ABANA PROJECTS
The global fashion system, in addition to experiencing a moment of deep economic crisis, is undergoing a complex reanalysis, driven by stringent sustainable strategies.
In this context, the design and production approach of the ‘Made in Naples’ sartorial tradition, characterised by slow times, top-quality raw materials and excellent manufacturing, becomes avant-garde compared to the models that are gradually taking shape in the panacea of fashion. This is because the Neapolitan textile and clothing industry – which the glove sector belongs to – was born and has historically evolved according to an ‘institutional system’ model by Yuniya Kawamura. This model entails a creative and productive system detached from the vision of a single designer and connected to the collective activities of a group of people who live in a given area, and commit to the production and perpetuation of a culture or ideology. Seen from this perspective, Neapolitan sartorial productions can be defined as indigenous and profoundly linked to a certain modus operandi that has never adhered to the incessant logic of the fashion system.
Far away from the inordinate succession of collections, which from the 1970s – with prêt-à-porter – to the 2000s – with the cumbersome arrival of fast fashion – have witnessed an incremental and uninterrupted rise, Neapolitan sartorial practices are back in vogue, thanks to their innate aptitude for imagining and realising great classics and outstanding timeless products. Products made over time, so ‘dense’ that they transcend the fleeting nature of fashion collections.
Naples has produced and continues to produce timeless must-have garments that remain faithful to precise sartorial standards, so much so that they have not undergone major stylistic changes. Impervious to the influences of fashions that have little shaped the style of the sartorial sector, and the Neapolitan glove in particular, famous for its lightness, for the way it adapts to the hand’s morphology, and its durability, perfect cuts and seams.
Starting from such a solid tradition, with the students of the Academy of Fine Arts of Naples, we imagined new product types that could expand the glove’s product range, by aligning it with the needs of post-contemporary consumers.
The students analysed multiple contexts of product use, hybridising them with different fields and triggering those creative short-circuits that stimulate the experimentation of innovative products. From gloves for the visually impaired to anti-stress gloves. From the balaclava glove to a motivational garment. From the glove designed to celebrate handwriting to the glove that emphasises the emotional bonds between people, all the projects developed have a specific function.
And they were created, once again, not to satisfy a trend but rather the need of new generations who prefer genderless models that do not conform to traditional labels, with unisex cuts and neutral colour patterns. Products suitable for all identities, ethnicities and physical diversity.
The projects on display are just an input to stimulate new generations of designers, so that they can intercept design measures capable of enhancing the sector. To this end, the role of the Academy of Fine Arts of Naples becomes crucial, in its capacity to train young people on new ways to learn the value of craftsmanship, and injecting it into creative-driven businesses – what the British government defines as businesses with the potential to create wealth and jobs by drawing on their intellectual property.
SOULHIDE
The Soulhide project was born out of the desire to go beyond mere functionality and create a narrative object: a glove that, apart from being worn, also tells a story.
Soulhide is a relational glove that speaks to the heart, symbolises connection and complicity and prompts users to rediscover the pleasure of walking together: a walk with your grandparents, an intimate moment with your partner or a chat with a close friend.
The gloves connect to each other through clips, placed in strategic points, which act as sensory bridges between those who wear them.
The experience they offer is truly beyond mere physical contact, and very emotional, with a touch that becomes a gesture, a presence that becomes dialogue. Each shared step is accompanied by a glove that protects and creates bonds, making invisible connections tangible.
The product is designed to be sold in sets of four gloves, consisting of two pairs.
Soulhide is not just a collection of gloves, but a real experience, an encounter between craftsmanship and emotions that restores a form of connection to be lived entirely, adding a new perspective to human contact.
ACADEMY OF FINE ARTS OF NAPLES
Course in Accessory Design
Prof. Giulia Scalera
Student Lidia Caserta
MANUS SCRIPTA
“Tien a penn comm a nu guant’ ma senz’ stregner”.
This old Neapolitan saying, which translates into ‘Hold the pen like a glove, but without squeezing it’, refers to the gentleness and awareness of the art of writing.
So much more than a mechanical act, writing is a moment of thinking and reflection, an intimate bond between mind, hand and word.
In an age dominated by speed and haste, Manus Scripta helps us to rediscover the art of writing, like a Neapolitan glove from the past that invites us to rethink the depth of this ancient gesture. The project celebrates a return to writing as a conscious and intimate act.
Manus Scripta is not a simple accessory, it is a writing companion that reminds us of the elegance of movement and respect for each word, with a hand that welcomes and guides the gesture, instead of squeezing it out.
Exceeding the barriers of a simple object, this white glove symbolizes the rebirth of two traditions: handwriting and Neapolitan gloves. The soft yet durable leather hugs the hand, allowing the mind to focus on the importance of what is being written, rather than on movement.
Manus Scripta is a double act of rebirth for the Neapolitan glove, with its elegance and functionality, and for writing in its more traditional forms. Manus Scripta celebrates all this, in a project that takes us back to the sacredness of the gesture, the depth of written word and the pleasure of a timeless art form.
ACADEMY OF FINE ARTS OF NAPLES
Course in Accessory Design
Prof. Giulia Scalera
Student Nunzia Cherillo
SENSORY
Sensory gloves combine the timeless tradition of the Neapolitan craft glove with a touch of contemporary innovation.
Made of the highest quality soft leather, these gloves elevate comfort and functionality.
The design is enriched with special embossed stitches, made using an exclusive leather processing technique. These 3D ‘dots’ add a fine aesthetic detail, and also act as stress-relieving sensory stimulators for the wearer.
Simple gestures such as touching or pressing on them offer a soothing tactile experience, turning an elegant accessory into an everyday wellness tool.
