“There are no rejects, only missed opportunities”
Do you believe in second chances in life? Can fashion serve as an emancipation tool for disadvantaged women while contributing to environmental protection? Yes!
Palingen Social Regeneration is a tailoring workshop in Naples that aims to give a second chance to people in fragile conditions, mainly women, and to recover fabrics and garments otherwise destined for waste.
Palingen’s mission is to promote the inclusion of individuals who are socially marginalised and in precarious working conditions by creating opportunities for professional training, stable employment and professional growth. With this in mind, two tailoring workshops were opened in Naples, one inside the Pozzuoli Women’s Prison (‘CC’) and one outside, in the city of Naples.
Operating in partnership with third-party companies, Palingen collaborates with disadvantaged individuals to produce accessories and garments, enabling them to learn and perfect the art of Italian tailoring. In addition, production employs end-of-series garments and fabrics, unsold stock or donated by prestigious Italian and international textile companies in order to avoid sending valuable fabrics to waste, allowing for a reduced environmental impact.
We believe that those who have done wrong have the right to redeem themselves and that the best form of sustainability is the creative reworking of textile waste.
The name Palingen evokes the spiritual concept of Palingenesis, synonymous with rebirth, which is applied in both social and environmental protection. The needs and necessities that Palingen intends to satisfy consist mainly in: (i) social inclusion of disadvantaged subjects; (ii) reduction of the prison overcrowding rate in Italy, sadly and notoriously among the highest in Europe; and (iii) reduction of pollution linked to the world of textile production, one of the most polluting sectors in the world.
It is estimated that participation in job placement programmes would reduce recidivism to around 10% and that less than 1% of all textiles in the world are recycled into new products.
WEBSITE: www.palingen.it
PROJECT LEADER: Marco Maria Mazio
MAIN BENEFICIARIES: Women and disadvantaged people
AREAS: Environment, waste, textile-fashion and circular economy
COUNTRY: Italy
STATUS: Active
YEAR OF FOUNDATION: 2020
