while being exposed and attracted to a few immigrants in the community, she recognizes that her relationship to fashion is an ever-evolving journey that can’t necessarily satisfy the standards demanded by the industry. “I like to show who I am with what I wear, but in an unconventional way, because half ot the time people, those with a passion for vintage, aren’t familiar with Pucci or Versace, or other vintage collections” She also expands her answer with more insights on her heritage and how she incorporates her fashion choices to showcase the cultures that represent her. “Being Black as well, I represent that side by collecting some designers from the past like Willie Smith, Patrick Kelly, Tracey Reese, and other iconic Black designers,” she explains. “I don’t need to fit in (within an image), but I use fashion as a way to stand out.”
“Fitting in is something that I find extremely human,” says Cavalli. Compared to other modern times, when being part of a group was more geared towards politics or religion, “we now revolve around a lot more about our own image.” It’s a natural process and fashion finds its way to make us closer to our own selves, but also to other groups of people.
Giulia Baldini is an Italian-Brazilian media researcher and freelance journalist based in the NYC Metropolitan Area. Her interests span from Pan-African fashion to media literacy through the lenses of Fashion Media Studies. She has contributed to Vogue Italia, Refinery29, and La Voce di New York. She’s the founder of a grassroot digital media collective called “Fashion On The Beat” (FOTB) and author of “Fashion On The Beat: The Melodies and Rhythms in Fashion Journalism” (2020).
On fitting in, Giulia Baldini says:
“I am comfortable with being uncomfortable in finding the perfect (way to) fit in fashion.”
Despite a growing interest in sustainable fashion among the general public, the field has yet to find a compelling way to capture the attention of consumers in a more accessible and engaging manner. Sustainable fashion is not merely an environmental concern—it also reflects deeper social inequalities, particularly in communities where race and gender significantly influence individuals’ lives. However, the fair trade principles that sustainable fashion seeks to uphold often lead to misconceptions, causing it to be perceived as too costly, luxurious, or exclusive by the broader population. This perception is further reinforced by the “Made in Italy” label, which is commonly associated with prestige, craftsmanship, and high-end luxury.
Cavalli, a vintage enthusiast and fashion business owner, expressed a sense of pessimism about the current state of sustainable fashion. She highlighted how the next generation might push for more sustainable practices in the fashion industry, tying this to broader social movements. She noted, “We have so much (landfill garments) behind us that could be upcycled, reused … it’s really not necessary to look for something new.” Cavalli’s perspective emphasizes the value of second-hand and vintage pieces as part of a sustainable approach.
Baldini further explored the role of Italian identity in introducing sustainable fashion in educational settings. She pointed out that fashion is rarely taught in American schools unless one attends a specialized fashion program. Moreover, she reflected on how access to resources and conversations around sustainable fashion is often limited to those with privilege.
Drawing from her experiences teaching sustainable fashion to American undergraduates, Baldini shared that many of her students, predominantly Black and Latinx, assumed that her Italian background meant she would look down on them. “They have this idea that ‘yeah, professor, we’re not at your same level,’” she explained. Baldini noted that while there is no need for students to feel inferior, it is intriguing to observe how an Italian identity—especially in an American context—can shape perceptions of one’s relationship with fashion, often based on stereotypes tied to origin and accent. This underscores how identity and cultural background can deeply influence both the reception and understanding of sustainable fashion, particularly in educational environments.
“Culture is dynamic. It shifts right, left, and stays in the center for however long it wants to. The first time I came across cultural appropriation was in the US, not in Italy.”
Cultural appreciation and cultural appropriation, are essential topics in understanding the intersections of identity, fashion, and societal values. Cultural appreciation involves a respectful and informed engagement with elements from another culture, often acknowledging and celebrating their significance and history. In hip hop, this is done by paying homage to a cultural aspect – whether it is a hairstyle, a type of makeup, the use of Africana symbols, or even sampling an audio in rap. When someone practices cultural appreciation, there’s always a payment of tribute and credit is given when it’s due. In contrast, cultural appropriation is when elements of one culture are borrowed by members of another, often without understanding the magnitude or relevance of that particular cultural facet. Media representation plays a vital role in shaping how these concepts are understood and can either perpetuate harmful stereotypes or promote understanding and inclusivity. Fashion is a perfect landscape to analyze all of this.
It is important to note that compared to the US, Italy is still new to a contemporary phraseology and vocabulary that reflects DEI literacy, which makes it harder for Italians born and raised in Italy and those in the diaspora relate to these concepts and apply them into interdisciplinary studies like fashion.
As these discussions continue, it is essential to recognize that cultural identities in fashion will continue to evolve—shaped by both appreciation and appropriation—ultimately contributing to a more complex and diverse cultural landscape.
Like this subject? Subscribe to the newsletter!
DISCLAIMER: Things you buy through our links may earn us a commission.