Stella Jean
BornJune 17, 1979 Rome
NationalityItalian
OccupationFashion designer

Stella Novarino,[1][2] (born 1979),[3] is an Italian fashion designer of partial Haitian origin. Her brand is Stella Jean (/ˈstɛlə ˈʒɒn, -ˈʒɒ̃/) which utilizes her mother's maiden name which she also uses professionally. She is a member of the Camera Nazionale della Moda Italiana and the only member of Afro-European background.[4]

Biography

Novarino was born and raised in Rome to a Haitian mother, Violette Jean, and an Italian father, Marcello Novarino.[3] She studied political science at Sapienza University of Rome, before dropping out to model for Egon von Fürstenberg, fashion designer and ex-husband of Diane von Fürstenberg.[5] It is here where she realized that she would rather make the clothes than wear them.[6]

Novarino won second place at Vogue Italia’s "Who Is On Next" contest in 2011.[7] She then decided to use her mother's maiden name Jean, instead of her birth surname Novarino.[5] In 2013, she showcased her designs in the Armani/Teatro space during Milano Moda Donna for Fashion Week SS14.[8] For her spring/summer 2014 collection, she collaborated with the International Trade Centre's Ethical Fashion Initiative to create sustainable printed fabrics.[3][6] Victoria and Albert Museum in London exhibited one of her outfits in its Glamour of Italian Fashion 1945-2014 exhibition in April 2014.[9]

Stella Novarino was the first and only Italian fashion designer to take to the stage at the BLM protest in June 2020 against racial discrimination in Italy.[10][11] In December 2021 Stella Novarino was appointed United Nations Goodwill Ambassador in recognition of her work with UN Mountain Partnership women artisans.[12][13] With Edward Buchanan and Michelle Francine Ngonmo, Novarino founded the We Are Made in Italy (WAMI) initiative in 2021 to showcase BIPOC designers with the support of Camera della Moda. Their work included a Milan Fashion Week opening.[14] Despite Novarino's efforts, Camera della Moda eventually chose not to host a board urged by WAMI publicly made negative posts about other Italian fashion brands with the president of Camera della Moda stating that it "could not host any board that appeared to take public swipes at other members."[15][16] In 2023, Novarino announced that she would be withdrawing from the Milan Fashion Week and participating in a hunger strike due to the lack of diversity and inclusion of designers of color.[15]

Style

Stella Novarino is a self-taught Italian-Haitian designer and uses her mother's maiden name Jean for her brand, which reflects her creole heritage. Each SJ collection is the result of the construction of a cultural bridge between Italian design and the women artisans of a developing country. Novarino's past LDN missions have included Peru, Haiti, Burkina Faso, Benin, Mali, Pakistan and others expeditions in South America, Africa and Asia.[17][18][19] Her designs have been worn by Rihanna, Beyoncé, and Zendaya.[5]

Personal life

Novarino is a mother of two, and resides in Rome with her children.[2]

References

  1. ↑ "Stella Jean". Vogue UK. 28 January 2014. Retrieved 17 November 2021. Mother Violette Jean ... father, Marcello Novarino. Her decision to use her mother's maiden name for the brand was in order to equally represent both parts of her heritage
  2. 1 2 "Stella Jean | #BoF500". The Business of Fashion. Archived from the original on 23 January 2021. Retrieved 17 November 2021. Jean, who uses her mother's maiden name for the brand, rather than her given surname Novarino
  3. 1 2 3 "Stella Jean". Vogue UK. 28 January 2014. Retrieved 8 March 2016.
  4. ↑ "Black Creatives in Italian Fashion Demand Cultural Reform". VOA News. 17 August 2020. Retrieved 18 August 2020. The only Black designer belonging to Italy's influential fashion council is demanding a "long overdue cultural reform
  5. 1 2 3 "Stella Jean | #BoF500". The Business of Fashion. Archived from the original on 23 January 2021. Retrieved 8 March 2016.
  6. 1 2 "Stella Jean An Ethical Journey". Something About Magazine. Retrieved 8 March 2016.
  7. ↑ Holgate, Mark (12 July 2011). "Big Winner: Angelos Bratis Takes Home the 2011 Italian Vogue
    "Who Is On Next" Award"    . Vogue. Retrieved 8 March 2016.
  8. ↑ "A Giant's Helping Hand". The New York Times. Retrieved 8 March 2016.
  9. ↑ "Men's Ensemble by Stella Jean", The Glamour of Italian Fashion 1945-2014, Victoria and Albert Museum, 20 February 2014, retrieved 31 December 2023
  10. ↑ "Stella Jean Doesn't Feel Supported by Italian Fashion Chamber in #BLM Battle". 7 August 2020.
  11. ↑ "The BoF Podcast: Stella Jean Asks 'Do Black Lives Matter in Italian Fashion?'". 27 August 2020.
  12. ↑ Jean, Stella (10 December 2021). "Ethical fashion can transform lives in the world's mountains". www.fao.org. FAO forestry Newsroom. Retrieved 12 August 2022.
  13. ↑ Cianciullo, Antonio (10 December 2021). "L'artigianato etico può salvare i guardiani delle montagne". HuffPost Italia (in Italian). Retrieved 12 August 2022.
  14. ↑ "We Are Made in Italy Fall 2021 Initiative". Vogue. Retrieved 25 August 2021.
  15. 1 2 "Stella Jean quits Milan Fashion Week over lack of inclusion". AP NEWS. 8 February 2023. Retrieved 8 February 2023.
  16. ↑ "Où en est la mode en matière de diversité ?". Madame Figaro (in French). 11 April 2021. Retrieved 25 August 2021.
  17. ↑ "Stella Jean RTW Spring 2020". Women's Wear Daily. 21 September 2019. Retrieved 25 August 2021.
  18. ↑ "Stella Jean Partners With FAO". Women's Wear Daily. 8 March 2021. Retrieved 25 August 2021.
  19. ↑ "Viaggio in Pakistan per Stella Jean". Adnkronos. 22 September 2019. Retrieved 25 August 2021.
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