INTERVIEW #165 VITTORIA TOMASSINI
Name: Vittoria Tomassini
Occupation: Visual Designer & Content Creator
Based in: Italy
Instagram: @vittoriatomassini
Hi Vittoria! Can you please tell us about yourself?
I grew up in a small town in central Italy, where I first discovered my passion for visual arts. Every cobblestone street seemed to whisper stories of creativity and inspiration, fueling my love for creative expression. I pursued academic Communications and Graphic Design degrees and attended Istituto Marangoni to deepen my knowledge of Fashion Image and Styling. Living in both New York and Milan has significantly influenced my fashion sense, creating a dynamic and diverse fashion perspective. However, I soon realized that the fashion industry has some crucial issues. To share my findings, I started a blog that quickly gained popularity in Italy. As a result, I wrote a book and founded my first sustainable clothing brand. This endeavor laid the foundation for what is now known as Nuttch.
How would you describe your style?
My style is a reflection of my lifelong passion for fashion. It’s vibrant and bold—a mix of neutral colors and statement pieces I’ve carefully curated over the years. I adore mixing textures and patterns, finding joy in layering. Scarves and oversized outerwear are my go-to accessories, adding depth and character to each ensemble.
In my wardrobe, you’ll find many thrifted treasures—each piece with its own story and past life. I take pride in the sustainability aspect of thrifting, knowing it’s not just a personal style choice but also a conscious, eco-friendly practice. Working in the fashion industry has only deepened my appreciation for unique finds that aren’t mass-produced.
Whether I’m navigating the historic streets of Milan or the bustling avenues of New York, my fashion is a true expression of my experiences in these fashion-forward cities. It’s more than just clothing; it’s a narrative of my life, an homage to the places I’ve called home and the industry I’m a part of.
When did you get interested in sustainable fashion?
I’ve been working as a fashion and lifestyle influencer for a long time. While in this industry, I noticed a lot of overconsumption and waste generated by the fashion industry. Growing up in central Italy, where craftsmanship is essential to our culture, I was taught to invest in quality clothing and keep it for life. As I engaged with wellness and lifestyle brands on social media, I realized that a significant education gap may contribute to the consumption patterns I saw. This realization became my passion, which led me to write a guidebook called “Vivi Consapevole” or “Live Consciously” in 2022. This guidebook is designed to help people who are unsure where to start making new choices like adopting a plant-based diet or ethical shopping.
What do you think needs to be done to make the fashion industry more sustainable?
Several key steps need to be taken to make the fashion industry more sustainable:
Sustainable Materials: Emphasize using eco-friendly, renewable materials with a lower environmental impact. This includes organic cotton, recycled materials, and innovative fabrics made from sustainable sources.
Circular Fashion Model: Adopt a circular approach where clothes are designed to last longer and be easily repaired, reused, recycled, or decomposed. This model minimizes waste and extends the life cycle of each garment.
Ethical Supply Chains: Ensure fair labor practices and safe working conditions throughout the supply chain. This includes fair wages, reasonable working hours, and humane treatment of workers.
Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy: Transition to renewable energy sources in production processes and improve energy efficiency to reduce carbon footprint.
Water Management: Implement efficient water use and treatment systems in the production process, especially in the dyeing and finishing of fabrics, which are typically water-intensive.
Chemical Management: Reduce the use of harmful chemicals in textile production and adopt safer, eco-friendly alternatives to protect both the environment and workers’ health.
Transparency and Traceability: Increase transparency in supply chains and production processes. This involves openly sharing information about where and how clothes are made, allowing consumers to make informed choices.
Consumer Awareness and Behavior Change: Educate consumers about the environmental impacts of their fashion choices and encourage sustainable consumption habits, such as buying less, choosing quality over quantity, and supporting sustainable brands.
Innovation and Research: Invest in research and development of new technologies and processes to make fashion production more sustainable.
Regulation and Policy Support: Governments and regulatory bodies should support sustainable practices in the fashion industry through incentives, regulations, and policies that encourage sustainable practices.
These steps require a collaborative effort from designers, manufacturers, retailers, consumers, and policymakers. Only through collective action can the fashion industry transition to a more sustainable and environmentally responsible future.
Can you tell us more about Nuttch and why you started the brand?
I founded Nuttch in 2022 alongside my husband to further take our commitment to a sustainable future by introducing Italian craftsmanship to the athleisure and underwear markets. It started with the pain points I identified when I shopped for underwear or workout gear — what I was looking for didn’t exist. There wasn’t a brand that combined sustainability, ethical production, and design, so it came down to sacrificing one for another, and I kept asking myself, “Is that all?”.
Nuttch was created to address the sustainability concerns around high-quality fabrics and trend-forward fashion. We prioritize the planet at every stage without sacrificing aesthetics (or breaking the consumers’ bank!).
What does Nuttch sustainability work consist of?
We understand that safeguarding the environment is crucial for the well-being of current and future generations. We actively seek ways to reduce waste, preserve resources, and mitigate pollution while providing exceptional products. Our responsible material sourcing and conscious manufacturing processes reflect our commitment to minimizing our carbon footprint.
Our EcoRibb™ Collection is a testament to our unique approach. We create versatile and functional athleisure wear for everyday use while also considering the well-being of all individuals involved in our supply chain and our shared commitment to protecting the planet.
Our journey began with the raw material and yarn, where we discovered recycled nylon. This material, often overlooked, has significant potential for transforming the fashion industry by repurposing discarded materials, preventing them from ending up in landfills or oceans and reducing the demand for virgin resources.
Recycling involves recovering nylon scraps from local production lines, carefully sorting, shredding, and processing them into a recycled polymer without any chemical additives that could impact traceability. The recycled nylon sustainability characteristics are evaluated by a third-party organization following the European LCA system, ISO 14040, and ISO 14044. This yarn holds certifications like the Global Recycled Standard (GRS), EU Ecolabel, Higg Index, and STANDARD 100 by OEKO-TEX®.
This innovative texture resulted from extensive research, development, and testing. Our fabric features a custom 3D texture designed to contour the body, aiming to establish a new fit, performance, and comfort standard.
Last, anything else you would like to share?
As a slow fashion advocate, I’d like to share a few tips for holiday shopping:
Buy quality, not quantity: Invest in well-made items that last longer, so you don’t have to replace them often.
Choose eco-friendly materials: Look for products made from recycled materials or eco-friendly options.
Support ethical brands: Pick brands that treat their workers fairly, have ethical production processes, and are open about how they operate.
Consider second-hand: Check out thrift stores, vintage shops, or online resale sites for unique and sustainable clothing and accessories.
Cut down on packaging: Go for products with minimal packaging, or choose items with eco-friendly packaging when you can.
Think about your carbon footprint: Look for brands or projects that offset their carbon emissions or support carbon-neutral efforts.