5 days ago
The Planet Needs Us: Valeria Mangani Leads 2025 Phygital Sustainability Expo
Photo courtesy of GRAZIA Italy
Words by Laura Incardona
She certainly doesn't lack energy. Valeria Mangani works in the fashion industry, has written books on ecology and wellness, and serves as an advisor to the Italian Minister of Enterprises and Made in Italy on the National Fashion Table, representing the sustainable supply chain. She is also the president of the Sustainable Fashion Innovation Society ( ), currently the largest European community of sustainable companies and brands. For five years, the association has organized the Phygital Sustainability Expo®, the first event entirely dedicated to the ecological transition of Made in Italy companies and international excellence. It takes place in Rome from June 5–6 at the Trajan's Market (free entry via Via Salita del Grillo 32). On the closing night, there will be a special event in collaboration with GRAZIA. Valeria Mangani tells us more. Photo courtesy of GRAZIA Italy President Mangani, you're considered one of the most influential figures in sustainability applied to Made in Italy. How would you define your institutional role today?
'I'm the Advisor to the Minister of Enterprises and Made in Italy on the National Fashion Table. I'm also the President of the Sustainable Fashion Innovation Society, the largest European community of sustainable businesses, with over 2,200 entities from 47 countries. For six years, I've been leading the green revolution in the sector with the Phygital Sustainability Expo®, a one-of-a-kind event that brought sustainability to the Trajan's Market and augmented reality among the ruins of the Roman Empire.' Your academic and professional background is very rich. How did you build your profile?
'I was born in Johannesburg, raised with an international education and an eclectic training: American schools, then a degree in Fashion Design at IED in Rome, gemology at GIA in Los Angeles, followed by studies in Economics and Natural Medicine. I built a multidisciplinary profile that blends creativity, science, wellness, and diplomacy.'
Mangani has written 10 bestsellers on health and ecology and has worked with Rome's city administration, Lamborghini, FAO, the UN, and major luxury brands. She was named FAO World Food Hero 2023, listed among Fortune's 50 most powerful women in Italy, and awarded the title of Officer of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic. In Italy, she represents the International Alliance of Women, an NGO founded in 1904 and based in Geneva, recognized by key UN agencies, the Arab League, the African Union, and with consultative status at the Council of Europe. Photo courtesy of GRAZIA Italy When did you start working in sustainable fashion? What was the context at the time?
'My commitment to sustainable fashion began thirty years ago — long before sustainability was a buzzword. I used to call it 'awareness.' As vice president of AltaRoma and promoter of ethical female-led supply chains in the Global South (remember, I'm African myself), I was ahead of the curve on issues that are central today: traceability, circularity, and the consumer's right to information. With the Sustainable Fashion Innovation Society I founded, I created services for micro and small enterprises that had never existed before, working in synergy with top government agencies. We also launched a lab for innovative materials, a B2B matchmaking platform, and the Narrated Runway®, a globally copyrighted format blending fashion with scientific education.' Can you tell us about the major new features in the 2025 edition of the Phygital Sustainability Expo®?
'Fashion is not just about aesthetics — it's a geopolitical, economic, and social lever. For thirty years, I've written in my books that if we can read the ingredients in our food, we should be able to know the story behind what we wear.'
She speaks with passion, explaining that the 2025 edition of the Phygital Sustainability Expo®, backed by major Italian and European institutions, will launch the first textile traceability framework with ICMQ, in line with the EU's Digital Product Passport directives. The Expo has become a hub for policy-making and innovation: 100 speakers, six ministers, CEOs of multinationals, tech startups, academics. Partners include FAO, the European Parliament, the European Commission, ICE, Sapienza University, Rai, and Enel.
The theme on June 5, World Environment Day, is Finance Makes Fashion, exploring the role of finance in production resilience, reshoring, and ecological transition. On June 6, the focus shifts to the transformative role of the new generations, with global institutions and influencers involved. One of them is the renowned Mr. Thank You, who will call for maximum attention to social issues. Lastly, can you give us a preview of the new awards in collaboration with GRAZIA?
'This year, together with GRAZIA, we're launching the GRAZIA Phygital Awards. A fusion of our two names — but more importantly, a strong female network that Silvia Grilli and I deeply believe in. GRAZIA will honor standout figures known for their ethical commitment in entertainment and culture. We want to share stories that inspire change. GRAZIA is a powerful megaphone to reach new audiences, and we'll use it together — from the most iconic stage of Italian sustainability.' Photo courtesy of GRAZIA Italy What message would you like to leave young people?
'The future? I see it in young people's eyes. They're alert, sensitive, and aware. They no longer accept a system that sacrifices the planet and people on the altar of profit. My generation has a clear task: not to leave them with ruins, but with tools. Not illusions, but concrete visions. To young people, I say: trust yourselves, even if everything isn't clear at 20. When I was studying Fashion Design at IED in the beautiful building in Piazza Colonna, none of us knew what the future would hold. The year after mine, Maria Grazia Chiuri (now Creative Director at Dior) and Pierpaolo Piccioli (starting July, Creative Director at Balenciaga) graduated. Do you really think they were aware of the extraordinary destiny that awaited them back then?'
