Milan is Massimo Giorgetti’s adopted city; born in sunny, industrious Romagna, he decamped at a young age to the equally industrious but alas not so sunny Northern capital. His MSGM creature, who turns 15 this year, is rooted both in the optimism of his birthplace and in the energetic, hard-working nature of the Milanese. Pre-Fall added another chapter to his ongoing celebration of the vitality of young artistic communities blooming today all across the city. “I feel I belong to Milan’s dynamic reality; things happen fast here, which I very much like,” he said.
Giorgetti is active in promoting creative talents through the cutting-edge art gallery Ordet, where he’s a partner; throughout his career, he has collaborated with an array of designers, curators, singers, and filmmakers. Since last season, MSGM’s lookbooks have been shot by photographer Delfino Sisto Legnani, whose book Entryways of Milan has been a widespread success. Pre-Fall’s backdrop was the elegant entrance of a Milanese brutalist building, where props including marble sculptures by Gino Cosentino, seats by Osvaldo Borsani, and steel furniture by NM3 were added to convey an artsy vibe.
The mainly daywear collection was modeled by Milan-resident visual artists Giorgia Garzilli and Benni Bosetto. They sported a quintessential MSGM repertoire: streamlined and oversized color-blocked coats; leotards in white stretchy lace worn under miniskirts; scuba and neoprene pieces; and for decorative motifs, playful prints of strawberries, Dalmatian dots, and stickers of ceramic figurines. All was imbued with a saturated color palette that mirrors Giorgetti’s zest for life.
MSGM seems to be a replica of the designer’s character, a sort of fashion doppelgänger: “It’s a brand that is upbeat, passionate about living in the moment, about embracing life, creativity, lightness and a sense of humor,” he said. But not even the sunny-side-up Giorgetti could avoid a remark on the state of the industry today: “It isn’t easy at all to survive as an independent designer, but we fight our fight with the attitude Milan has taught me: be resilient, hardworking, factual, keeping the heart inventive. Roll up your sleeves, and do not ever give up.”