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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

LINEAPELLE FASHION STUDIO
Until the beginning of the last century, most master glove-makers purchased alum tanned leathers, which made it relatively easy to recognise their merits and faults and, most importantly, their suitability for making special glove models. Today, however, the introduction of chrome tanning and the improvement of tanning and dyeing systems for glove leathers have led to the centralisation of raw materials into leather and then into gloves in single industrial complexes.
Unlike all other kinds of leather placed on the market already finished – i.e. ready to be transformed into a manufactured product – glove leather must undergo complex preparatory work.
For instance, when producing footwear or other manufactured goods, the most widespread type of leather employed has compact fibres, little elasticity and a smooth surface. The leather is cut in the same way as the fabric to manufacture a suit.
On the other hand, glove leather is more or less soft and elastic, with a natural, unfinished and generally shiny surface. The master glove-maker must take into account different elasticity and thickness characteristics when cutting it, with the latter being somehow mitigated by ‘refining’ or ‘buffing’ the leather being processed.
As part of the Chiroteca Business Network, the Gargiulo leather tannery specialises in the production of glove leathers

Size 4-8 square feet sheep skins (Ovis aries aries), with different processing; natural, finished, printed, laser-treated.
Intended use of the leather on exhibit:
Glove making, clothing, footwear and leather goods.

Group 1
Sheepskins, aniline, suede.
Group 2
Double-face merino leather.
Tumbled sheep leather.
Group 3
Buffed, waxed and/or dyed leather.
Group 4
Laminated finish leather.
Group 5
Leather that underwent innovative processing: laser, screen printing, printing.

CIRCULAR ECONOMY AND SUSTAINABILITY
Research by SSIP focuses on the development of innovative solutions enabling the design of strategies for using waste from the tanning industry, as well as waste from the leather processing chain.
Purpose of the research concerning Circular Economy brought forward by the Italian Leather Research is testing the main strategies for transforming and using waste from the tanning industry scraps, through physical-mechanical, chemical, biotechnological-enzymatic treatments. New applications also include additive manufacturing to reduce the tanning sector’s impact and increase its sustainability, giving new value to waste material.
The main challenges relate to processing approaches for solid tanned waste, which is characterised by significant chemical complexity, compared to waste generated upstream of the tanning stage, from which protein sources for use in fertilisers, biostimulants, and food gelatins can easily be obtained.
Through new approaches to transforming solid tanned waste, processes are currently being tested to obtain circular materials to use first in the tanning process, and then in other sectors of fashion, luxury and design.
 Physical/mechanical treatment of solid leather waste;
 Additive manufacturing to exploit solid leather waste (including chemical/enzymatic/physical pre-treatment) and development of a new generation of products for the fashion and design industry;
 Ball milling treatment for solid leather waste to enhance and develop a new circular finish;
 Different types of enabling approaches to exploit solid leather waste for the development of new chemical products and composite/circular materials.

RESEARCH AND INNOVATION FOR LEATHER SUSTAINABILITY AND CIRCULARITY
NANOTECHNOLOGIES
BIOTECHNOLOGIES
PRIMARY ENABLING TECHNOLOGIES
SUSTAINABLE TECHNOLOGIES
e.g. new sustainable molecules, zero-chemical treatments
ENABLING TECHNOLOGIES
e.g. Industry 4.0 and Smart Factory approaches for automation and remote process control; non-destructive testing of Additive Manufacturing products

MAIN CHALLENGES FOR THE LEATHER TANNING INDUSTRY
BIODEGRADABLE
SUSTAINABLE
SMART
CIRCULAR
DURABLE
HIGH-PERFORMING

HYDROTHERMAL LIQUEFACTION
The Italian tanning industry comprises around 1200 companies. Italy produces 130 million square metres of finished leather every year, valued at EUR 5 billion (more than 70% of which is exported).
The tanning industry involves the use of advanced plants for treatment of tanning effluents to produce liquid effluents in accordance with the law. The by-product of these treatments is the tanning sludge, which amounts to approximately 1 tonne per tonne of raw hide to be treated. In a circular economy perspective, exploiting the organic content of tannery sludge to produce energy carriers is a promising strategy to limit its waste, with obvious multiple benefits for the environment.

