Giovanni Maria Conti

• PhD in Industrial Design and Multimedia Communication
• Professor (Associate) at Politecnico di Milano

Mutable trends and a dynamic interplay between the past, present, and future characterize the contemporary fashion industry. Knitwear, a sector deeply rooted in tradition, is experiencing a resurgence and is becoming pivotal in bridging creation and consumption, challenging traditional fashion norms, and empowering individuals to engage with fashio...

Knitting, one of the most ancient human handworks, is transitioning from a purely manual process to a technological industrial practice supported by digital tools and advanced machinery. This transformation is challenging the learning process, traditionally based on the tactile experience, the manual interaction with the medium of creation, and the...

This contribution investigates two major perspectives that characterise the fashion industry in the twenty-first century and the relationship between humans, nature and technology. The first perspective has to do with the centring of humans and their needs in design, in a systemic and holistic way, leading to the evolution of Industry 4.0 into 5.0;...

Knitwear is a consolidated industry in Italy and, at the same time, a typical expression of the Made in Italy paradigm linked to the ideas of craftsmanship. While, on the one hand, knitwear is associated with the idea of craft and manufacturing traditions, on the other hand, it is nowadays produced by numerical control machines (CNC) where the tech...

Born with a very artisanal and manual connotation, knitwear design has evolved into a highly technological industrial practice supported by digital tools and advanced machinery. For this reason, teaching in the field is a constant challenge requiring innovation and updated information, together with a memory of the more traditional aspects. The art...

The pandemic has altered human attitudes affecting common gestures: hugs, kisses, hands shaking, all the human behaviors related to touching have become dangerous, generating what scientists called “touch hunger”. If with touch we define ourselves as our form of being in the world we are in front of complex touch-related costs that make people toda...

Sustainability is a widely discussed issue for fashion, and designers are asked to take a central role both in facilitating the transition towards sustainable supply chains and in shaping lifestyles to promote change in society. The article focuses on the knitwear sector, analyzing how this industry scenario, placed halfway between an ancient manua...

Globally diffused but very locally specialized, the fashion industry represents great opportunities for territories and enterprises, while making them deal with a high level of complexity in managing common practices and differences. In such a complexity, designers become crucial figures with the role of experts that can imagine and investigate new...

Persistent poor acoustic conditions can imbalance humans’ psychophysical capabilities. A good acoustic project starts with either correct measurements of the existing acoustic parameters or with the correct hypothesis of new sound conditions. International standards define invasive measurement conditions and procedures that can disturb user activit...

In a rapidly changing global economy, skills largely determine competitiveness and the ability to stimulate innovation in the businesses of the future. The integration of production, educational and scientific systems becomes the new method to address and manage the complexity in the contemporary time, but also a determining factor for the localiza...

Quando si parla di moda e design si assume come tipico il concetto di contemporaneit ; nel seguente saggio, attraverso l’analisi di alcuni documenti di archivio e di testi bibliografici specifici, si indagato come il settore della sartoria maschile abbia trovato nel Sud Italia, e precisamente in Sicilia quando l’Isola divenne protettorato inglese –...

Three-dimensional (3D) textiles prove characteristics in structures and performance which can be as attractive as to be the main object of a high number of research and applications in specialist markets (from small medical devices to large engineering structure) where the performance demands are severe ([1] in J Eng Fibers Fabr.). Nevertheless, mu...

The paper investigates a fashion sector which is unexplored and ignored: Adaptive Fashion. The aim of this design is to answer to this new group of consumers creating functional and trendy garments for them. Firstly, the paper analyzes what the Adaptive Fashion was and its transformation through the years. The Adaptive Clothing companies haven’t th...

"As individual consumers, one of the most responsible actions we can take to protect the planet is to extend the life of the things we already use."Taking under advisement the indication of Rose Marcario, CEO of Patagonia, the Salewa Metro System project aims to analyse and understand which aesthetic, functional and technical characteristics must b...

In the contemporary context, the knitting industry is dealing with a scarcity of 3d simulation tools, resulting, to date, in a sampling-based method where refinements to a specific design are often abandoned or compromised. While, in other design fields, virtual 3d modeling profitably interacts with hardware technology (e.g., 3d printers) (Verbrugg...

Many private companies and public bodies in authoritarian and democratic states have joined facial recognition technology, used for various purposes. This situation is due to the general absence of a specific regulation that monitors its use. There is no consensus in society regarding the ethics of this technology. Furthermore, there are many doubt...

