New European Bauhaus Prizes 2023

Project category

Identify the award category for which this project is being submitted
Shaping a circular industrial ecosystem and supporting life-cycle thinking

Email user
joanakacorri@gmail.com

Basic information
Project title
Amargi

Full Project Title
Tradition reimagined

Please provide a short, catchy description of your project to be used in communication towards the public.
In the journey toward the beautiful, Amargi stays true to its roots.
The word ‘Amargi’ translates from ancient Sumerian as ‘return to mother’. Through the exploration of the Albanian ethnographic heritage, Amargi seeks to reawaken a national intellectual wealth that will evanesce with the generation of our grandparents.

What was the geographical scope of your project?
Cross-border/international

Where was your project implemented?
Location 1
Albania

Location 2
Albania

Member State(s), Western Balkans and other countries
{Empty}

If relevant, insert names of region(s)/municipality(ies) involved
The region of Lezha, municipality of Rreshen and Tirana.

Does your project address mainly urban or rural issues?
It addresses urban-rural linkages

Does your project refer to a physical transformation of the built environment or other types of transformations (hard or soft investments)?
It refers to other types of transformations (soft investment)

Has your project benefited from EU programmes and/or funds?
No

Has your project won an EU prize with a monetary value awarded?
No

Is your project fully completed
Yes

Please indicate a date (mm/yy)
2019-01-10

On whose behalf are you submitting the application?
As an individual
Please provide the contact details for the project promoter (the individual or representative of the organisation authorised to represent the project).
- First name: Joana
  Last name: Kacorri
  Gender: Female
  Nationality: Albania
  Address (country of permanent residence for individuals or address of the organisation)<br/>Street and number: Rruga Milto Sotir Gurra
  Town: Tirane
  Postal code: 1001
  Country: Albania
  Direct Tel: +355 69 574 3651
  E-mail: joanakacorri@gmail.com
  Website: https://www.amargi.shop/about-us/
Social Media accounts (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, etc.)
- URL: https://instagram.com/amargi__?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=
In case my project is selected as a finalist of the NEB Prizes 2023, I agree to share the name (individual and/or organisation’s), email address, website and social media accounts indicated above with other NEB Prizes finalists. I also agree to publish the name (individual and/or organisation’s), website and social media accounts indicated above next to the public description of my project in the channels of the European Commission.
Yes

How did you hear about the New European Bauhaus Prizes?
New European Bauhaus or European Commission websites

Description of the project
Please provide a summary of your project.
Amargi draws inspiration from the wealthy source Albanian ethnography, but with a fresh, modern design.
Our main focus is to provide top quality clothing, combining the work of many Albanian women, proud and knowledgeable of their cultural heritage, refining every detail with maximum care.
Every collection presents a new aspect of the wealthy background, centering around a particular region, fabric, motif, or production process, now silenced in museums.
At the core of our brand is our selection of artisan hand-loomed fabric, deliberately chosen in support of the local economy, the empowerment of women and the principles of sustainability.
Our values are beauty, quality, sustainability, legacy and empowerment.

Please indicate the main themes of your project with 5 key words.
Neo-heirloom

Please indicate the main themes of your project with key words
Sustainable

Please indicate the main themes of your project with key words
Ethnography

Please indicate the main themes of your project with key words
Women's empowerment

Please indicate the main themes of your project with key words
Handloomed fabric

Please give information about the key objectives of your project in terms of sustainability and how these have been met. Please highlight how the project can be exemplary in this context.
Amargi works in collaboration with only women, who work in clothing production and marketing, providing them with job opportunities that are scare in the areas they live, hence, in compliance with:Gender equality, by empower women and girls. Moreover, Amargi contributes to sustainable production and economic growth, contributing to the use of Albanian products, paying them fair wages. Our products are made-to-order, thus reducing waste. The fabric used is hair-loomed, contributing to preserve the old fabric-production techniques.
The materials used vary from cotton, silk, and our most special yet – sheep wool, organic and artisanal, just as it has been produced in Albania for centuries.

