Do not think about what the new year – this 2022 that is so full of uncertainties – can do for you, but think about what you can do to make it better.

Let’s start from this sacrosanct truth that John Fitzgerald Kennedy, referring to the United States, gave us in the speech of his inauguration, to face in the right way this beginning lived halfway between hope and fear.

I believe the perfect words are awareness and optimism.

Awareness: We all know that the pandemic has changed our lives in the last two years and that it has not yet passed, but we also understand (save for a minority of irresponsible people who reject the vaccine) what we need to do to protect ourselves and others. Awareness: We all know that the pandemic has changed our lives in the last two years and that it has not yet passed, but we also understand (save for a minority of irresponsible people who reject the vaccine) what we need to do to protect ourselves and others.

And then optimism, that disposition of mind that helps us to see the glass as half full instead of half empty and which, above all, allows us to face the future without negative preconceptions. At this moment we do not need Cassandre to announce the worst calamities. We need to believe in ourselves, to commit ourselves to doing the best we are used to, both at work and in the family, and we need not to be afraid.

To tell the truth, I didn’t want to write about the cursed Covid even on the first day of the year but, having just returned to Spain for a few days, I realized that in Italy we cannot help but discuss it. Because all the media, newspapers, televisions, the world of politics, entertainment programs do nothing else. In other countries such as Spain, on the other hand, where the contagion situation is more or less identical to ours, people who conscientiously wear a mask on their face are not constantly bombarded with a myriad of anxious information. They have the news, they are informed but … the impression is that they are also able to live even with all the necessary and sacrosanct restrictions.

This is the wish I feel like making today: let’s try to live, to enjoy what we have, to inevitably learn a different lifestyle but without considering it a condemnation, if anything an “opportunity”. Let’s try not to be afraid of others because the only chance we have of defeating the virus is to succeed together.

With awareness and optimism.

As the great Lucio Dalla said, “the year that is coming will pass in a year. I’m getting ready, this is the news ”.

And you?

This, now standard, is the editorial of the greetings. We arrived in December struggling, each in their own way, to regain that normality and serenity that the end of the year usually brings with it along with its load of lights, toasts, purchases and parties. We delude ourselves that this is the case again but we also know that too many things have changed in the last twenty months and that it will never be the same Christmas again. It will be a sadder Christmas for those who in this difficult year, and still on the thin thread of the emergency, have lost loved ones, suffered from Covid by getting sick or losing their jobs. And to all those who have lived or are still struggling with a deadly and ever-changing virus, we are close with all our hearts. But it will also be a Christmas of revenge for those who have been able to hold out or have reinvented themselves, not without difficulty, creating new opportunities for life and profession.

Italy, which has shown that it knows how to manage this pandemic better than many other countries, is now facing a difficult but also exciting situation thanks to the economic recovery and the precious possibility of receiving from Europe those funds that could give an exceptional boost to all sectors of our economy. However, we need to row all together in the same direction, to be aware that this is a unique opportunity and, above all, it is essential to understand that we cannot afford another lockdown. The vaccine is our most effective weapon and the super green pass, which limits access to public places for the unvaccinated, is a tool that does not deprive the freedom but guarantees it to the entire community. We believe that getting vaccinated is a duty and a social responsibility: there is also the choice not to get vaccinated but there is no right to endanger the lives of others. So let’s try to prepare ourselves to live a Christmas in serenity and safety by taking all the necessary precautions.

We at Crida, like many other realities in the fashion world, have lived a year full of work and definitely uphill. It was not easy but we believed in it: in the recovery of Italy and above all in the strength of Made in Italy which represents the heart of our project. We have continued to collaborate with the factories of our territory by keeping the level of the packaging of our garments high, we have done research in the world of textiles to find the most beautiful Italian silks and wools suitable for our idea of fashion, refined and timeless. and now we are proud to announce that next season we will be present in many stores in Italy, in all the most important multi-brands and with the most exclusive brands. For me and Daniela it was a great emotion to see that the great Italian buyers have chosen us and believed in us and we will return this trust with an even greater effort of creativity and style. From the first capsule of ten dresses with which we presented ourselves to the market in that difficult February 2020, Crida has evolved and expanded to try to dress all women with her clothes and to meet different needs, while maintaining faith with initial promise: only natural fabrics without synthetic fibers and only products manufactured at zero km near Bergamo.

The greatest satisfaction of this year that is about to end is realizing that our message of quality and sustainability has passed since so many follow us, appreciate us and buy us. A heartfelt thanks to all of you who have allowed us to grow and to affirm ourselves in such a complicated moment. We promise to remain faithful to ourselves and to our style, convinced that fashion, while expanding and becoming more and more global, must always remain Italian and increasingly green and environmentally friendly.

This is the wish that we will put under the tree and that we address to all of you for a holiday period that is bright and aware.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year with us!

Cristina & Daniela

There has never been so much talk about sustainable fashion as in this period. So much so that, I confess, the term sustainability has almost bored me. But to avoid that, like the blah blah blah denounced by Greta about the commitment to the climate, being sustainable remains an attractive but empty word, it is worth trying to explain it better.

