An unusual fashion show, far from the spotlight of the major fashion houses but capable of telling stories of redemption, work, and inclusion. It took place last week at the Giudecca Women’s Prison, where Banco Lotto N.10 organized a fashion show titled “The Ghost Suitcase, ” dedicated to garments created by the inmates themselves, under the artistic direction of Margherita Uliana, within the Venetian prison’s tailoring workshop coordinated by the social cooperative “Il cerchio.” Amid fine fabrics, vibrant colors, and hand-tailored garments, the event transformed the prison’s cloister into a place of gathering and creativity for a few hours: about twenty inmates walked down the long red carpet, becoming style icons for a day. The runway showcased not only clothing but, above all, the result of a professional journey built through work —for which they are regularly paid—and training. For years, Banco Lotto N.10 has used tailoring as a tool for social reintegration, offering women at the correctional facility the opportunity to acquire practical skills and professional responsibility so they can look to the future with a renewed outlook.
The fashion show thus served as a gesture of openness toward the city, with each stitch poised to become part of a broader journey, in the knowledge that learning a trade also means regaining confidence in one’s own potential and abilities, regardless of the crime committed. This is an important step toward returning to normalcy and warding off the risk of falling back into a life of crime. “Data from the CNEL—as Adriano Toniolo of ‘Il cerchio,’ who was present at the fashion show, put it—show that if a person remains incarcerated without being able to work, the recidivism rate approaches 70% once they regain their freedom. Otherwise, it drops to 5%. We’re working on new collections. And we’re also starting to venture into wedding dresses.” The support of entrepreneur Bernard Hulla has been invaluable to the project. “Currently, the tailoring workshop is located on the upper floor of the prison,” he continued, “but we also have another one off-site, which women on day release can access. Today, there are a total of 7–8 inmates involved, but the goal is to increase that number.” Toniolo also discussed the project related to the so-called “Wing 17, ” which is currently out of use, where the prison’s tailoring workshop and laundry facility—both managed by “Il cerchio”—will soon be relocated. This larger space is one the cooperative hopes to begin using in 2027. “Work is expected to begin by the end of this year.” Among those present were, among others, Deputy Minister of Justice Francesco Paolo Sisto—for whom a judge’s robe was made and donated—Councilor for Social Policies Ermelinda Damiano, Member of Parliament Martina Semenzato, and Greta Scarano, host of the 2026 Venice Film Festival.
“The ‘phantom suitcase’ —said prison director Maurizia Campobasso, echoing the title of the fashion show—is the one that every woman who enters here brings with her, filled with her own story: mistakes, wounds, suffering, but also strengths that sometimes just need to be rediscovered. During their sentence, our task is to try to change the contents of that luggage, filling it with skills, awareness, and the opportunity to rewrite their future within the law. This is the meaning behind the runway and the robe we wanted to create (the one donated to the deputy minister, ed.), a symbol of justice and of a possible redemption.” “This is a special place, with a 96.07% occupancy rate compared to the established limit—a percentage unmatched anywhere in the world. “This means,” Sisto stated, “that there is a chance to turn correctional facilities into places where hope and humanity can be restored.” He then emphasized how much the Meloni government has focused on the issue of prisons in recent years. “The new law on drug addicts (aimed at supervised treatment programs in specialized shelters, ed.) will initially cover 500 cases, but we’re ready to expand that to about 8,000. This parade,” he added, “has no walls. And that is precisely what we must aim for in prisons: to tear them down, to move beyond them. Initiatives like these allow us to say that, in some way, there should be no differences between the world ‘outside’ and the world ‘inside.’ Yes, serving a sentence means losing one’s freedom, but never one’s dignity or hope.” The fashion show was directed by Gianluigi Attorre of Atomic Production, and ELLE Italia—a partner of the event—provided production support to ensure the initiative’s success. Every purchase made at the Banco Lotto N.10 brand store— recently renovated thanks to a project by Alfredo Brillembourg and Alessandro Famiglietti, located on Rio Terà Sant’Aponal—helps support the workshop, training, materials, and educational activities of “Il cerchio.”
C.I.D. s.r.l. Società a Socio Unico – Casa editrice del settimanale Gente Veneta – CF e PI 02341300271 – REA: VE – 211669 – Capitale Sociale 31.000 euro i.v. – Dorsoduro,1 – 30123 Venezia
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