Untitled Document

“The Dump Vigilance Committee” came into being when a group of citizens discovered that their town, Grottaglie in the southern Italian region of Apulia, not only harboured a dump for industrial waste covering an area of one and a half million cubic metres, but was also intending to double its extension, despite the fact that waste of this sort is not produced in the area.
Spurred on by indignation at the fact itself and the lack of response on the part of the municipal authorities, the Committee decided to channel their anger into an original and cohesive form of protest that has fast gained a momentum of its own.
Initially this consisted of black T-shirts and bags printed with the words Rifiuto Speciale (a pun that means both industrial waste and special rejection). These, and the clothes that followed, are worn, used and hung from balconies by people of all ages as an expression of their special rejection of the new mega waste dump near Grottaglie.

	“The Dump Vigilance Committee” came into being when a group of citizens discovered that their town, Grottaglie in the southern Italian region of Apulia, not only harboured a dump for industrial waste covering an area of one and a half million cubic metres, but was also intending to double its extension, despite the fact that waste of this sort is not produced in the area. Spurred on by indignation at the fact itself and the lack of response on the part of the municipal authorities, the Committee decided to channel their anger into an original and cohesive form of protest that has fast gained a momentum of its own. Initially this consisted of black T-shirts and bags printed with the words Rifiuto Speciale (a pun that means both industrial waste and special rejection). These, and the clothes that followed, are worn, used and hung from balconies by people of all ages as an expression of their special rejection of the new mega waste dump near Grottaglie.
	Coordinator of the Dump Vigilance Committee Etta Ragusa

	Why a fashion collection? As members of the Dump Vigilance Committee we have delighted in rediscovering the expressive and communicative potential of our physical being and how we dress. Our clothes reflect a state of mind, from social exclusion to joy. History offers plenty of examples to illustrate this: the French Revolution, the Italian Risorgimento, late 19th century cultural movements, the 1960s. Clothes, jewellery, haircuts, printed slogans: all of these have been exhibited as ways of expressing social privation, inner discomfiture, great expectations. At present, the only slogans perceptible in the established fashion world are the designer labels that are printed all over everything. Fashion is great, the designers are truly creative people, but surely it is time to clean out and renew. The ethics of fashion are gradually contaminating all spheres of art, from architecture to design, the cinema and theatre. Even politics appears to be conditioned by the persuasive practices. The first Rifiuto Speciale collection expresses the huge social conundrum of those living in the south: Dumping waste. Our look embodies the desire for peace and dialogue, even with our inept local government and certainly with our natural habitat. Instead of resorting to road and rail blocks, we would like to think that people’s rights and the preservation of the environment can also be achieved through projects that are joyous and peaceable..
	Antonio Annicchiarico Mariagrazia Miale Profits, if any: A fund for technical and legal advice regarding the environment