Sustainable fashion is fashion that respects the environment and society in all its phases: from conception to production, passing through distribution to sale. An easy concept to say but a little less to put into practice. And do you know why?

Because the fashion sector is a sort of sprawling entity that includes textiles, manufacturing, leather goods but also the entire production and transport chain, up to retail, that is, shops. According to the latest estimates, it produces 2.4 trillion dollars, employs about 50 million people, and is considered the second most polluting industry in the world, after oil. How did it come to this point? It happened when mass consumerism was born and artisanal tailoring gave way to an unbridled rush to create, produce and buy more and more frequently. The rise of the great fashion houses in the 80s and then the explosion of the fast fashion giants gave birth to a system in which collections follow one another quickly and wear out just as quickly to stay up to date with new trends. Not only. In order to maintain these high production rates, production has been relocated to the countries of the so-called third world, employing millions of people without adequate guarantees. The inevitable consequence is that the amount of production destined for an almost “disposable” use has had an enormous cost in terms of pollution and waste of resources, especially water.

So you will understand that making fashion sustainable globally means making a huge, substantial difference in the economic and social system that directly involves a huge number of people, and indirectly all of us. But it is a fundamental goal to be achieved.

Let’s start with what companies should do: certainly work with less polluting raw materials, reduce waste in production such as water and electricity costs, use local production on the territory to prevent goods from traveling and create durable products, stimulating the conscious consumption. Obviously, this economic model also provides for a more limited production that benefits quality, and the protection of the human component of the fashion industry. The big fashion houses have obviously understood that this is an obligatory path in order not to lose credibility on the part of an increasingly attentive clientele, and are launching capsule collections with recycled materials and investing in new eco-friendly materials. After Stella Mc Cartney, who was a pioneer, Gucci in clothing and accessories and Chopard in jewelry received the Eco-Age Brandmark for their commitment to sustainability. Hermes announced by the end of the year that it will make a new version of its iconic Victoria bag in vegan leather made from mushrooms. But also the recovery and reuse of materials, more exploited by young designers and new brands, reveals a side that is attentive to the environmental impact of fashion.

Daniela and I were part of the jury of a beautiful award dedicated to green design and all the young students who participated proposed clothes and accessories made from natural materials ranging from orange peel, cork to broom up to recycled butts of cigarettes. But beyond the hope for the future that certainly comes from the new generations, I believe that we are all involved in this necessary revolution. Because each of us is, even in spite of himself, an actor and victim of this industry. The iconic Miranda Priestly in “The devil wears Prada” taught her to her naïve assistant, explaining the path taken in fashion to get her to buy the felted blue sweater she wore… remember? Changing the fashion system means being able to be part of a global change simply by buying a pullover.

So remember to think when you buy, to check the labels, the compositions of the fabrics and realize that your gesture, carried out with awareness and repeated by millions of people, could make a difference for the protection of the environment. Fashion, let’s not forget it, is not just frivolity and appearance, but economy, ethics and society.

P.S. Crida, we say it with pride, is a totally sustainable company. If you follow us and get to know us, you know that we only use natural fabrics, without synthetic fibers. We buy them in Italy and produce them in factories in the area between Bergamo and Milan. We know well that those who do business today cannot ignore attention to the environment. This is why the goal of our project was, from the very beginning, to focus on quality and Made in Italy and create clothes with the idea that they must remain in the closet for a long time, clothes to be loved and stored with care. This also means sustainability.

“Fashion is a stupid, superficial and feminine thing”.

Word of Andrea Batilla, designer and great expert in fashion and communication who, in spite of this tranchant statement on his Instagram page, in reality, I’m sure, loves and knows fashion to the point of being one of the few truly sincere and interesting in commenting on the collections presented in this latest Fashion Week. He does not discount anyone, he is sharp and precise in his judgments, competent and never banal.

Reading her ruthless and perfect reviews online one wonders: so what should fashion be like today?

The fashion shows in Milan first and then those in Paris were the mirror of future trends, they are the showcases of what the stylists propose as an interpretation of society, of the customs of the desires and needs of consumers.

There have been years in which on the catwalks we have seen frankly unlikely dresses, due to shapes, materials and excessive frivolity, but which represented the spirit of the times or the dream of women at that time, and other seasons in which, instead, through fashion they were launched important social messages: Prada models without make-up and shapeless, hidden in oversized parkas and with the amphibians of metropolitan warriors or, more recently, the feminist writings on Dior t-shirts.

The figure of this season of fashion shows and presentations seemed to me more concreteness than extravagance.

We have come out of a difficult time, especially for the fashion industry, there is a need for certainties and solidity and this is what has been proposed in general. Each brand has done the best what it already knew how to do.

Batilla, now my beacon in the fashion jungle, however laments the lack of research and new ideas in some historical companies much loved by normal women like Max Mara and… listen, listen, Dior, making an intelligent reflection as always.

Maria Grazia Chiuri did not try to make an innovative and impactful collection for the media, but the strength of her brand is not so much the originality at all costs as the style and above all the ability to dress women of sizes, shapes and ages. different, making them feel good.

