Piazza Multipiano in Tortolì tomorrow, August 5th, and Piazza Italia in Sassari on August 8th: two evenings, two catwalks, one common thread. It's "Impronte di Sardegna," which for two years has brought fashion to the square, blending it with music, folklore, and a wealth of island pride. It begins at 9:30 pm, admission is free, and is sponsored by the host municipalities.
"The project was born with the aim of highlighting young Sardinian designers who are creating clothes inspired by the island's traditions," explains Maurizio Ciaccio, artistic director of Venus Dea Agency, creator and driving force behind the traveling cultural format. " It's a showcase designed for emerging talents, a space where they can present their creations in a prestigious setting with strong media appeal, combining fashion, tradition, music, and local promotion in a single event capable of narrating Sardinia through a modern and emotional language ." No anonymous catwalks; here, each collection is born by looking at the colors, landscapes, craftsmanship, and history of Sardinia. The result is a fashion show that almost becomes a journey, stop after stop, through fabrics and details that speak to identity rather than passing trends . "Seeing models wearing traditionally inspired clothes is a special pleasure," explains Ciaccio, "especially for the many tourists who attend the fashion shows."
Alongside the costumes, there's also space for traditional costumes, folk music, and folkloristic moments. Folkloristic groups from the host country are invited onto the stage, and "we dress together, explaining all the garments as they are donned one by one," she explains. It's not just a show, though. Behind every shawl, every bodice, every hairstyle lies a piece of the island's history that Ciaccio is keen to share with the audience, especially the many tourists in the square: brocades, lace, and embroidery thus become pages to be leafed through, testaments to artisanal skills passed down through the centuries. Even the days leading up to the parade become part of the spectacle, as the project team tours the area, filming iconic views and locations, and projecting the results on a LED wall during the evening.
But if there's one thing Ciaccio truly cares about, it's shining a light on those who, in Sardinia, have talent in their blood: "I always try to highlight local artists where the event takes place," he says, almost as if to remind people that fashion here is an opportunity to tell a different story: the real Sardinia, the Sardinia of its villages and piazzas. Thirty-two years in fashion behind him, and Ciaccio speaks about it with the lightheartedness of someone who's never stopped having fun. " I've had a wonderful past, I'm having a wonderful present," he says, "and I hope for an equally wonderful future, in which some talented young designer decides to pick up the baton and move forward." More than a summary, it sounds like a toast from the stage: to the new generations of Sardinian creatives, and to everything they still have to invent.