MILAN (AP) – Italian independent fashion brand Simon Cracker has criticized the luxury fashion system with an upcycled collection that reflects a bygone quality and creativity, previewed during Milan Fashion Week on Sunday.
Created from salvaged deadstock clothing, materials, and accessories, the co-ed look includes designers painting signature hardware on leather bags and screen-printing images of coveted bags on sweaters. It included a sarcastic jab at Hermès’ expensive Birkin bags. .
Co-creative directors Simone Bott and Filippo Biraghi were delighted that while they were working on the collection, Walmart released what were widely considered to be Birkin knockoffs.
“People are losing interest in fashion,” Biraghi says. “They’ve been put on a ride for 20 years. And there are 50 wars in the world, climate change, and we’re all getting poorer. There’s no longer a connection between price and value. . At some point, you can’t keep doing it.”
Collection features
The collection pokes fun at the quintessential Milanese signora, known in dialect as a “ciura,” featuring funky tweed separates, foulards and even a small dog. Each silhouette is unique, made from clothing the duo salvaged from dry cleaners and elsewhere, and the models slip into character with careless slouches and exaggerated catwalk strides.
The brand expanded its collaboration with Dr. Martens embellished with trompe l’oeil ballerina shoes. Sometimes the skirt, collar and decorative fringe were made of shiny tinsel packing material, and ribbons were wrapped around the shoes.
The show ended with clothes completely hidden in luxury tags collected over the years from Biraghi’s own wardrobe. “We’re making fun of wealth,” he said.
Luxury sector downturn
Simon Cracker’s criticism of Runway comes at a time when the industry is in the doldrums, with analysts saying reforms are needed.
After an unusual four-year period of growth from 2019 to 2023, top brands are facing a significant slowdown this year, according to a new study by McKinsey consulting firm and The Business of Fashion. Pandemic.
Most of that growth (80% of the total) is due to price increases outpacing innovation, according to a report from McKinsey Business of Fashion.
of bain consulting Similarly, excluding the pandemic year of 2020, we forecast negative growth of 2% in 2025, the first since the Great Recession. He cited the crisis of creativity that comes with global turmoil.
For Botte and Biraghi, this finding is not surprising.
“If the clothes aren’t interesting, they’re not telling a story. If there’s nothing creative about them, who cares?” Biraghi said. “We all have a lot of clothes. Too many. We don’t need any more.”
Building a community
Italian singer Chiara Gagliazzo was in the front row wearing a sky blue painted pinstripe and plaid jacket, paired with royal blue Bermuda cutoffs and matching painted boots. She said she was drawn to the brand’s authenticity.
“I feel like I’m part of a community,” she said after the show. “I think this is important and it’s a lot of fun.”
