Prada Wants to Lead the Global Conversation About Our Earth’s Oceans
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Although it may not always be apparent, fashion and science overlap in a lot of ways, be that through innovation or just the ways in which clothing production affects the environment. At Prada, they’re hoping to bring light to this overlap, in part through their Possible Conversations series, a collection of talks that explore the intersections between culture, fashion, and life.
On Wednesday, May 22, which was International Day for Biological Diversity, the Italian fashion house held their latest discussion, where the conversation revolved around our planet’s oceans and how we can expand knowledge of our water systems. This talk was part of Sea Beyond, a program launched by the Prada Group in 2019, in partnership with UNESCO’s Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC), to promote ocean preservation.
Among the panel of speakers was photographer and climate artist Enzo Barracco, whose origins actually began in fashion photography, until he stumbled upon the story of Sir Ernest Shackleton—an explorer who had journeyed to Antarctica, and who subsequently inspired Barracco to make the trip himself. Once the photographer went (and captured some absolutely stunning photos), he found himself on a totally new path.
“I organized my own expedition in Antarctica and when I came back, I basically changed my life, my career,” Barracco told Harper’s Bazaar in an exclusive interview. “And from that point, I developed a project about conservation and sustainability.”
Barracco was completely overcome by the beauty of the Antarctic, and he attempted to capture it with his work. “When you see this extreme, incredible beauty, power and fragility, it’s very easy to think differently too. And I hope I can translate this in the photos,” he says. The one message he hopes to send? “Don’t take nature for granted.”
Alongside Barracco was UNESCO-IOC Senior Program Officer Francesca Santoro, whose dedication to protecting our oceans stems from her marine science background. In her work, she hopes to educate people on the vast things our oceans have to offer.
“There might be still a million species to be discovered in the ocean,” she said during a chat with Bazaar. “We know a lot about the ocean, but there might be so many other things to be discovered and that’s what makes the ocean so important for us. And the more and more we are finding out, you know, the ocean is [also] important for our own health. It’s a big thing now, like linking ocean health with human health.”
While Santoro points out that substances in the ocean are being used to try to cure cancer and Alzheimer’s, she also says that it helps to mitigate the climate crisis across the globe. Long story short: the benefits of protecting our waterways are countless and there’s still so much to be learned. “I feel like the average person doesn’t know so much of these things,” Santoro notes.
Thankfully, the National Marine Educators Association (NMEA) is helping to alleviate this problem, by increasing oceanography studies in schools across the U.S.
To coincide with the talk, the Prada Group gave a donation to the NMEA so that 16 schools in the Tri-State area can become “Blue Schools,” meaning that ocean literacy will be incorporated into their curriculum. As an extra touch, a few of Barracco’s portraits will also be gifted to the schools, where they will be on permanent display (but you can still view them at the Prada Broadway Epicenter through May 27).
The NMEA’s Blue Schools Committee Chair, Meghan Marrero, completed the panel of speakers at the Prada conversation, and she highlighted the positive impact of this initiative. “Enhancing marine education is integral to the health of our global ocean. Today’s students are tomorrow’s decision makers,” she said. “We must help these learners build their connection to the ocean and become water stewards to ensure a sustainable ocean future.”
Seeing these three lead the discussion perfectly captured what the Prada Group is trying to accomplish with the Possible Conversations series, and it offers a hopeful future for how artists and scientists can continue to team up for positive change.
Santoro put it best when she said, “What guides my work, generally speaking, is that we need to promote collaboration and partnerships...Showing that people coming from different worlds can really work together and effectively create change.” She added, “It’s not knowledge that drives our action, but instead our emotions.”
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