With Sensory, past and present intertwine, celebrating Neapolitan tradition with an eye to the future.
ACADEMY OF FINE ARTS OF NAPLES
Course in Accessory Design
Prof. Giulia Scalera
Student Maria Ricciardi
GLOVOLVE
In today’s scenario, where challenges are daily and psychological pressure affects young people more and more, this project focuses on a symbolic product, meant as an evolutionary medium for the person wearing it.
The name Glovolve originates from the fusion of ‘glove’ and ‘evolve’, and symbolizes an internal evolution. Every time the glove is worn, this ritual evokes ancient boxers’ bandages, which were applied under boxing gloves to protect their hands, and also to mentally prepare for the challenge.
Just like these bandages, Glovolve becomes a gesture of concentration, a symbolic act marking the passage from a condition of uncertainty to one of determination.
Wearing Glovolve is so much more than a physical gesture, it is an invitation to enter a state of awareness and strength. The glove-wearing ritual becomes a way to take care of ourselves, to focus our energy and channel it towards overcoming our daily struggles. The collection is characterised by a series of motivational phrases users can choose to embroider or print inside the bandages, to recall any intimate and personal goals they wish to achieve.
Glovolve is more than a product, it is an act of resistance, a declaration of intention. It is a new kind of object, not limited to a mere function, which becomes part of a personal narrative of strength, resilience and transformation. Each time the glove is worn, we take a step towards a stronger version of ourselves, ready to face each challenge with a new perspective, a new energy.
In this way, Glovolve responds to the profound need of protection and evolution we all have. Not just facing life, transforming it.
THERE IS A CRACK IN EVERYTHING, THAT’S HOW THE LIGHT GETS IN
LEONARD COHEN
HE WHO HAS A WHY TO LIVE FOR CAN BEAR ALMOST ANY HOW
FRIEDRICH NIETZSCHE
COURAGE IS RESISTANCE TO FEAR, NOT ABSENCE OF FEAR.
MARK TWAIN
ACADEMY OF FINE ARTS OF NAPLES
Course in Accessory Design
Prof. Giulia Scalera
Student Simone Saponaro
OBOLO A PARTENOPE (AN OBOL TO PARTHENOPE)
The hopes, joys, gratitude, faith, but also the dramas, mourning and suffering are encapsulated in art works that sum up exactly the soul of Neapolitan people: votive niches.
Far from being just small architectural structures, they are true icons of Neapolitan ‘street culture’, symbols of a neglected artistic heritage increasingly abandoned to decay. The Obolo a Partenope project was born with the intention of paying homage to the culture of Campania’s capital city, whilst also denouncing the state of semi-abandonment hundreds of votive niches in the historic city centre are in.
The Obolo a Partenope streetwear-style black leather gloves feature a minimalistic and contemporary design, with embroidered patches on the back depicting symbols taken from votive shrines in the Spanish quarters.
The glove, with clips on the back, can be continuously modified with a big collection of patches to change its meaning and look. Multiple faces of the same product lengthen its life cycle, regenerate its image by going outside the logic of collections, and creating a more sustainable product.
ACADEMY OF FINE ARTS OF NAPLES
Course in Accessory Design
Prof. Giulia Scalera
Student Luigi Marco di Tommaso
GLOVACLAVA
Glovaclava is a leather glove created by combining a glove and a balaclava. Its versatile design features open forefinger and thumb ends, to carry out day-to-day tasks easily, without having to remove the glove. The long, removable sleeve quickly adapts to many use contexts and changing temperatures during the day. On the side, it features a series of buttons to attach the headgear easily, creating a functional and protective ensemble.
Neapolitan glove-making tradition is characterised by iconic models, such as the Piegolino, and enriched by a wide range of products, such as the drive glove, the perforated glove, the stitched glove, the multicolour glove, etc.
In this context, Glovaclava aims to expand the classic traditional categories and become a new must-have.
An iconic, versatile and practical accessory, present every season and indispensable for new generations, increasingly fascinated by unique products that can interpret their needs, without giving up the outstanding design only Neapolitan tradition can bring along.
Glove with bare index finger and thumb
Long glove sleeve
Button for joining the balaclava and the glove
Buttons placed on the balaclava to join it to the sleeve or the other half of the headgear
Two joined sleeves forming the Balaclava / Front-back view
ACADEMY OF FINE ARTS OF NAPLES
Course in Accessory Design
Prof. Giulia Scalera
Student Mattia Ciliento
SENSITIVE GLOVES
The absence of eyesight, whether temporary or permanent, total or partial, can generate profound discomfort in the visually impaired or blind individuals. This discomfort stems not only from the awareness of being perceived as ‘different’, but also from the fear that this condition may be a hindrance, both to oneself and to those around them.
Tools such as canes for the blind, personal escorts, guide dogs and electronic devices are complementary and often vital solutions to these challenges. However, we need to develop solutions that are not only functional but also meet the criteria of beauty, elegance and simplicity.
Sensitive Gloves fit into this context, as an innovative and versatile product. These gloves, made of perforated leather, are designed to suit all seasons and respond to different needs. Their design features uncovered central fingertips, making it easier to read Braille and improving tactile contact with a person’s surroundings.
Sensitive Gloves are not just a technical support, but rather an everyday ally, capable of improving the quality of life of the visually impaired, combining innovation, design and inclusiveness. This product combines looks and function, and represents a practical and elegant solution to make walking for the visually impaired easier and safer.
ACADEMY OF FINE ARTS OF NAPLES
Course in Accessory Design
Prof. Giulia Scalera
Student Consuelo Guadalupe Benitez