. ** FOR THE FULL-TEXT CLICK ON THE DOI (LINK)** . Textile products, a synthesis of the complex relationship between physical and sensory characteristics, have always played a fundamental role in the culture of furniture design projects. Like many other production sectors, the furniture one in recent years has been called to meet the growing demand...

One of the biggest problems of the fashion system today are the living and working conditions of the people who manufacture clothes. 80% of those who sew clothes are women [1]. The reasons why mainly women are hired is because they are more controllable and sub-missive than men and do not have the courage to ask for more rights. They are controlled...

The paper investigates a fashion sector which is unexplored and ignored: Adaptive Fashion. The aim of this design is to answer to this new group of consumers creating functional and trendy garments for them. Firstly, the paper analyzes what the Adaptive Fashion was and its transformation through the years. The Adaptive Clothing companies haven’t th...

Design is the basis of organizations' innovation and sustainability process and an indispensable resource for meeting short-term sustainability goals and transforming the long-term economic model. However, it is known that the current configuration of the organizational work ecosystem in the Fashion sector has been marked by a panorama of sanitary,...

This paper presents the design actions and the results obtained in the project “Development of fashion products”, a joint operation carried out by the Design Department, Milano Fashion Institute consortium and the IILA, Instituto Italo-Latinoamericano, based in Rome; aimed at creating a training course for trainers and local development activities,...

Could the specific properties of a material influence the thinking and the making of a design product? this paper illustrates the results of an applied research activity made at the School of Design of Politecnico di Milano, with Lanecardate, a spinner company in Biella that, being entirely dedicated to woollen yarns, is a leader in the production...

Three-dimensional (3D) textiles prove characteristics in structures and performance which can be as attractive as to be the main object of a high number of research and applications in specialist markets (from small medical devices to large engineering structure) where the performance demands are severe (1). Nevertheless, much of the research has c...

When the COVID-19 emergency has raised, the entire world had to stop, adapt, and face the challenge. The article reports the reaction undertaken with an ongoing project that in February 2020 was experimenting with the therapeutic effects of knitting on patients. The project, driven by scientific international studies, was bringing the intervention...

Resumo O objetivo deste artigo é investigar a visão sistêmica do conceito Made in Italy, como conjunto de princípios e valores (tangíveis e intangíveis) inter-relacionados, orientado para inward-looking (foco nas próprias operações) versus outward-looking (contexto competitivo) no âmbito do Design Culture. Considerado um fenômeno policêntrico, a pe...

Brand identity is a key topic in fashion design and communication. It relies on several tangible and intangible elements, such as recognisability of trademarks and styles, of materials and processing details, on storytelling, values, testimonials, company history and so on. The evolution of communication strategies in the digital era, and of global...

Bruno Munari, Italian designer, when asked for a definition of the designer, used to say that designer "è un progettista dotato di senso estetico, che lavora per la comunità", that means that a designer is a someone able to make project with an aesthetic sense, that works for the community. With this definition in mind we started the path that led...

This paper intends to report the experience as a Visiting Professor in the Design Department of the Politecnico of Milano and to approach the Design Laboratory as a priority and distinguishing feature of the Polytechnic Design System. The concept of the Design Laboratory refers to a multidisciplinary team of teachers, designers, researchers, and te...

The paper aims to highlight the final results of the Laboratorio di Sintesi Finale in Design della Maglie-ria, at the Politecnico di Milano, in collaboration with M Missoni, the second line Missoni brand. The methodology used was archival research, and it is based on archives of past collections as an inspira-tional point to revisit the original ae...

Nearly 60.000 war refugees remain stranded in Greece [1], without any plan of amelioration for their living conditions. Design thinking strategy combined with social innovation could generate new scenarios of inclusion in the Greek society through the exchange of culture, knowledge and practical skills. In order to examine this hypothesis, members...

ModaPalavrae-periódico/ VARIATA193ModaPalavra, Florianópolis, V. 13, N. 28, p. 191–232, abr./jun. 2020Relations between Laboratorio di Sintesi Finale course of Politecnico di Milano and fashion design teaching in BrazilABSTRACTFrom the experience in the Politecnico di Milano, following Laboratorio di Sintesi Finale course, under the responsibility...

Di seguito vengono presentati alcuni dei progetti sviluppati all’interno del corso di Design della Maglieria al Politecnico di Milano, o immediatamente dopo la sua conclusione, con tesi di Laurea Triennale e Magistrale. Gli esempi riportati ben rappresentano quali possono essere oggi le possibilità di sperimentazione a disposizione dei giovani desi...

