#CHANGEMAKERS: UNITED COLORS OF BENETTON

Alessandro Tuci, Country General Manager at Benetton Group in Portugal, talks to ModaLisboa about Metaverse, Multiculturalism and Sustainability.

The sponsoring brands of MODALISBOA METAPHYSICAL are, in essence, powerful engines of change. #CHANGEMAKERS are short interviews that give voice to those who work daily to build a solid, transparent, inclusive and sustainable future.

At the 58th Lisboa Fashion Week, United Colors of Benetton will not only host the METAPHYSICAL COLORS event, a Fashion Week warm-up at its Chiado Store, but will also sponsor the Audience Award for Sangue Novo | Young Designers Competition. At ModaLisboa, you can find Benetton at the Social Lounge, where a Pink Selfie Room was made to celebrate color and beauty.

This is the first Lisboa Fashion Week of 2022 and, together, we want to start the year in a mood of change. What are the fundamental values ​​that guide you today?
Benetton has always been a company attentive to changes in society, but with an eye toward the future. Sustainability, ethics and social respect have always been and will continue to be an integral part of its DNA. As for the product, on the other hand, the UCB collections have been synonymous with knit, color and quality since the beginning.

Creativity is at the root of everything we do. What still needs to be created?
In this specific historical-economic context, creativity and innovation are the basis for faster growth. One of our main goals is to intensify the omnichannel customer experience, a key strategy designed to integrate physical stores and the digital world and which will be increasingly present at a global level. Benetton was recently one of the first brands to put this widespread omnichannel experience into practice: on the occasion of Milan Fashion Week, it revolutionized the store on Corso Vittorio Emanuele, adapting it to the new store that will open soon in the Metaverse. The Benetton.com website also offers a contemporary online shopping experience open to all personalities and identities. An ideal platform to position the brand as a leader in the Italian casual lifestyle category, thus reinforcing its involvement with Generation Z.

What continues to inspire you every day?
Passion and always looking to the future.

What do you believe to be the role of brands in building a more humane, transparent, ethical and inclusive future?
When it comes to the Benetton Group’s strategy, the end consumer and their needs are at the heart of the brand’s trajectory. And sustainability is an important asset for consumers, especially younger ones. The customer wants to be informed about the items they buy, know where they come from and check the label. The labels on our sustainable clothing contain a QR code that links to the sustainability section of the Benetton website.

Last year, the Benetton Group presented GREEN B, a major sustainability project that Benetton is carrying out to consolidate good practices, improve its environmental and social performance throughout the supply chain and be a reference in Italy and in the world in terms of sustainable fashion. A good example is the store opened in Florence at the beginning of March 2021, forerunner of a new approach to retail with low environmental impact, a concept based on recycled and cutting-edge materials, to save energy. A reference for the retail of the future, which will sell increasingly sustainable collections.

Community building is one of the greatest powers — and responsibilities — of a brand. How would you describe your community?
The Benetton Group is a global company founded on the principles of multiculturalism, openness and tolerance. It is one of the most important companies in the fashion sector, present in the main markets with a commercial network of around 4500 points of sale. And it works together with the communities where it is present, in Italy and around the world, to achieve a balance between economic growth, social well-being and respect for the environment.

And since Lisboa Fashion Week is part of that same community: if you only had three words to describe your relationship with ModaLisboa, what would they be?
Democratic, disruptive and relevant.