This MSGM fall collection was “an ode to Milan’s underground nightlife,” as Massimo Giorgetti put it, and to the desire for going back to dance floors—with an accompanying corollary of brash latex and vinyl to enforce the message. The offer will land in stores months from now; hopes to be out of the pandemic by then are high and this was certainly what drove the design process.
People obviously want to party again, so much so that over the weekend huge crowds gathered at an impromptu open air rave in the Navigli area of Milan in total disregard of safe-distancing rules. The city will resume a stricter lockdown today as COVID-19 cases are spiking again. Walking the fine line between danger and pleasure is the choice people are confronted with. And while the world is going sustainable, are latex, vinyl, nylon, and stretchy synthetic fabrics a mindful choice?
Always up for a challenging conversation, Giorgetti answered via Zoom that he wasn’t encouraging bad behavior. “But it’s undeniable that young people feel the urge to be together, share moments of community, have fun, and resume a life of interaction,” he said. “And all the vinyl and latex in the collection are made sustainably.” He also said that what his young customers want aren’t frills and flounces, but tight, stretchy, second-skin garments, comfortable and technological, that can transition from a night at the club to the yoga mat.
“I’ve always been connected to underground club culture; it’s where I come from,” Giorgetti said. To visually shape the identity of an MSGM community ready not only to party again but also to enjoy cool expressions of art, music, and theater, he entrusted a group of Italian creatives based in Milan. The digital project they presented, called Manifesto, was a collective labor of love, involving Flash Art publisher Gea Politi, visual artist Alessandro Calabrese, movie director Francesco Coppola, and Club Domani’s DJ Sergio Tavelli and Andrea Ratti. Together they produced a cinematic video with a spoken-word soundtrack by Politi shot in Milan’s historic Teatro Manzoni. Like all cinemas, theaters, and museums across the country, it has remained closed to the public since the beginning of the pandemic.
Modeled on a cast of young dancers and performers, the collection hinted at a “nocturnal attitude,” as per the press notes. Glossy surfaces abounded on vinyl puffers and slouchy trousers in saturated colors, on black patent leather trench coats, and on pencil skirts worn with midriff-baring brassieres. Taffeta and jersey had a holographic shimmer, tube dresses were dipped in crinkled sequins, and nylon bombers were given a satiny, smooth finish. Flashy abstract florals scanned by artist Alessandro Calabrese were printed on draped dresses with adjustable drawstrings.
Collective artistic projects are becoming popular in Milan, a city impatient to go back to its previous busy self. It’s definitely a positive outcome of the pandemic. As much as it has forced people to be apart, somehow the quarantine situation has brought like-minded people closer together, creating unpredictable collaborations and new communities. As Giorgetti said: “Milan can’t wait to switch on its lights again. There’s so much we can do. We’ll do our best to make it happen.”
