Stella Jean

Stella Jean (; born 1979) is an Italian fashion designer who lives and works in Rome, and who is considered to be Giorgio Armani's protÃ©gÃ©. Jean's work often merges classical Italian tailoring with African and Caribbean themes and imagery from Haiti, in a cultural fusion of her own identity.

Early years

Jean was born and raised in Rome to a Haitian mother, Violette Jean, and an Italian father, Marcello Novarino in 1979. She studied political science at Sapienza University of Rome, before dropping out to model for Egon von FÃ¼rstenberg, fashion designer and ex-husband of Diane von FÃ¼rstenberg. It is here where she realized that she would rather make the clothes than wear them.

Stella Jean 2015/16 F/W & 2016 S/S | Life is Good

Career

Jean began receiving attention at Italian Vogueâ€™s "Who Is On Next" contest in 2011 when she won second place. In 2013, Giorgio Armani asked her to showcase her designs in the Armani/Teatro space during Milano Moda Donna for Fashion Week SS14, and collaborated on shoes with Christian Louboutin for her AW14 collection, which featured her first menswear collection. For Jean's spring/summer 2014 collection, she collaborated with the International Trade Centre's Ethical Fashion Initiative. As a result, the printed fabrics for this collection were sustainably sourced, hand-crafted and aimed at helping trade workers in disadvantaged communities in Africa. In April 2014 she was selected by the Victoria and Albert Museum in London to exhibit several outfits in its Glamour of Italian Fashion 1945-2014 exhibition. Her brand is based in Rome but is stocked in specialty boutiques worldwide. Such as Matches Fashion, The Corner, Moda Operandi, Farfetch, United Arrows, and Alara Lagos.

Ethical Fashion Initiative | Partners | Stella Jean

Cultural influences

Stella Jean's designs reflect her Creole heritage, and she often works with Haitian and African artisans, incorporating their work into her fashions. Through her use of native craftspeople, she seeks to support struggling countries and communities and preserve their ancestral arts and traditions. She works with industry to generate commercial enterprise and self-sustaining local communities, focusing on womenâ€™s empowerment. She began her partnership with Ethical Fashion Initiative in 2013 when she extended her reach into a wider range of ethical produced items like bespoke Bogolan (mud-cloth) from Mali and Jewelry from Haiti. Stella Jean is a self-taught Italian-Haitian designer. Her desire is to make ethically sound clothes by helping the less advantaged women in the world. By doing so she will be able to create bold and colorful clothing inside and out. Her designs have been worn by celebrities like Rihanna and BeyoncÃ©. She uses her mother's maiden name for her brand.