October 7, 2013 |
Five years ago Renzo Rosso set up Only the Brave, a not-for-profit organisation that has a mission to “rebalance social inequality and contribute to the sustainable development of less-advantaged people and areas around the world, with a special focus on sub-Saharan Africa”. Now, by launching a collaboration between Diesel and Edun, he is taking the mission of his foundation to the next step and giving a Africa a creative voice. The aim is “to raise awareness of the creative opportunities in Africa and build sustainable trade with the continent through fashion”. Together they are taking the often-recited mantra of helping others help themselves and making it real. “Together we are stronger. Through love we inspire. Through opportunity we grow. Forever we will shine.”
NATALIE DEMBINSKA: “Hello, Renzo, how are you?”
RENZO ROSSO: “I’m okay.”
NATALIE DEMBINSKA: “I wanted to say congratulations on the collaboration with Edun. How did it come about? Who came up with the idea for it?”
RENZO ROSSO: “Okay, so you know [Bono and I] have known each other for a long time, and we’ve tried several times to do something together, but I don’t know why it never happened. Last year in January we went to Africa together for a week. We went to visit Mali, we went to Timbuktu for the African music festival, we went to Uganda to see Bono’s farmers. And you know, when we saw these farmers it was something incredible, because these people have a lot of problems to overcome. They were asking us if we could pay for cotton at the real price, because the price of cotton has come down, like, 20%, and at this price they cannot survive. So we asked ourselves what can we do to help them, me and Bono, and we said, okay, we can buy the cotton.”
NATALIE DEMBINSKA: “Buy the cotton and make clothes?”
RENZO ROSSO: “Exactly. And in the end that was the idea, the reason for this collaboration between Edun and Diesel. We bought 100% of the cotton and so we made them happy. And us, too, because this project was born 100% in Africa. Everything is done in Africa. Even the advertising is done in Africa. Shot in Africa with African people. A 100% African project.
“The project isn’t for charity. The mission of the project is ‘how to make jobs in Africa’ and educate and prepare them for coming out. What they have done for us, they maybe can do for somebody else as well. They have the knowledge and they can use it for other people.”
NATALIE DEMBINSKA: “And is this something you want to expand? Involve other villages, other countries? Or is it just going to stay small?”
RENZO ROSSO: “At the moment, this is a project between Diesel and Edun, but Diesel is actually producing quite a lot in Africa. As of today 13% of our total production is in Africa. So let’s just say that we’re already there. Also, Africa is very close to Italy – there are daily flights, so it’s easy for our managers, our technicians to go there, and we love Africa.”
NATALIE DEMBINSKA: “What’s your favourite thing about the project?”
RENZO ROSSO: “I think [doing] everything together was really nice, especially travelling together. We have met so many times, me and Bono, we’re friends. I’ve been to his house. Talked about ideas, drank coffee, but to spend 10 days together? That has never happened before, and I discovered an even more incredible man. Because of his attitude. He really is thinking about how to help the world. He can call from his mobile every prime minister of every country in the world, and he is doing an incredible job convincing people to actually help the world, to fight poverty. And I admire him for this and I learn from him. There are many things that I can try to do better. I never stop learning and this was an incredible lesson for me, for my life. I have my foundation, I really do a lot. But Bono has pushed me to do even more, you know.”
NATALIE DEMBINSKA: “He sounds amazing to work with. Is this a one-off collection or is it going to become a permanent addition to your Diesel line?”
RENZO ROSSO: “We’ve just done the first one, which is in stores now. We presented it a few weeks ago in Paris. We held an incredible event. And at this very moment we are working on the second collection, so we’ll see. I don’t know how long we can go. We feel okay at the moment. Let’s see the results. It’s not easy. We have to send people there. Help them, educate them. We can really do it. But it’s not something where you can be like, ‘Okay, let’s do it.’ It takes a lot of time.”
NATALIE DEMBINSKA: “You mentioned that Bono has a cotton initiative in Uganda. Would you ever consider doing something similar in your Millennium Village in Dioro, Mali?”
RENZO ROSSO: “This is the project. This village where we are, I hope that in five to six years’ time it can be self-sufficient. At the moment the building of a secondary school is underway. We want to put in a fashion division, you know, an atelier. Teach them how to make clothes, to give some sort of specialisation for the fashion industry. And through that we can really work on the total project together. They can produce the cotton and they can also deliver the finished product.”
NATALIE DEMBINSKA: “Are you planning to be involved in any more Millennium Villages?”
RENZO ROSSO: “The village is fantastic, which is why I chose it, but I don’t want to do just a village or just put money into it. The mission of my foundation, my instinct… When I do something I want to do it in a real way. The village is not a small village. It’s very big – 20,000 people. It’s a very big project and I’m prepared to work on it, do everything well. We really invest. Both money and time. We really work with them. With architects. We are there with them. We follow the project, it’s not just, “Okay, here’s the money” and we’re okay, like 99% of people do. We really are involved in the development of the village.”
NATALIE DEMBINSKA: “Why did you choose Dioro?”