Exactly like Max Mara who has for some time now preferred wearability rather than extreme trends.

Fashion must address the audience of young and beautiful influencers / millennials / fashion victims capable of wearing even the most daring follies (or penalizing, depending on the historical moment) or must cultivate the variegated world of real women, who have sizes that exceed a lot of 42, have purchasing power and want to be elegant?

Does a product’s strength lie in the number of glossy covers it has appeared on or in the number of women who have actually worn it, feeling good? Batilla enlighten us who curries Maria Grazia Chiuri but in the end you listen to the motivations of your friend who tells you that Dior dresses never betray, they have perfect and comfortable sizes on the hips and armholes, in short, they are made to be worn by every woman (who obviously has the economic possibilities to face their very high prices).

We at Crida are certainly not at this level, but we believe that fashion can be research and style innovation, but also and above all that it should make the wearer feel good.

The most exciting challenge is being able to dress in an elegant and modern way even the lady who tells you: your clothes are so beautiful but they will never suit me.

And then see her smile in the mirror looking at how silk slips on critical points without pulling, and how an evening dress is perfect even on a non-model body.

Probably Andrea Batilla will never give Crida a review (thank goodness!) Because, rightly, he deals with the big names in fashion and we are not part of this Olympus (not yet …), but he reassured me his analysis on Dior and on the ability to make clothes that fit women.

Even though we are a young company, born less than two years ago, we have had this goal in mind right from the start: transforming “silly superficial and feminine” fashion into a wonderful world thanks to which each of us can feel beautiful.

When we returned to work, my partner and I – Dani whom you all know by now – went away to a wonderful place: the Il Pellicano hotel in Porto Ercole. Maybe some of you know what I’m talking about, it is certainly one of the most fascinating resorts we have in Italy. I had already been there once many years ago and I liked it very much, because although it was decidedly luxurious, it reminded me of an old family home (it was founded in 1965), almost hidden as it is among the hills, surrounded by greenery, with no claim to appear, just to be incredibly welcoming and comfortable. Well, after so many years I found it exactly the same, although certainly some changes, technological and sustainable improvements have been made, but its structure proudly showed its age and all its Italian charm. And this in my opinion is its added value.

Why am I telling you this? Because I firmly believe that Italy has a heritage of beauty, landscape, art, gastronomy, not to mention fashion and design, unique in the world and that in many cases this beauty should be preserved rather than subjected to the fashions and trends of the moment. Speaking with the charming director, who is the daughter of the founder, Marie Louise Sciò, we discovered her commitment and her skill in keeping intact, even if renewed, the elegance of a place that proudly shows its age. And which, not surprisingly, is loved by foreigners who find at the Pellicano the essence of that Italian spirit that is difficult to replicate elsewhere, because it can hardly be explained: it is our most precious heritage.

I like to think that even in fashion, as I have often had the opportunity to tell, there is a world of brands that set trends and that every season offer products that will end up in the newspapers and in the windows as the must-haves of the moment., often pushing the accelerator of the most daring and perhaps difficult to wear novelties, and there are other brands, such as Crida, who believe that fashion should not be consumed so quickly, but preserved, worn over the years and appreciated for its quality and for that style that never sets. That’s why Daniela and I returned from that meeting comforted by this idea: the beauty of Made in Italy should not be flaunted, but discovered and loved and used for a long time.

This is for us the mood of the new Crida autumn-winter collection that we are happy to present to you and that you will find in stores and on our e-commerce. In addition to the silk dresses that are absolutely timeless, to be used in all seasons, there are other warmer, but equally comfortable and contemporary pieces. If you browse our site you will discover some models such as the Aviano and the Turin (yes, they always have the names of our beloved Italian cities!) Made with wool fabrics, always 100% natural, light yet warm, to be used as always from morning to evening.

We like the idea of dressing women in every moment of their day: the Aviano, as evidenced by the name of the place that hosts the American military base in Italy, has a military style and is the perfect soldier’s uniform (we are all a bit so right?) for those who are used to never stopping by morning in the evening but always wants to be in place and elegant, the Torino instead is a more rigorous robe manteau, but equally feminine and very easy. Do not miss the Firenze, our lucky silk dress, made in a delicate pebble print, graphic and special in the combination of colors. The Ischia skirt, one of our summer bestsellers in canvas, in this collection is in double crêpe, with the addition of a buckle that gives character, and accompanied by a jacket, Trieste, with perfect proportions to be worn as a suit on the skirt but also with jeans. The colors are the classic ones of autumn: camel, cream, military green, burgundy and blue of course, but also with some surprises such as mustard yellow and peacock, because never like this year we all want to experience winter in color.

For important evenings we have created the Levanto, a long silk dress with wide and totally open long sleeves to show a part of the arms with sensuality and to shine even more there is the Ravenna in precious fil coupé fabric, which recalls the splendor of the mosaics of Galla Placidia. There is no shortage of cashmere tricot dresses, in which we indulged ourselves in coloring the winter with bright pink, bright green and blue.

With the hope that it will be a brighter season for everyone, more aware of what we have been through and therefore full of courage and desire to start again. Reminding us that Italian beauty never dies.