SLUDGE
HTL process
REACTOR
Products separation protocol
SOLID RESIDUE
BIO-CRUDE
AQUEOUS PHASE
Products yield and characterisation

*Hydrothermal treatment (HTL) of a sludge/biomass to obtain bio-crude

GASIFIER
SYNGAS
(H2+other components)
>treatments >combustion >energy
ASHES
(disposal, reuse in construction materials or as an adsorbent to purify an effluent from e.g. metals)
GASSING AGENT
(e.g. nitrogen, water vapour)
SOLID
(e.g. biomass, sludge)

energy

FASCIST DOSSIER

Requests for contributions in the years 1933-1935 between the “Federazione Fascista Autonoma Artigiani d’Italia” (Autonomous Fascist Federation of Artisans of Italy) in favour of the “Società Anonima Consorzio Guantario Napoletano” (Autonomous Fascist Federation of Artisans of Italy) and the Banco di Napoli, to foster the renovation of Neapolitan craftsmanship and the glove industry, and to organize the first National Fashion Show, held in April 1933 at the Teatro della Moda, Parco del Valentino, Turin.
Contribution Fund 12 – 16 October 1934
Banco di Napoli Historical Archives, Contribution Fund for Charitable, Welfare and Cultural Purposes, folder 15, Issue 12

IN DIFESA DELL’ARTE GUANTARIA (IN THE DEFENCE OF THE GLOVEMAKING ART)

Monograph by:
Vittorio Casaburi, Naples, Regia Stazione Sperimentale Industria Pelli e delle Materie Concianti- SSIP, [1926].
This monograph is a tribute to the Neapolitan artisan glovemaking tradition, and celebrates the skills and dedication of master glove makers.
Author Vittorio Casaburi, director of the SSIP from 1911 to 1939, defends the quality and excellence of manual labour against market pressures, urging new generations to preserve this art and recognise the value of local production.
The book includes a list of Neapolitan tanners, dyers and leather glove manufacturers as of 1925.

LIST OF GLOVE CRAFTSMEN -1933
Technical Supplement to the Official Bulletin of the Regia Stazione Sperimentale dell’Industria delle Pelli e delle Materie Concianti.
Issue 2 is entirely dedicated to the activities carried out in the 1930-1932 period, with publication of the list of glove craftsmen as at 1932.

LIST OF LEATHER MANUFACTURERS AND TRADERS – 1940
Technical Supplement to the Official Bulletin of the Regia Stazione Sperimentale dell’Industria delle Pelli e delle Materie Concianti.
The supplement, published since 1936, lists the contributions of leather industrialists and merchants.

TEXTILE OVERHAND GLOVE
In the 1950s, Adriano Olivetti opened a factory for state-of-the-art office machines in Pozzuoli, in the heart of southern Italy. The Andreano company was in charge of producing work gloves for the factory workers. Further along, they developed a collection inspired by the work model as a tribute to the excellence and industrial innovation of the time.
Collezione Andreano
1950s

MULTICOLOURED GLOVES
The well-designed and stitched glove fourchettes (i.e. strips of material running between the fingers) are a particularly complex element in glove making.
In some models, they are made with a contrasting colour on the palm and back to enhance their silhouette and aesthetics.
By adding coloured strips between the fingers, the glove becomes a classy multicoloured accessory.
Collezione Andreano
1990s

PERFORATED GLOVES
Inspired by fabric gloves adorned with lace, the openwork mill was born and has evolved over time thanks to the evolution of digital technologies.
From die-cut to laser cut, perforated gloves models and designs have multiplied exponentially.
From total to partial, from geometric with rhombuses, circles or triangles to floral with soft, sinuous marks.
Particularly suitable in spring and summer, these gloves can be adapted to both classic and sporty looks.
Collezione Andreano
1980s

DRIVER GLOVES
Driver gloves, designed to ‘fit like a second skin’, offer an excellent grip on the steering wheel, and enhance the driving experience in both winter and summer.
Made of soft Nappa leather, this hybrid product combines elegance and function.
Its distinctive elements – such as the open knuckles and perspiration holes – enhance the driver’s freedom of movement and comfort, and give the glove a unique and timeless design.
Numerous internationally renowned car manufacturers give their customers a pair of complimentary Naples driver gloves, with the purchase of one of their cars.
Collezione Andreano
1980s

PIEGOLINO
The Piegolino glove is a model characterised by small decorative pleats on the leather, often made on the back or around the wrist. These pleats, obtained by manual pleating techniques, give the glove a unique refinement and timeless elegance.
The Piegolino manufacturing technique symbolizes a high standard of craftsmanship, as it requires great skills and precision to create a harmonious aesthetic effect, without compromising the fit of the glove.
The Piegolino glove dates back to the 19th century, when gloves became an indispensable fashion accessory for upper class men and women. This type of glove was often used for formal events and to complement elegant dresses. The Piegolino technique, developed within the European craft tradition, and in Naples in particular, was conceived to enhance the beauty of the material and add a distinctive touch to leather gloves.
Collezione Artigiano del Guanto
Year 2022

STITCHED GLOVE
Some of the most peculiar Classic Neapolitan glove models include the Piegolino and the stitched glove.
The latter is characterised by a variety of cords and types of stitching. From those that capture the hand anatomy, to those that emphasise the cuts of the product, and those that use embroidery to achieve complex decorative geometric or floral patterns.
Collezione Andreano
1980s