Eco Fashion World

Most eco fashion stores I visit are rather small shops, often off the beaten track. But asap is a big two storey space in the midst of a vibrant area in Milan's Garibaldi district. There is a reason for this as Carla Lasorte and her husband Alberto Zanone have developed a vision for asap since 20 years. 'We call our brand 'as sustainable as possible' because we realize that being one hundred percent sustainable is impossible. Instead, we try our best to do as much as we can in our product design, manufacturing processes and distribution. For us, quality is key to sustainability'.

It all started with the creative collaboration OPOS which highlighted sustainable design during Milan's design fairs in the nineties. Zanone was owner of a textile manufacturing company and when he sold this business, the couple married fashion and sustainable design in asap. The idea to start with recycled knitwear was born when they realized they had a lot of unsold stock they did not want to throw away. Zanone and Lasorte decided to create beautiful products from these materials and re-designed the quality knitwear into fashion objects. The company evolved from there and began to research the possibilities of developing and retailing eco fashion. They started selling brands like Edun and Misericordia but soon turned to focus on their own product design and branding. With their OPOS network they were able to tap into different resources and develop a whole range of fashion design products under the label of asap.

Today, the collection consists of different clothes lines made out of recycled fabrics and accessories made from vegetable tanned leather. The d. collection is designed by Delfina Capuzzo and shows sophisticated dresses and tops that are perfect for the in-between seasons. For both men and women you will find shirts from reclaimed fabrics and T-shirts in a blend of jersey and silk. In the colder season, knitwear in cashmere and yak fibres will keep you warm. All fabrics have been recovered from the best factories in Italy and asap works with some of the highest standard certifications. In addition, the accessories collection surprises with witty design like pencil holders, leather envelopes and carriers inspired by plastic shopping bags.

Although Milan is a hub for design and the Pradas and Louis Vuittons of this world, the city has not really discovered eco fashion yet. 'We sell mainly to foreigners, Italian people don't have the consciousness yet' Lasorte explains. 'In that sense, we are inspired by what happens in the Northern-European countries. There are basically no eco fashion stores in Italy but we're happy to sell in highscale mainstream boutiques around the world'. Being part of C.L.A.S. White helped asap to gain more visibility and gave them confidence to open another flagship store in Paris. 'It's something many customers have asked for and we just signed the contract for the space last week so we aim to open this fall'. We hope that asap will inspire other fashion and design minded people in Italy to get involved in ethical fashion asap!

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