Fashion is recognised as one of the most unsustainable systems, being characterized by both severe environmental impacts and unfair working conditions. In this framework, the article describes the design support tool called Sustainability design-orienting scenario for fashion and its development process. The tool has the purpose to inspire designer...

This paper presents a set of Life Cycle Design (LCD) guidelines to operatively support fashion companies to design low-environmental impact cloth. The LCD guidelines for environmentally sustainable clothing care systems has been developed with the following process adopted since several years in company/organization consultancy by the LeNSlab of Po...

En el contexto globalizado actual en el que la fertilización cruzada entre disciplinas y diferentes campos de proyecto se mezcla generando formas, sistemas y procesos, el diseño de Tejidos de Punto puede marcar la diferencia en la producción y en el consumo de los productos. En realidad, son ideas reales sobre los diversos temas que caracterizan es...

La storica azienda MF1, che da quattro decenni confeziona capi e maglieria per numerosissimi brand di prêt-à-porter nazionali e internazionali, ha scelto di condividere il proprio archivio storico che, con oltre 7500 articoli a catalogo suddivisi tra capi e accessori, rappresenta un'autentica fonte d'ispirazione per i professionisti del settore, no...

This paper is focused on the sustainability design theme in relation to fashion and, specifically, how to create a service which gives 'value' to the product. This specific part was presented as part of the results of Sofia Aiello's Design for the Fashion System Master Degree thesis. Starting, then, from a problem the goal is to educate consumers i...

When we talk about fashion and design, we take for granted the concept of contemporaneousness. Starting out by studying traditions before producing new objects could come across as a paradox and, very probably, to a certain extent, it is indeed in this paradox that the very charm of studying tradition lies. This study has investigated how the men's...

If for traditional fashion design as clothes making or as basics for the creation of fashion products the concept of good design is now acquired, knitwear is now facing its decisive change from hobby into project; the enhancement of craft (Micelli S. 2011) does not refer to any nostalgia for the past times, and even better in Italy it is a very fer...

In the actual globalized context in which the cross-fertilization among disciplines and different fields of project mixes together forms, systems and processes, cultural identities can make the difference in the production and in the consumption of the products. “h a n d s t o r i e s o f i t a l y. The Burano’s jacket” is a project developed as a...

Resumo: O artigo discute a dinâmica da cross fertilization, que remete ao contexto das relações de contiguidade entre diferentes áreas do conhecimento. Identificam-se princípios condutores comuns que direcionam o pensamento projetual, bem como elementos que agem como ativadores de transferências de conhecimento e facilitadores de processos de geraç...

O artigo aborda estratégias aplicadas à ampla cultura do projeto industrial onde as atividades operam para que a realização de produtos, tangíveis ou intangíveis, digam respeito ao novo. Investiga-se o processo de desenvolvimento mediante a adoção da cross fertilization como instrumento condutor de projeto. As intersecções que se praticam entre as...

The following paper aims to show some of the results of the SMART - K research whose purpose was to create a software for 3D modelling to be applied within the production chain of the industrial sector of Italian knitwear. Today, the market offers software for knitwear designers that can represent the product concept in 2D and still remain purely d...

In the actual globalized context in which the cross-fertilization innovation process among disciplines and different fields of project mixes together forms, systems and processes, cultural identities can make the difference in the production and in the consumption of the products. The approach to fashion design and system build around it must be fa...

O artigo aborda o processo de desenvolvimento de produtos orientado pela dinâmica da cross fertilization, que remete ao contexto das relações de contiguidade entre diferentes áreas do conhecimento. O conceito foi introduzido pelo matemático James Clerk Maxwell, e consiste na possibilidade de adotar inovações já experimentadas em campos distintos da...

Resumo O artigo aborda estratégias aplicadas à ampla cultura do projeto industrial onde as atividades operam para que a realização de produtos, tangíveis ou intangíveis, digam respeito ao novo. Investiga-se o processo de desenvolvimento mediante a adoção da cross fertilization como instrumento condutor de projeto. As intersecções que se praticam en...

In the actual globalized context in which the cross-fertilization among disciplines and different fields of project mixes together forms, systems and processes, cultural identities can make the difference in the production and in the consumption of the products. “Sealing on a DressBone” is a project developed as a thesis in Fashion Design at Polite...

