Is it circular or “just” upcycling? Regardless, cool little project documented at Centrinno, where they focused on “the importance of creating synergies and relations with a network of micro and small organisations united by the will and interest in creating an urban and circular manufacturing.”

During the Fab City Residency, the second creative residency organised by Manifattura Milano, textiles were chosen as the thematic focus, and more generally how to create circular economies in the neighbourhood starting from waste and deadstock of companies close to the city; a path that involved international designers, urban tailors and ateliers, hotels, fabric producers and representatives of the Milanese association world.

When the opportunity arose with the availability of donated sheets of fabric (bedsheets?) from a local hotel (Grand Hotel Et De Milan), they worked with a nonprofit tailoring atelier that employs immigrant women (Spazio3R), and with Muralestremo, an artisan screen printer, to produce bags for a partner event. In so doing, instead of imported bags they managed to use existing fabric and jumped on the opportunity of creating ties with neighbourhood partners as well as creating a new “meta-brand.”

From this small project and thanks to the serious work of mapping local actors, understanding their needs, and engaging in co-design, the Manifattura Milano meta-brand hopes to grow it’s projects and influence.