One of Massimo Giorgetti’s many talents is that he never becomes disheartened by setbacks. It’s a talent that comes particularly in handy these days, when the Omicron variant is creating all sorts of production hiccups. Our lives have become obstacle courses. But Giorgetti is tough enough not to let the glitches interfere with the elasticity of his resourceful spirit.
Forced to cancel his men’s in-person show due to pandemic safety restrictions, he appealed to another of his strengths: the pleasure he takes in collaborative work. Connecting with his extensive network of talented creatives, he was quick to appoint Dust Creative collective for his digital presentation’s artistic direction, with young lensman Luke Abby shooting the video and lookbook.
Joining them on the MSGM bandwagon this season was Gaetano Pesce, the renowned architect and furniture and industrial designer whose work is part of the production catalogs of the historic Italian companies Cassina, B&B, and Meritalia. Giorgetti was struck by Pesce’s vivid visuals, which resonate with MSGM’s saturated palette, and by one of Pesce’s many quotes and aphorisms. “It’s about Il Rumore del Tempo (The Noise of Time),” he explained at a press appointment in MSGM’s new headquarters. “In a nutshell, what Pesce said was that time is an extraordinary thing; it can be behind or ahead of us. But you have to fit in with its rhythm—otherwise you have no choice but to be left out and grow old.”
Significant elements of Pesce’s aesthetic were transposed into the collection. The felted quilting of his soft-shaped Shadow armchair inspired the padding of oversized parkas, roomy fleeces, and cardis, while his Michetta couch padding was rendered in trompe l’oeil prints on poplin or nylon shirts. and the saddle-stitching motif of the Feltri armchair played out as a trimming on a felted gray shirt, soft-tailored jackets, and wool suiting.
Giorgetti’s MSGM repertoire is still largely shaped by his energetic yet gentle interpretation of streetwear. Puffers, sweats, rave pants, and boxy shirts still constitute the bulk of the offer, together with a focus on acidic colors, lysergic prints, and quotes as substitutes for logos. A standout here was a teddy sweat/rave trousers combo, whose furry texture replicated the magmatic motifs of Pesce’s vases, made from drips of resin. Printed patterns were given a trippy, hallucinogenic treatment and woven into XXXL mohair cardis and sweats, and a few suiting propositions of a slouchy, broad-shouldered ’90s variety were on offer as well, alongside as an upscale take on cashmere coats that signal the label’s intention to expand into broader demographics.
The collection had the disarming freshness and honesty of Giorgetti’s vision; it was endearing in its gently-pushing-forward energetic push. But most importantly, it made abundantly clear that nothing can tarnish Giorgetti’s belief in the power of sharing.
