[5] She has collaborated with artisans from developing counties including Peru, Haiti, Burkina Faso, Benin, Mali, and Pakistan in producing her collections.
[12] Stella Novarino took the stage at a BLM protest in June 2020 against racial discrimination in Italy and has later claimed to be the first and only Italian fashion designer to do so.
[13][14] In 2021, Novarino co-founded the We Are Made in Italy (WAMI) initiative with Edward Buchanan and Michelle Francine Ngonmo to showcase BIPOC designers with the support of Camera della Moda, including a Milan Fashion Week opening.
[15] Despite WAMI's efforts, Camera della Moda eventually chose not to host a board it advocated for after Novarino publicly posted criticism of other Italian fashion brands.
"[16][17] In 2023, Novarino announced that she would withdraw from Milan Fashion Week and begin a hunger strike due to the lack of diversity and inclusion of designers of color.