The Yamamay Reloaded case study: Upcycling and Shared Value in support of the Italian Fashion System

Abstract

This study analyses the design methodology adopted in Yamamay Reloaded project, developed by the Università degli Studi della Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli” in collaboration with the social tailoring enterprise Prism S.r.l. and the Yamamay brand (Inticom S.p.A.). The project integrates upcycling practices applied to unsold garments from the fast fashion sector with principles of sustainable development and design strategies geared towards the responsible disposal and reuse of textile products destined for disposal, in relation to the sustainable and digital transitions that are affecting the Italian fashion system. The experiment aims to demonstrate how collaborative educational upcycling projects can act as generators of co-creation and value sharing between academia, industry, and the third sector. The research, therefore, interprets the project not only as an educational experience, but as an experimental model of collaboration capable of creating shared benefits by promoting the acquisition of design, technical, and systemic skills among the actors involved. Through an analysis of the methodology applied to the development of the collections, the contribution discusses the emerging role of the fashion designer within collaborative and circular processes, placing the Yamamay Reloaded experience within the theoretical and design framework of the PRIN ResHaping Made in ITAly (RHITA) project.