Empowering Fashion: A Sewing Machine of One’s Own at Fashion Clash

What really happens when you try to represent the periphery by stepping away from mainstream narratives? *A Sewing Machine of One’s Own* tries to answer that question. Developed by Eleonora Cecere and Andrea Bertello—both PhD candidates in the National Doctorate in Design for Made in Italy—the project unfolds as a research-based, co-creative practice.

For the 17th edition, the Fashion Clash Festival chose creatives who work through collaboration, activism, and community-based co-creation. Cecere and Bertello’s approach takes the shape of a manifesto, where fashion isn’t just about looks anymore. It becomes a tool to read, transform, and give something back to places like Scampia, a peripheral neighborhood in Naples, and, honestly, the periphery in general.

The title borrows from Virginia Woolf’s call for *a room of one’s own*, but here, that “room” turns into a sewing machine. It’s a metaphorical space for autonomy, building identity, and self-determination. Through this shift in meaning, fashion—like the periphery—becomes a place to experiment and reclaim values: symbolic resistance, empowerment, and education.

Fashion’s many sides—its cultural, political, and communal power—show up as ways people can tell their stories, imagine different futures, and try to change their realities. It’s a chance to carve out your own space in a world crowded with clichés and preconceptions. Fashion circles back as a space for the self, where daily life is dressed in resistance and authenticity, and where vulnerability doesn’t get left behind.

This collection comes together as a collective practice. Collaborating with Fatto a Scampia, the team built a truly shared pedagogical process. Seamstresses, volunteers, and young folks in the workshop’s professional training all had a hand in every stage of the capsule’s development.

The result? A ten-look capsule collection, born from the meeting of technical skill, personal stories, and the neighborhood’s unique style. Through dialogue and exchange, aesthetic elements pop up as narrative materials. Signs from the neighborhood get pulled out of context and recoded in the collection—not as frozen icons of some tired stereotype, but as sparks for change.

The collection walks a fine line. It calls out issues of marginalization and resistance to development, but doesn’t freeze them in place. Instead, it builds new visual codes that feel closer to the energy and life of people living in the area.

Diversity lives in both fashion and the periphery, and here it shows how local actors—with different histories, scales, and traditions—can support each other, spark creativity, and grow together. Voices, Scampia’s Vele architecture, and the broader urban scene show up in the accompanying video, turning the periphery into a stage for diversity, where life buzzes just outside the city’s edge.

At the heart of the project is a network of stories, experiences, and traditions fueling its many collaborations. The team worked with Manteco S.p.A. (PO) for regenerated wool and cotton—top-notch materials coming from a long tradition of sustainable textile production.

Thanks to connections through the National Doctorate in Design for Made in Italy, they also linked up with Antico Opificio di San Leucio Design (CE), sourcing not just trimmings but precious damask silk remnants. These materials carry the deep memory of Campania’s textile heritage.

The Vision Behind *A Sewing Machine of One’s Own*

*A Sewing Machine of One’s Own* isn’t just another fashion project—it’s a bold move to redefine fashion as a tool for social change. Cecere and Bertello push beyond aesthetics to dig into bigger social issues. By focusing on Scampia and other peripheries, they challenge the usual stories and offer a new angle on marginalized communities.

Fashion as a Tool for Empowerment

Fashion here goes way beyond clothes. It’s about making spaces for autonomy and self-determination. Woolf’s idea of “a room of one’s own” gets reimagined—the sewing machine becomes a space where people piece together their identities and claim their autonomy.

This method turns fashion into a playground for experimentation and a way to take back values like resistance, empowerment, and education.

Community-Based Co-Creation

What really sets this project apart is its collaborative spirit. Local seamstresses, volunteers, and young people all work together in a shared learning process. The collection isn’t just one person’s vision—it’s the product of a community’s stories and energy.

The Role of Fatto a Scampia

The partnership with Fatto a Scampia stands out. It made possible a truly shared educational experience, mixing technical expertise with personal stories to shape a ten-look capsule collection. The outcome is a patchwork of narratives and aesthetics that capture the neighborhood’s vibe.

Aesthetic Elements as Narrative Materials

The collection pulls in aesthetic cues from the neighborhood, remixing and recoding them as agents of change. Instead of falling into the trap of stereotypes, it brings out new visual codes that match the community’s energy and life.

Balancing Marginalization and Development

The collection manages to highlight marginalization and resistance to development without getting stuck there. It tells a story that keeps moving, staying true to the real experiences of people in the community.

Diversity and Mutual Support

Diversity is at the core of both the collection and the whole project. It shows how people from different backgrounds and traditions can support each other, spark new ideas, and grow together. The video captures this too, featuring Scampia’s Vele and the wider cityscape.

Collaborations and Sustainable Practices

At its heart, the project is all about stories, experience, and tradition fueling collaboration. Key partnerships include Manteco S.p.A. for regenerated wool and cotton, and Antico Opificio di San Leucio Design for damask silk remnants. These choices reflect a real commitment to sustainable textiles and Campania’s rich textile history.

Conclusion

*A Sewing Machine of One’s Own* isn’t just a fashion collection. It’s a manifesto for social change, really—something that tries to shake up the usual way fashion works.

By shining a light on the periphery and bringing people together, the project nudges us to rethink what fashion can actually mean. It’s not only about looks; it’s about empowerment, education, and maybe even sparking some transformation.

Curious to know more? Check out the full story on the Fashion Clash Festival website.