Independent brand Simon Cracker denounces luxury fashion system with upcycled parodies

Co-creative directors Simone Botte and Filippo Biraghi were delighted that Walmart came retired with what was wide seen arsenic a Birkin knockoff portion they were moving connected this collection.

“People person mislaid involvement successful fashion,” Biraghi said. “They person been taken for a thrust for 20 years. And with 50 wars successful the world, clime change, we each are getting poorer. There is nary longer a transportation betwixt terms and value. At a definite point, you can’t spell on.’’

Collection hallmarks

The postulation pokes amusive astatine the emblematic Milanese signora, known successful dialect arsenic sciura, sending her up with funky tweed separates, a foulard and adjacent a tiny dog. Each silhouette is unique, constructed from garments the brace retrieve from adust cleaners and different sources, and models descent into quality with insouciant slouches and exaggerated catwalk strides.

The marque extended its collaboration with Doc Martens, decorated with trompe l’oeil ballerina shoes. At times, skirts, collars and decorative fringe were fashioned retired of shiny tinsel packing material, and ribbons covered shoes.

The amusement closed with a garment wholly concealed by luxury tags from Biraghi’s ain wardrobe collected implicit the years. “We are making amusive of wealth,” helium said.

Luxury assemblage slumping

The Simon Cracker runway critique hits the assemblage erstwhile its down — and analysts accidental successful request of reform.

A caller survey by McKinsey consultancy and The Business of Fashion said that apical brands are facing a important slowdown this year, aft a four-year play of exceptional maturation from 2019-2023 that allowed the assemblage to turn by a compounded 5% a twelvemonth contempt the pandemic.

Most of that enlargement — a afloat 80% — was owed to terms increases that outpaced innovation, the McKinsey-Business of Fashion study said.

The Bain consultancy likewise has forecast a contraction of 2% for 2025, the archetypal since the Great Recession, not including the 2020 pandemic year. It cited a situation successful creativity on broadside planetary turbulence.

The findings are of nary surprise to Botte and Biraghi.

“If a garment is not interesting, it it doesn’t archer a story, if determination is thing creative, who cares,” said Biraghi. “We each person tons of clothes, excessively many. We don’t request more.”

Creating community

Italian vocalist Chiara Galiazzo was successful the beforehand enactment dressed successful a pinstripe and plaid overgarment painted successful entity bluish and worn with royal bluish Bermuda cutoffs and matching painted boots. She said she was drawn to the marque by its authenticity.

“I consciousness similar I americium portion of a community,’’ she said aft the show. “I deliberation this is thing that is important, and a batch of fun.”