Fashion Tuesdays 2025
Given the resounding success of last year's edition, the University of Insubria, the leader of Spoke 3, has organized the second series of three conferences, titled "Fashion Tuesdays 2025," in collaboration with the Como Silk Museum.
The events, which will be held at the Como Silk Museum, Via Castelnuovo 9, will focus on three women active in the fashion world who bring messages of female emancipation.
The first meeting will be held on September 30, 2025, from 6:00 PM to 7:00 PM and will be dedicated to Luisa Spagnoli, "The Genius of an Entrepreneur."
Luisa Spagnoli began her entrepreneurial career in 1907 when, together with Francesco Buitoni and Leone Ascoli, she opened a small confectionery company in Perugia called Perugina. She joined the board of directors in 1922 and immediately proved to be a visionary woman, attentive to the well-being of her employees. Over the years, she distinguished herself by implementing social projects aimed at improving the living conditions of workers, such as the construction of a nursery in the Fontivegge factory.
Her adventure in the fashion world began at the end of World War I, when she decided to dedicate herself to raising poultry and Angora rabbits. Spagnoli proved extremely sensitive and attentive to the animals' welfare; she chose not to inflict any kind of torture on the rabbits, which were not killed or sheared, but rather combed to obtain the angora wool needed for yarn. From this insight, the Angora Spagnoli company was founded in Santa Lucia (PG), which would go on to create stunning creations including shawls, boleros, and fashionable garments. A company that stands the test of time and has become a leading name in the fashion industry thanks to the innovative ideas and entrepreneurial spirit that Luisa Spagnoli demonstrated at a time when women struggled daily for emancipation.
The second event will be held on Tuesday, October 14th from 6:00 PM to 7:00 PM and will be dedicated to Cora Slocomb di Brazzà: "an American in Friuli."
Cora Slocomb was born in New Orleans in 1862. From a wealthy family, she acquired the title of countess in 1887 through her marriage to Detalmo Savorgnan di Brazzà. After her marriage to the count, she arrived in Friuli, where she found a land wracked by poverty and misery. She decided to make her talent available to the local population, especially women. She aimed to provide women with tools for emancipation and independence through work, thanks to the innovative projects of the Cooperative Lace Schools. She taught the art of bobbin lacemaking to Friulian peasant women, providing them with refined models of what she called "design applied to industry"—our industrial design.
In addition to the lace schools, Cora Slocomb di Brazzà undertook other projects: the creation of toys using Nuremberg porcelain; the marketing of Brazzà violets, cultivated by her brother-in-law Filippo, which reached the markets of Alexandria, St. Petersburg, and New York; and the promotion of the Delser biscuit factory. The establishment of the Agricultural Emulation Fairs was particularly important. Recognition of Cora Slocomb's entrepreneurial skills was formalized with her appointment as President of the Italian Women's Industries.
The third event will be held on Tuesday, November 18th from 6:00 PM to 7:00 PM and will be dedicated to Emmy Schoch.
Hermine Emilie Schoch-Leimbach, known as Emmy Schoch, was born in Lichtenau, Germany, in 1881. She was a German fashion designer and entrepreneur. She designed artistic reform dresses and promoted them through lectures and exhibitions. She was actively involved in the Association for the Improvement of Women's Dress.
In 1903, she abandoned her piano studies after an illness and began an apprenticeship as a craftswoman in Pauline Winker's studio in Berlin.
From an early age, she stood out for her innovative ideas, which helped change the German fashion landscape. While still an apprentice, she designed dresses and exhibited them in Berlin. In 1906, Schoch rented space in Karlsruhe and opened a workshop for new women's costumes and artistic embroidery. The magazine "Frauenkleid und Frauenkultur" (Women's Clothing and Women's Culture) of the Association for the Improvement of Women's Clothing presented the Schoch company in 1911 using dress patterns. Schoch contributed to the magazine for 25 years. Photos and patterns of her dress designs were printed. For the association, she undertook speaking tours in the Rhineland, the Ruhr area, northern Germany, and Saxony. At these events, she spoke about the health and hygiene benefits of reformed clothing and even demonstrated it. For Emmy Schoch, the aesthetic demands of clothing were as important as the demand for comfort. She saw the qualities of German craftsmanship as a counterweight to French fashion.