RENZO ROSSO: “I chose Dioro because… We saw every country at the time when we started the project, three years ago, and at that time Mali was the safest country with the least corruption, and that’s the real reason why we chose Mali. We invest directly in the village. The money’s not going to the project through the government in two or three passages. The money goes straight to the town, to this company that is helping to create the village, so we can control the numbers and we can control everything, because I am against corruption. I am against people stealing money. I am against people spending a lot of money just in administration costs. I really hate these things. And in this case we are sure the money is there 100% for the mission.”
NATALIE DEMBINSKA: “Is it hard to work around the government in that situation? Do you not have to go through them in some small way to enter Mali and implement your scheme?”
RENZO ROSSO: “It depends. It’s hard but when you’re there… Every time I’m there I think it’s unbelievable how with so little money you can make so many people so happy. And then you think about people around the world, about how much money they throw out of the window, spending it on luxury, stupid things, and there with a little money you really make people happy… It gives me an incredible energy, I recommend it. In today’s terrible world where people have lost the value of life, to be there you gain. Your body, your soul really gain – how can I say? – an incredible spirit.”
NATALIE DEMBINSKA: “Why Africa? Why not Asia or South America?
RENZO ROSSO: “I think Africa is very close to us. And I think Africa is a really young continent. All the others have so many things already. Besides, Africa is more virgin territory, it’s much younger. I’m working for young people and in Africa 75% of the population is under 25. That’s really incredible. We are very close to young people. And also, I don’t know, they are all so special, they are always smiling, they give me energy and they have a good attitude.”
NATALIE DEMBINSKA: “The most important thing – what is Studio Africa?”
RENZO ROSSO: “Studio Africa is basically the name that we gave to this campaign. You know, everything is done in Africa. The shoot was there, the photographer was there, the testimonial was there and, instead of promoting just a line – so, okay, at the end of the ad we put a Diesel + Edun logo, but it is very small, it was nicer to focus on Studio Africa because we feel that this adventure we went on, me and Bono, is really about Africa, creating jobs there and this is what we want to deliver. Studio Africa is there to help Africa to become a better place.”
NATALIE DEMBINSKA: “How did you choose who to represent Africa?”
RENZO ROSSO: “My people went there, and they saw who could be an ambassador and who is already famous there. It could be anyone. It could be a model, it could be a designer, it could be a singer, and from this list that they put together we chose these people.”
NATALIE DEMBINSKA: “Why did you chose Solange?”
RENZO ROSSO: “Oh, you need to ask Bono. Bono was the one who chose her.”
NATALIE DEMBINSKA: “Oh, okay. So, what is exciting for you at the moment? What is exciting you?”
RENZO ROSSO: “What is exciting me? Everything! Starting with travel, travelling with Bono, the idea. It was very nice to have my team and Edun’s team work together, and me and Bono were there from the beginning to give direction, and we were there at the end of the collection. We chose it together, we said yes or no. We are really involved in the project. And then I think it was very nice when we had the big party in Paris. Together, we can create a lot of interest. And I’d really like it very much if other people followed our lead. I think the most important thing is that other companies, other people can be inspired by what we’ve done and can try to help Africa to be better.”
NATALIE DEMBINSKA: “Are you doing anything to talk to other companies about following your leads, to try to convince them this is what they should do?”
RENZO ROSSO: “Well, this event that we’ve done, and we have another big event in Coachella, on the 12th of April.”
NATALIE DEMBINSKA: “Are you going to Coachella?”
RENZO ROSSO: “Yeah, I’m going to Coachella! Also, Bono is going to be there.”
NATALIE DEMBINSKA: “Are you looking forward to it?”
RENZO ROSSO: “Yeah, we can sing this time! [Laughing.]”
NATALIE DEMBINSKA: “On stage?”
RENZO ROSSO: “I want to be singing now.”
NATALIE DEMBINSKA: “What’s your favourite U2 song?”
RENZO ROSSO: “Err… One?”
NATALIE DEMBINSKA: “Do you ever get bored of jeans and denim?”
RENZO ROSSO: “You know, that is part of my life. I had my first pair of jeans when I was 13, and from that day, every single day of my life since, I’ve worn denim. I think it’s also the reason we’ve adapted denim from workwear and transformed it into unbelievable products. You can go to a red carpet in this product, you can go to a wedding in this product. Now with Black Gold we are doing denim. Tuxedos in denim. If you saw them you’d say, ‘No, it’s not possible.’ The technology today is unbelievable.”
NATALIE DEMBINSKA: “It’s really the only sort of truly universal fabric there is, isn’t it?”
RENZO ROSSO: “Yeah, yeah, it is really unbelievable, and Diesel really gained an understanding of it. I think it’s Diesel that has really developed this product worldwide and, after us, all the luxury brands expanded into this area. What we developed didn’t exist before.”
NATALIE DEMBINSKA: “Last question – are you the Bob Geldof of fashion?”
RENZO ROSSO: “I really don’t know, I am myself. I had a very simple education. I come from a farm and my education is very much about respecting others, loving others, helping others. This is the education that my father, my parents, gave me. And the same simple style, the same values of life are what I try to pass on to my children. And it is the same attitude that I have at work, with the people in my company.”
NATALIE DEMBINSKA: “Thank you so much for your time, Renzo, it was really nice to talk to you.”
RENZO ROSSO: “Okay, thank you, have a good weekend.”
NATALIE DEMBINSKA: “You too, bye.”
RENZO ROSSO: “Bye.”
by Natalie Dembinska
