Great turnout for “HYDRA – An Illusion of Abundance”, which brought together art, fashion, and sustainability to rethink the future of the sector. The presentation of “HYDRA – An Illusion of Abundance,” the artistic and cultural project born from the creative minds of Simone Botte, creative director of the Simon Cracker brand; Mira Wanderlust, visual arts lecturer at MOODART and senior editor of Red Eye World; and Luca MR, acclaimed painter and bronze sculptor; with the participation of Humana People to People Italia, was a resounding success. The initiative involved five of Italy’s leading fashion schools in an immersive journey to reflect on current consumption patterns and the urgent need for new ethical and sustainable approaches. A project that speaks to fashion, responsibility, and shared creativity.
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Art, fashion, and sustainability meet to imagine a new future.
Mira Wanderlust, Senior Editor RED-EYE World + Visual Arts Lecturer at MOODART: ’’The HYDRA project was a profoundly intense and transformative experience for me, designed not only to raise awareness but also to instil empathy in a world that increasingly needs it. In a historical moment in which environmental and social challenges seem to overwhelm our lives, the initiative stands as a beacon of hope, stimulating collective reflection on how we can contribute to a more sustainable future. The collaboration with Humana People to People Italia was crucial in this journey, as it allowed us to rethink and reinvent the concept of circularity. Through visual art and its many forms, we were able to create a powerful and impactful message, bridging creativity and social responsibility. This project is more than just an artistic expression; it is a call to action, a testament to the power of art to transform our perceptions and foster meaningful change within our communities.’’
Simone Botte, Founder + Creative Director SIMON CRACKER: ‘’It was a beautiful bridge that broke the system that usually separates art, fashion, sustainability, schools… finally a project that truly unites ideas and values and not only People of the same categories.”
Luca MR, Multifaceted Artist / Sculptor and Painter: ‘’Contemporary art often exists in a fertile tension between memory and the present. Beauty is no longer merely formal harmony, but becomes interrogation, ambiguity, sometimes provocation. When paintings depict Lolitas or beardless boys, it’s not just the young body that’s at the centre, but the very idea of innocence, desire, and vulnerability; the gaze in my works is always missing who is looking at whom?
At the same time, sculptures evoking Hellenic art—like figures seemingly emerging from the water, smooth, pure, almost archetypal, resurface a classical ideal of proportion and measure. It is a return to form as a place of balance, but filtered through a contemporary sensibility, often more fragile, more aware of transience. Artistic eco-sustainability also fits into this scenario: recycled materials, low-impact processes, works designed to dialogue with the environment rather than impose themselves on it. It is a new ethic of beauty, where aesthetics and responsibility coincide. Perhaps art today seeks precisely this: to bring an idea of harmony back from the past, to intertwine it with the anxieties of the present, and to restore it in forms that do not consume the world, but preserve it.’’
The installations and works created by students andStudents from IED Milano Fashion School, NABA, Nuova Accademia di Belle Arti, Polimoda, MOODART School of Fashion Communication, and Ferrari Fashion School, made with garments from the Humana selection centre in Pregnana, animated the shop windows of the Humana Vintage and Humana People stores in Milan, staging a powerful visual story on the impact of fashion and the need to rethink the production cycle.
The key event of the project was held, bringing together all the actors involved in a day full of artistic contamination. At MiArt Gallery in Via Brera 3, the public was able to immerse themselves in the works of Mira Wanderlust and Luca MR, meet the artists themselves, and attend Bastiano’s musical performance. Even the student installations have found their point of arrival at the MiArt Gallery, allowing visitors to rediscover them in an original installation alongside works of art with a strong emotional impact, which further underlined their evocative and denunciatory power.
‘’Beauty, ethical and political commitment. Yes, even contemporary art today must assume responsibility for the future of the planet. Through recycled materials, environmental installations, and works dedicated to climate change, artists must invite reflection on the consequences of our actions. Art thus becomes a tool to raise awareness, educate, and promote more sustainable behaviour. A direct, emotional, and sensorial experience.’’ – Ilaria Miniaci, Manager MiArt Gallery
“HYDRA demonstrates the importance of building partnerships that combine creativity, education, and social responsibility. Only by collaborating can we generate a real impact on current production and consumption models and spark positive change for future generations.” – Alfio Fontana, CSR & Corporate Partnership Manager, Humana Italia
A project with a strong social connotation, as part of the proceeds from the sale of the artists’ works will go to support the “Youth Academy” project of Humana People to People in Zambia. The program aims to integrate former street children into a two-year rehabilitation program that includes vocational training in three skills, including tailoring and design. Each year, the Youth Academy graduates adolescents between the ages of 16 and 18 and supports them in reintegrating into their families and communities, also offering mentoring to start small income-generating businesses.
The works of Mira Wanderlust and Luca MR are still on display and for sale at MiArt Gallery via Brera 3.
