MSGM is an Italian fashion brand established in 2009, currently on show at the Riccardo Grassi Show Room in Milan. The designer of MGSM is Massimo Giorgetti, who hails from the Rimini region of Italy, who found himself destined for such a career having been fascinated by fashion from a young, no doubt because he was the product of parents who managed a fabrics company. His specialty is catching trends in their early stages and he has ploughed all his experience in a own collection centered around denim, sweatshirts and accessories. His style is contemporary and unique, with inspiration coming from a wide source of art, film and music. His vivid prints on high quality material soon garnered popularity, and within a short space of time, his work broke through the Italian borders and became popular on the international stage.

WAKAPEDIA’s MASSIMO GIORGETTI

Sarawaka first met Massimo at the launch party for the collaboration between Toilet Paper Magazine and KENZO. She thought she’d have a pre-part drink at the Hotel Plaza Athenée, and because she was heading to a party to celebrate both KENZO and Toilet Paper, she thought she would give them a little promotion. Taking sewing kit from her bag and setting her cocktail to one side, she began to sew the Toilet Paper logo into her clothes. The person who spotted this girl seemingly sewing aimlessly and who was gracious enough to offer some advice was, of course, Massimo. “How about sewing it into your brassiere?”, he proffered. Two people in a high class hotel, drinking margaritas and sewing logos into bras. In anyone’s eyes these would be two very strange people. Saying that, that same onlooker would probably love a nice sweatshirt that Massimo designed, which can be seen all over Milan.

SaraWaka: Ciao, I’m SaraWaka! Sorry to bother you duringyour teatime. Please tell us your name.

Massimo[Max]: Massimo Giorgetti! [Mumbled through the crumbs of a mouthful of biscuit]

SaraWaka: Long time no see, Max. Your recent AW14 (Autumn) show was wonderful! Cute, typically colorful and sporty. It fits your image perfectly.

Max: Right? My brand concept is use lots of colour, prints, with a little bit of passion and craziness!

SaraWaka: Yes! Perfect! All words that can sum up an Italian! [laughs] Your collaboration with Toilet Paper was also a little craziness in a way. It was your idea to collaborate with them?

Max: That wasn’t my idea but Maurizio Cattelan’s! He came and asked me at the Plastic (milano’s club) if I would be interested in a collaboration with Toilet paper magazine. And then my idea was to embroider the Toilet Paper images into some sweatshirt.

Max: Thanks. The collection this time round was produced together with the Italian artist Luca de Gaetano. But, I’ve loved art for a long time. Art, for me, is not just something of close value, but is beauty, an escape, something that is close to a dream. Because of this, art has a very special place for me.

SaraWaka: I see. But, why did you call your brand MSGM? It’s difficult to pronounce.

Max: Not true, not true. It’s easy to say. emma-esse-ji-emma [Italian accented spelling] It this first letters of the names of the 4 people who started the brand. I am one of them.

SaraWaka: If that’s the case, I won’t press that point any further. I heard from Umano-san, the MGSM brand manager of japan, that when you went to the Japanese restaurant in Milan “Osaka”, you tucked in happily to the food. Do you like Japanese food?

Max: I love it! I went to Japan for the first time this year and was awestruck. I fell in love with the Japanese taste. The way the Japanese wear clothes, the way the stores are decorated, the politeness – I loved the Japanese culture. I was busy every day with client meetings, but I had a small amount of free time on Saturday morning. I went around Aoyama, Omotesando and Shibuya, checking the stores. It was my greatest achievement of this year (2013)

SaraWaka: I’m happy you enjoyed my country! On that note though, I heard that when you went to the Muji café and ordered some hot drink, you didn’t realize you were supposed to drink directly from the opening in the lid and used a straw and burnt your mouth! I actually understand why you were confused because it’s not like we have takeout coffee places like Starbucks in Italy.

Max: Now you mention it, that did happen!

SaraWaka: Well thanks for your time! Now for the final question: may I have a kiss?

Max: Ok! And a photo of my jacket with the lip design! Yes, cheeeeeese!

Description & Interview: Sara Waka

Edited by: BJFox