Please give information about the key objectives of your project in terms of aesthetics and quality of experience for people (through design, positive emotions and cultural benefits) and how these have been met. Please highlight how the project can be exemplary in this context.
The designs had been brewing in my mind for years, as I was always fascinated by the presence of the traditional clothing my grandmother wore daily.
The rituals, care and thought put in these outfits made her appreciate clothing more profoundly. I have a background in architecture, and when I think of a collection that I am about to create, I always think of it as an architect, respecting the color theory, rythm, symmetry, layers, shape, balance etc. When the final product is made, the concept of the photo shooting is a very important process, because it has to be in line with the concept of the collection. On the making of photo shoots for each Amargi's collection, we have had a very good spirit of cooperation with the models and the photographer, who have shared their professional skills to bring out the best of the design. I also have organised a fashion show where I made together, people who love fashion and who are passionate about our tradition, but mixed it with a modern twist.

Please give information about the key objectives of your project in terms of inclusion (ranging from accessibility and affordability for all to inclusive governing systems, design for all principles or new societal models) and how these have been met. Please highlight how the project can be exemplary in this context.
Amargi has successfully launched in the Albanian market, bringing forth an innovative approach to ethnic clothing, reimagined in modern clothing, in terms of material and process of production, thus preserving centuries old processes and knowledge whose use is rapidly declining. With all the designs, I aim to be in the wardrobe of every girl, who appreciates the design and the meaning behind the design. Also with Amargi, I want to inspire young girls from Albania, to continue dreaming, and to never loose hope that their voice will not be heard. I also was invited at several university classes, to share my experience and also my challenges.

Please explain the way citizens benefiting from or affected by the project and civil society have been involved in the project and what has been the impact of this involvement on the project
I believe Amargi to be a perfect fit for the prize, as a small company, created by a young entrepreneur, with an innovative idea, that is very well placed in the market and meets a need for ethnic clothing that can be used every day, thus preserving tradition, without it being old-fashioned. More importantly Amargi provides job opportunities for women whose skills are declining in demand, but who have preserved that skill (working with fabric produced by sheep wool, or with hand-loom) for centuries, and who is now less used and more costly, thus close to being lost forever. These women stay in business, and earn a decent wage, thanks to Amargi, which in turn also makes for a valid job opportunity for the new generation, further preserving tradition and culture, while also inspiring innovation.

Please explain how different stakeholders at various levels (local, regional, national, European) were engaged in the design and implementation of the project. Please highlight what the added value of their engagement was.
Since the first time I launched Amargi, It was very embraced by the community. Some public figures and models started to spread the word that the first Albanian sustainable brand was born. they embraced the concept, the idea, the design and the aesthetics. Than I was invited in four tv national channels, to talk about Amargi and the idea behind it. When I organised my first fashion show, the professional models, the photographers where very pleased to come and support.

Please explain which disciplines and/ or knowledge fields were reflected in the design and implementation of your project. Please explain how representatives of these different fields interacted with each other, and what the added value of this process was.
The disciplines that interact are architecture, which is my background, mixed with my passion for traditional clothes of Albania, which I think are so magical in all of their form. A big support for creating Amargi has been also my brother who has a background in business.
A big appreciation goes to every women who is behind Amargi, with their skills in creating hand loomed fabric, and giving life to all my ideas.
Also "women founders of Albania" has been a big support, with all their connections and network.

Please give information on the results, outcomes and impacts achieved by your project in relation to the category you apply for. This includes also benefits from the project for direct and indirect beneficiaries
Amargi has given impact to our society in different ways, as an aesthetic approach, as a business model based on the principles of sustainability.

Please provide documents showing the results, outcomes and impacts of your project
Web link
Web link
Please highlight the innovative character of the project, when compared to mainstream actions in the field of the project
Amargi is a part of fashion innovation that can help replace wasteful materials with sustainable alternatives. It can end low-paid human jobs, repetitive and dangerous. Innovative fashion will allow us to function and interact in a digital world. A world of autonomous cars, smart homes, and connected objects.

