Afro-Italian fashion through the lens of practice theory

The traditional paradigms of fashion are facing an ongoing process of redefini- tion driven by the emergence of new markets and new imaginaries. Migration and diasporic movements play a role in this transformation. The case of ‘Made in Italy’ is particularly emblematic in light of the growing contribution of Afro-descendant designers to the Italian fashion scene. Within this context, we observe new cultural intermediaries as well as less visible, smaller-scale activities operating at the local and community level. These dynamics contribute to the transformation and diver- sification of the Italian fashion system across its latent and explicit dimensions, from everyday informal practices to more formalized and institutionalized ones. Drawing on in-depth interviews with Afro-descendant designers and key inform- ants, ethnographic notes and secondary sources, in this article we employ concepts from the interdisciplinary field of practice theory to examine how Afro-descendant designers navigate and influence new forms of economic, social and cultural capi- tal. Drawing from the interconnected dimensions of competence, meanings and materials as developed by sociologists of practice, we demonstrate how Afro- descendant Italian designers integrate new cultural elements into the Italian fash- ion industry, mediating between inherited traditions, local craftsmanship and the aesthetic and symbolic legacies of their cultural backgrounds.