Afro-Italian fashion through the lens of practice theory

The traditional paradigms of fashion are facing an ongoing process of redefini-\r\ntion driven by the emergence of new markets and new imaginaries. Migration and\r\ndiasporic movements play a role in this transformation. The case of ‘Made in Italy’\r\nis particularly emblematic in light of the growing contribution of Afro-descendant\r\ndesigners to the Italian fashion scene. Within this context, we observe new cultural\r\nintermediaries as well as less visible, smaller-scale activities operating at the local\r\nand community level. These dynamics contribute to the transformation and diver-\r\nsification of the Italian fashion system across its latent and explicit dimensions,\r\nfrom everyday informal practices to more formalized and institutionalized ones.\r\nDrawing on in-depth interviews with Afro-descendant designers and key inform-\r\nants, ethnographic notes and secondary sources, in this article we employ concepts\r\nfrom the interdisciplinary field of practice theory to examine how Afro-descendant\r\ndesigners navigate and influence new forms of economic, social and cultural capi-\r\ntal. Drawing from the interconnected dimensions of competence, meanings and\r\nmaterials as developed by sociologists of practice, we demonstrate how Afro-\r\ndescendant Italian designers integrate new cultural elements into the Italian fash-\r\nion industry, mediating between inherited traditions, local craftsmanship and the\r\naesthetic and symbolic legacies of their cultural backgrounds.