Please describe the methodology or approach used in your project.
Each collection of Amargi is designed by me (the founder of Amargi). Each collection is inspired by traditional clothes of different regions of Albania. After the design is drawn, at an artisan center in Lezha, a north city of Albania, we create and hand loome the fabric. After the fabric is made, we sew the pieces at a tailor in Tirana. After we have all the products, we organise the photo shoots of the collection. After the pictures are made we place them on our website.
We sell them online through our website and our social media.

Please describe which elements of your project could be replicated or transferred to other places, groups of beneficiaries and context. This may involve for example aspects of the methodology, technology, processes, products, learnings etc.
All amargi's designs can be worn by every women of every background, color, region etc, because of their modern twist.

Please explain what kind of global challenges the project addresses by providing local solutions
Most of the fashion industry operates at a fast pace, which is often referred to as fast fashion. Not surprisingly, some of the biggest fashion brands that we see in our local malls are all part of the fast fashion trend, which means there is urgency throughout the value chain – from design to production to shipping and display. Collection launches are hardly seasonal anymore, there is an urgent frequency in replacement of clothing inventories.
Sustainable fashion brands create fashion in a way which is most considerate of humanity and the environment, reducing the environmental impact wherever possible. The ultimate goal is to have a system which works without leaving a negative footprint.
Amargi as an eco-ethical brand advocates for providing humane working conditions, health care and fair wages for their workers, which are typically above average. Generally, they show a larger purpose towards creating economic opportunities for those in need to end poverty. We all want to feel great about our clothes, and that includes feeling great about knowing under what conditions they were made.
Please attach at least 6 high resolution images (or other types of visual representations, if images are not possible) to your application.
If you would like to upload additional documentation, please upload or write below
- AMARGI prezantim (2).pdf
By submitting your application you confirm that you are the copyright owner of the images provided and that they can be used by the European Commission for the purposes of promoting the New European Bauhaus on all platforms (websites, print, social media and other).
Yes

By ticking this box, you declare that you are not in in one or more of the exclusion situations foreseen under Article 136 of the Financial Regulation.
Yes

By submitting this application, I declare that I am not related to the entities subject to EU restricted measures under Article 29 of the Treaty on the European Union (TEU) and subject to Article 215 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the EU (TFEU)1, and entities covered by Commission Guidelines No 2013/C 205/05), which are not eligible to participate in any capacity.
Yes

By ticking this box, you declare that all the information provided in this form is factually correct, that you assume sole liability in the event of a claim relating to the activities carried out in the framework of the contest, that the proposed project has not been proposed for the New European Bauhaus Prizes in any other category or strand and that it has not been subject to any type of investigation, which could lead to a financial correction because of irregularities or fraud.
Yes

By submitting your application, you guarantee that you are the author or have the rights to proceed with the application and to authorise the use of the project and that you have obtained any necessary consents, licenses or assignments from third parties and included copyright notices when necessary.
Yes

By submitting your application, you understand that all the applications that meet the eligibility requirements will be shared for the purposes of the selection processes, and notably published on the secured platform prizes.new-european-bauhaus.eu and for the purposes of the promotion of these on the New European Bauhaus website and/or other European Commission communication channels. In this sense, the applications would be widely available. Applicants should ensure that they present their projects, in such a way that they could be shared without giving rise to intellectual property related concerns. If your submission is selected as one of the finalists, it will additionally be shared for the purpose of the public vote that will take place. The European Union is granted a licence to use and share your application with the general public and the official external experts for the purposes of the selection process, including the voting. The European Union has the right to use the images and visual materials and the description provided in the application for communication purposes related to the contest and beyond. Rights granted comprise the right to store, reproduce, display, publish and communicate or distribute copies in electronic or digital format, including, but not only, through the internet. Unless you have disclosed your name, the European Commission has no obligation to share your name when using or disseminating your contribution to the public. The European Union cannot be held responsible in case any submitted project, is found to infringe third party’s rights. The European Union shall be neither responsible for the use that third parties may do of the applications or related content.
Yes

By submitting your application, you acknowledge that you read and understand that the ‘Guide to Applicants’ of the NEB Prizes 2023, available online in the website of the NEB Prizes 2023, is an integral part of this application form and that it must therefore be observed when completing and submitting your application.
Yes