Mediterranean Catwalk - Women Not Dolls. From Puglia to Milan, a bridge of culture and beauty

Mediterranean Catwalk - Women NOT Dolls: the cultural project that enhances Puglia's excellences was presented this morning at Palazzo Reale, promoting dialogue between Milan and Puglia.

With novelties and confirmations, the XI edition of Mediterranean Catwalk - Women NOT Dolls returns, a plural project included in the narrative of Milan Set Mediterranean - Puglia the land of wonders, born from a shared vision between the IIF - Italian Institute of Photography and the Regional Association of Pugliesi in Milan.

A unique appointment in the national landscape, Mediterranean Catwalk - Women NOT Dolls is a platform that connects culture, territory, and craftsmanship through a network of relationships capable of generating value and identity, favoring authentic dialogue between North and South, promoting Puglia as a destination for Luxury Weddings.

The project revolves around the enhancement of local craftsmanship, particularly ceramics, fashion, and weddings, with a strong focus on social dimension, solidarity, and respect for the female figure.

Coordinated by Urban Events and its CEO, Damiano Comes, in collaboration with the Municipality of Grottaglie, the leading entity, the initiative enjoys the patronage and support of the Puglia Region, with the direct involvement of the Regional Council Presidency and the Culture and Tourism Departments, with the support of the Puglia Culture and Puglia Promotion agencies.

Additionally, the Province of Taranto, the Municipalities of Taranto, Porto Cesareo, Grottaglie, Martina Franca, and Crispiano, along with the contribution of the Chamber of Commerce of Taranto and Brindisi, are involved. The support of Soroptimist International d’Italia - Grottaglie Club, which has always been committed to promoting women's rights, and the institutional recognition of the Municipality of Milan are also fundamental. The press office is managed by BTM Italia.

The Culture Department of the Municipality of Milan, recognizing the value of the project, has offered the opportunity to present it in one of the most iconic places in the city: Palazzo Reale. “This initiative – commented remotely by the councilor Tommaso Sacchi - is a concrete example of how fashion can become a cultural language and a tool for connection between different communities, perfectly in line with the vision of Milan, an open and international city.”

Focusing on the culture of productive know-how, the Mediterranean is portrayed as a space of excellence and creative contamination. From the artistic ceramics of Grottaglie, with the “pupa” symbol of the project and an icon of identity and transformation, to high bridal tailoring, an expression of contemporary research and elegance, up to the Apulian lights that, through light and beauty, reveal the soul of the territory, without neglecting the hospitality of the masserie and excellence structures, symbols of welcome and international quality.

Summarizing the essence of the initiative is the “Women NOT Dolls” Award, created by Carmela Comes, which is awarded annually to women who have distinguished themselves for social and cultural commitment, in combating gender violence and enhancing the female role, significantly contributing to cultural change.

For the 2026 edition, scheduled from October 15 to 18, the award will be given to a multi-medal Olympic champion, a symbol of determination, resilience, and value. Sports, understood in its social and cultural sense, is the protagonist of another moment of the project. In a historical phase in which Italy is at the center of the international scene, with the Winter Olympics and Paralympics of Milan-Cortina and, soon, with the Mediterranean Games in Puglia, the initiative is configured as a connecting element between these two major events. Thus, the Ethical Charter of Taranto and the Mediterranean “Education to sport free from stereotypes” is born, developed in collaboration with the University of Salento.

The document, presented in Milan, will then be exhibited during the Mediterranean Games, to be shared with all participating delegations. A symbolic gesture that becomes concrete action: athletes as ambassadors of respect, inclusion, and social responsibility.

Mediterranean Catwalk does not just tell the territory, but interprets it and projects it into the future, transforming beauty into value and culture into vision.

Damiano Comes (CEO Urban Events): We want to develop new artistic connections between Milan and Puglia, under the banner of art and the excellences of both territories. The goal is to build a structured path of events and initiatives dedicated to promoting craftsmanship and the Apulian heritage in Milan, enhancing not only high craftsmanship but also sports as a cultural language and a tool for relationships. Alongside the creative and productive dimension, the project assigns a central role to the social aspect, promoting culture as a space for inclusion, participation, and enhancement of communities, capable of generating authentic and lasting connections between territories and people.

Graziamaria Starace (Tourism Assessor Puglia Region): The Puglia we want to tell the world starts from the people who inhabit it. From the hands of those who work with ceramics, sew a wedding dress, weave the lights. For eleven years, Mediterranean Catwalk - Women NOT Dolls has been building this narrative with continuity and with real roots.

It arrives at Palazzo Reale with something precise: the story of women who have chosen to be protagonists. Bearers of craft, courage, and identity. Not a representation, a presence. The Puglia Region supports this project because it recognizes itself in that choice. Promoting the territory means starting from real people, from what they know how to do, from who they are.

Nevio D’Arpa (CEO & Founder BTM Italia): What makes Mediterranean Catwalk - Women NOT Dolls special is the way it restores to women their authentic role, making them protagonists of change, guardians of identity, and engines of cultural growth. Furthermore, this initiative demonstrates that Puglia today is not just a destination, but a living cultural content, capable of dialoguing with Milan and the major markets. For years, with BTM Italia we have been working to connect territories, attract visions, and generate value, and communicating initiatives like this means going beyond storytelling, creating connections and real opportunities.

Greta Barbone (Human Rights Manager of Fondazione Milano-Cortina 2026): The Milano-Cortina 2026 foundation has chosen gender equality from the beginning as one of the pillars of its action on social sustainability with extraordinary results, hosting the most gender-balanced version of the Winter Olympics, exceeding the record of 47% female participation, also thanks to the support of the International Olympic Committee.