In the contemporary design scenarios knitting is a really fertile project area. Even if most of the people think about it as an old-fashioned hobby, reserved to old grannies making ugly jumpers, it’s clear that today knitting is a very interesting challenge from a designer point of view. Knit design involves many aspects and allows intervention and...

This paper analyses the contribution offered to the different domains of fashion design by technological innovation, and it focuses on the aesthetic and formal effects due to the adoption of high-techs in product solutions, on the trends induced by the pervasive adoption of new technologies, on the related transformation of needs and social behavio...

The research programme proposed focuses on the territorial dimension as an asset able to act for the preservation, the valorisation and the development of the local culture, supporting and improving them. In the last few years, the importance of the territorial values of a specific region, restricted or intended like a macro-continent, becomes the...

Fabrics are living surfaces, made initially from threads or fibres or filaments, whose development obeys a number of techniques and whose result is what we wear, the products we use to cover and protect ourselves. In the early twentieth century, thanks to the growing incidence of women taking part in sports, there emerged a sort of casual clothing...

Knitting today is a complex design scenario in which there are spinners, designers, engineers, and sites for insights and fun

Nowadays the approach to fashion design and related systems must be faced in a cross-sectional way; working in fashion doesn’t mean just developing a dresses collection, rather it involves the analysis of design processes that generate the project intentions and new modalities to generate innovation. Twyle is a fashion game (actually is much more t...

Progettare con la maglieria è possibile. Si può inventare e reinventare un capo di abbigliamento più e più volte. A differenza del tessuto, non vi è alcuna limitazione perché tutto parte semplicemente da un filo. La maglieria è un importante settore del “made in Italy” e lavorare a maglia rappresenta una delle tecniche più antiche e sedimentate del...

The paper focuses on the territorial dimension of the project, which is meant to be a resource for the development and support of local economies, helping them to increase the value of their cultural identity and their creativity design process as well as production’s know how. Last August a team of designer from School of Design of Politecnico of...

MIND’s goal is to implement strategies and shared policies so that a single wellstructured network can present itself on an international level and attract the best talent and capital. The Milano Municipal Councilor’s Office for Research, Innovation and Human Capital promotes MIND in conjunction with the offices of: Tourism, Marketing of the Region...

This work aims to establish the best criteria for the creation of a clothing collection for the brand Domyos, to be introduced into the Brazilian market. This work arose from the need to understand and show the variations between nations, cultures and social behavior and the way that this directly influences fashion with regards to styling, usage,...

The debate on the theme of design and innovation has always induced reflection and investigation. In "Questions of Method" Sartre observes that the person produces the garment, which means that he or she expresses himself or herself through it. In this way, the garment magically produces the person: by transforming the garment, one transforms the...

In the current globalized context-in which the cross-fertilization of disciplines and different design fields mixes forms, systems and processes-cultural identities can make the difference in the production and consumption of products. This paper focuses on the concept of Made in Italy seen not only as a value from the past-identified as a characte...

In the design oriented disciplines innovation is not a phenomenon which develops in isolation; rather, it reflects a precise state of knowledge, a particular institutional and industrial environment, a certain availability of expertise for the definition and solution of technical problems, a socioeconomic mentality which makes those applications wo...

In this paper, the key ideas of ambient intelligence, wearable objects and service-oriented computing are combined so that appliances and devices can disappear and become part of the work garments and environment of the individual and, as an effect, services emerge to face risky situations through reaction to alarms and to perform risk management....

The approach to fashion design and system build around it must be faced in cross-sectional way; to work on fashion doesn’t mean develop a dresses collection but it refers to the analysis of design processes that generate the project intention. The paper focuses on the territorial dimension of the project, which is meant to be a resource for the dev...

Chi si occupa di design per la moda ha l’obbligo morale di capire quali saranno le relazioni tra il prodotto e chi lo indosserà. E’ in questo senso che va quindi letto questo breve lavoro che non si sostituisce ai saggi letterari scritti dagli storici, di cui lo stesso scritto si nutre e fa proprie conoscenze e teorie ma è un lavoro che pone l’acce...

The approach to fashion design and system build around it must be faced in cross-sectional way; to work on fashion doesn't mean develop a dresses collection but it refers to the analysis of design processes that generate the project intention. The cross-fertilization between fashion and design, between practices and processes driven research adopte...

Design research process: fashion sector as a peculiar context for analysing innovative practices in design research. Abstract This paper assumes the fashion sector as a privileged field for the observation of several research and product development processes that have noteworthy similarities and potentials of application in many other design orien...