Where are Milan’s new designers? The question is becoming more insistent with Italy’s famous old guard getting into their dotages. Giorgio Armani turned 80 this year. Miuccia Prada is 65. Donatella Versace is 59. Milan’s enfants terribles Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana are 58 and 51, respectively.
米兰的年轻设计师如今为何难觅踪影?随着意大利各时尚大腕开始步入迟暮之年,这个问题已变得越发突出。乔治•阿玛尼(Giorgio Armani)今年已80高龄,缪西娅•普拉达(Miuccia Prada)已65岁,唐娜泰拉•范思哲(Donatella Versace)已经59岁,就连米兰离经叛道的天才组合多梅尼科•多尔切(Domenico Dolce)与斯特凡诺•加巴纳(Stefano Gabbana)也已分别年满58岁与51岁了。
Despite Milan fashion’s obvious appearance of modernity with its twice-yearly parade of new designs, insiders admit Italy’s fashion scene suffers from the same malady as the rest of Italy. A gerontocracy of designers who became world famous two if not three decades ago have left little space for young challengers.
尽管米兰每年两次新时装发布会仍明显能展现高大上的一面,但权威人士承认:意大利的时装业与意大利其它产业一样后继乏力。20、30年前蜚声海内外、如今已步入暮年的设计师挤压了年轻设计师的挑战空间。
But with Matteo Renzi, Italy’s 39-year-old prime minister, calling for a “scrapping” of Italy’s old elites to keep any international relevance, the country’s fashion industry is starting to show some – limited – signs of renewal.
但是,随着39岁的总理伦蒂(Matteo Renzi)呼吁意大利年轻一代勇于打破旧精英的固有“藩篱”、以使意大利再能傲视国际时尚界后,该国的时尚业开始展露复兴迹象(尽管仍有限)。
Sicilian Marco de Vincenzo, who was spotted by the Fendi family and in whom French powerhouse LVMH bought a stake in February this year is the breakout star of a new generation.
来自西西里的马可•德•文岑佐(Marco de Vincenzo)在这一代年轻设计师中脱颖而出,他被芬迪家族(Fendi family)慧眼识中,今年二月,法国时尚巨擘路易维登(LVMH)也参股了他的公司。
Vogue Italia and Camera della Moda, the Italian fashion industry’s lobby, are also looking for ways to help young designers into the big time and have struck a deal with Italy’s biggest bank, UniCredit, to give designers the business training they need to even survive.
意大利版《Vogue》与意大利时尚商会(Camera della Moda)也在想方设法帮助年轻设计师勇攀高峰,他们与意大利规模最大的银行集团裕信银行(UniCredit)签署协议,对年轻设计师的生存技能进行商业培训。
Paula Cademartori, a bag designer who caught the eyes of Italy’s style maven Anna Dello Russo, admits “there’s isn’t a lot of space for new designers” but says projects such as Vogue Talents, a competition promoting new designers, are helping to give some air to new arrivals.
得到意大利时尚名媛安娜•戴洛•罗素(Anna Dello Russo)青睐的手袋设计师保拉•凯德玛托利(Paula Cademartori)坦承“年轻设计师的成长空间太过有限”,但又说Vogue Talents这类竞赛项目有助于提携年轻一代设计师最终脱颖而出。