We Are Made in Italy (WAMI)

Our multidisciplinary team of BIPOC fashion professionals works to fight racism and discrimination from within the industry, building a more inclusive and innovative future of fashion.

WAMI (WE ARE MADE IN ITALY) was created with a precise goal: to fight for concrete, not just theoretical, inclusion, contrasting all types of racism and working towards real recognition of the contribution that BIPOC creativity can give to fashion. 

After a 2020 call for reform led by Stella Jean, Edward Buchanan, and Michelle Francine Ngonmo, this initiative earned the support of Carlo Capasa, President of the Camera Nazionale della Moda Italiana (CNMI), who initially also served on the WAMI committee. Although CNMI is no longer directly involved in the project, their early support included engaging in consultation with the WAMI team, providing mentoring to POC fashion students, and providing seed support for the Unseen Profiles database, overseen by the Afro Fashion Association, through which BIPOC fashion professionals can be scouted and commissioned for hire.

WAMI is the answer to the lack of the presence of BIPOC designers in Italian fashion, but its work has extended the conversation on diversity and inclusion in the Italian fashion system to the whole society.

We are WAMI

Stella Jean

Stella Jean

Fashion designer
Edward Buchanan

Edward Buchanan

Designer / Founder of Sansovino 6
Michelle Francine Ngonmo

Michelle Francine Ngonmo

Founder of Afro Fashion Association
Celia Sears

Celia Sears

President of Show Division
Ada Ugo Abara

Ada Ugo Abara

Founder & CEO of D-Tech 4Good
Jordan Anderson

Jordan Anderson

Journalist
Angelica Pesarini

Angelica Pesarini

Professor, NYU Florence
Jon Bronxl

Jon Bronxl

Andi Nganso

Andi Nganso

Medical doctor and activist

Press

Writeup about the SS22 edition of WAMI’s Fab 5 project, hosted at Milan Fashion Week, in Vogue Italia