Barbara Pellegrini: Will promises of a better future be hard to keep?
Barbara Pellegrini worked with an Italian jeans manufacturer for 25 years and has now moved into consultancy to forge a closer relationship with brands and factories. She hopes that the shake-up from the pandemic will prompt the industry to reassess some elements of production and practices.
Can you tell us a little about your work, and what inspires new ideas?
Above all I’m a denim lover and my job as a product consultant is driven by this deep passion. I work with brands and factories to develop denim products for men and women, with a special focus on jeans. I’m fascinated by the power of indigo materials to be transformed into so many different looks from their raw state to their washed appearance and this is why I believe that fabric is the key factor to jeans.
My home country, Italy, has grown my aesthetic sense thanks to its culture, art and traditions that have created and still create beauty in a lot of different expressions. I find inspiration everywhere in my life experiences and care especially for those details that make a difference. I am inspired by human beings, places and colours, so I have missed very much travelling the world and meeting people in recent months.
What is most important to you, when choosing and working with suppliers?
I have always thought that clear and transparent communication is the basis for any relationship, both in work and in life, therefore this approach is crucial when working with suppliers. Of course, I expect the best skills in their field, a mindset to be open to new challenges and last but not least focused projects of their collection to be able to make a smooth selection of their offers.
How has the pandemic affected the industry and how might it change things going forward?
The pandemic has produced a temporary unexpected stop in our lives that has cancelled our vision of the future. While rethinking their behaviour, people live more than ever day by day because of this feeling of uncertainty. The industry was hit so badly and many companies have already taken strong action to fight this enormous crisis. I followed many webinars and interviews in the last few months and read so many comments from all the players. There are so many good intentions expressed towards a cleaner and better future but I am afraid that it will be hard to keep all the promises.
How would you like to see the industry changing in the future?
Surely the pandemic has shaken our consciousness and warned everybody about the excess that the world has reached. For our industry I aim to see a deeper care for what is developed and produced which means a real new environmental and ethical approach. The word “sustainability” has been used and abused too much just for its appeal. Hopefully, the big fears and the pain of this pandemic will also push a more correct handling of the relationships among people.
