At the recently ended Milano Unica textile fair, 735 exhibitors showed their innovations for autumn/winter 2026/27. What about the progress of companies in terms of sustainability? “Guard manufacturing companies have invested a lot in sustainability and made great progress,” Giusy Bettoni, founder and CEO of Class, told fashionunited.
Class, acronym for creativity lifestyle and sustainable synergy, is an international Eco hub based in Milan. Since 2007 he has been promoting a new generation of fashion in which the fusion of design, innovation, communication and responsibility creates conscious and competitive business that can operate on both an economic and social level.
Eco-Hub Class CEO: “When we started almost 20 years ago, we were outsiders of sustainability”
“When we started almost twenty years ago, we were the outsiders of sustainability,” jokes the CEO. Since then, however, a lot has changed.
“Many manufacturers have carried out ecological balance to evaluate the environmental impact of a product over its entire life cycle,” added Bettoni. You have prepared to get on the market with a brand story, from the fiber to the finished garment, which is understandable for consumers: inside. Sustainability, i.e. the individual aspects of the same, from the effects to the material, from recycling to the production process, must be well explained and communicated.
“It is important to rely on competitive communication,” emphasizes Bettoni. “In many cases, however, communication has remained at the status of the 1980s despite considerable progress in both the technologies as well as investments and certifications.”
Class: Acronym for Creativity Lifestyle and Sustainable Synergy
The paradox is that the big players: In the inside of Fast Fashion, in this regard, in this regard and manage to come onto the market with good storytelling. It goes without saying that the Made-In-IT-IT-IT companies cannot use the same language as these fashion companies that they, not even too tacitly, try to fight.
In short, saying that you manufacture in Italy without explaining this concept precisely, clearly, simple, concrete and concisely, is not very helpful and is of no use of fashion or the supply chain. Hidden behind economic difficulties and uncertainties to say that the priorities in the company are others makes no sense for Bettoni. “The focus must be on people, because we talk about it when we refer to sustainability,” says the CEO of the ECO hub.
“But the worst is when you have a green product, but storytelling is zero,” added Bettoni.
The familiarity with the communication of next-gen products is an indispensable cultural factor and class does everything possible to support companies on this front. “There are four fundamental dimensions that we give priority: design, innovation (the material must have certain features), but also responsibility with regard to the effects on humans, seas and animals as well as sustainability. Communication is another dimension and a value,” emphasizes the CEO of the ECO hub.
Aesthetics, functionality, optics and feel remain basic features of a fashion product. But today this product receives new meanings and values when external factors are combined with internal values. That is why Class has outlined ten values that are invisible to the human eye, but are indispensable for a next-gen-wardrobe.
How to tell the values of next-gen-fashion
Ethics, social initiatives, traceability and transparency, environment, health, circulatory economic initiatives, design, ingredients, production, coloring and refinement are the values specified by inside out by class. “This ‘Bible’ is very important for identity and the value of the wardrobe, but also for modern consumers: inside that are increasingly confused in this regard,” explains Bettoni.
For example, ethics is defined as the commitment to respect each individual, starting with the legal aspects, but without restricting it. As I said, the key word is respect: an indispensable value in order to go beyond that and to fully record this vision.
As for storytelling, this value underlines the commitment of the brand, to ensure respect for every person and the communities and to promote fair working conditions and low environmental pollution. Ethical brands act integers towards man and nature. Social initiatives, on the other hand, are positive and proactive actions or entire programs that promote the well -being of communities and ecosystems and go beyond normal business activities.
Definition and storytelling of transparency and traceability
The focus of the definition of transparency and traceability is the visibility of the activities and partnerships of a brand, with detailed and publicly accessible information about the supply chain and its effects. Transparency that affects the entire production cycle from raw material extraction to the finished goods on the shelf not only explained, but also fully documented.
According to Class, the storytelling of this value is expressed in “clear and easily accessible communication about the activities of the brand, material procurement and production processes through a complete presentation of the life and history of a product”. All of this means “to build trust through open information about the supply chain and the processes, from extraction to delivery, and to enable consumers: to check the origin and the effects of your purchases on the basis of clear and visible data in order to make a really conscious purchase decision.”
What is used for the production of a product, including natural, recycled and innovative raw materials, is the definition of materials and production, the storytelling of which can be as follows: “This value takes into account the origin and quality of all materials and the participating companies.
What is production and how do you tell them?
With production, Insideout by Class describes the processes and materials involved in the production and their ecological footprint. “Ethical production guidelines are of fundamental importance for the sustainability. This value underlines the importance of production methods with low effects, responsible procurement and efficient use of resources during the entire production process,” it continues.
The calculation extends from the phases of raw material extraction for the product to its manufacture and distribution to its use and final disposal and reflects the environmental pollution associated with its life cycle.
This article was used with digital tools translated.
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