Futuristic, Brutal, Dystopic. MANDOWN MMXXI is inspired by the futurism movement of the early 1900s and aims to change the fashion system by proposing collections developed by temperature.
As the age of the internet has enabled individuals and businesses to operate globally, the idea of centering fashion around seasonal looks is beginning to fade in favor of more adaptable solutions. Coupled with the increasingly unpredictable climate conditions in many regions, MANDOWN MMXXI proposes collections made up of both heavy and ultra-light garments to offer up-to-date solutions for the modern era.
Based out of Milano Italy, MANDOWN MMXXI was established in 2021 and is led by its founder and creative director, Pietro Zanoletti. Though his vision for the brand cemented while attending university classes in fashion design, Zanoletti's lifelong background in drawing is what has allowed him a channel in which to discover fashion as his primary medium. Shortly after enrolling in university in Milan, his posts on social media attracted the attention of Edoardo Ranieri, whose ties to manufacturing resulted in a partnership that would shift MANDOWN MMXXI from concept to reality.
Pietro's approach to the first collection came through continuous development, resulting in a "point of arrival" for the team's vision. Finding reflections in the world of art, a subject that has been the center of Zanoletti's world for most of his life, are core to the inspiration behind the theme. In terms of function, the designer credits an upbringing of outdoor sporting activities in a small Italian village as the driving force behind his use of technical designs and fabrics. The result is a refreshingly modern and refined proposal for technical fashion, one that can be accepted both on the runway and in day-to-day wear.
"I believe that for every creative person there is no real point of arrival, the beauty lies in the path that takes place to obtain the results."
Following the massive success of non-traditional designers such as Virgil Abloh, Jerry Lorenzo, and Matthew Williams has been a much larger and global crowd of emerging designers using social media and a strong understanding of the latest trends to make serious noise in the industry. We saw this shift occur in totality almost overnight during the pandemic.
Major fashion houses have nearly all adjusted leadership in the years since, appointing as their creative directors the designers that made the most noise entering this decade. Notably, Rhuigi Villaseñor of RHUDE was recently appointed creative director of the Swiss luxury fashion house Bally in an attempt to resurrect the 172-year-old maison. This, just seven years after Rhuigi turned RHUDE from an LA-based t-shirt company into a culturally coveted high-fashion label. These possibilities are not lost on Pietro Zanoletti, who mentioned leading an iconic fashion maison among building MANDOWN MMXXI into a global success as his larger goals.
For now, however, Zanoletti has his focus set on what's directly in front of him. Launching the first collection, finding his market, and a secret collab with a well-known name are all on the horizon. When asked about his goals going into the Spring/Summer seasons, Pietro answered, "[to] keep developing and exploring the aesthetic I'm working on now, improving the work done and pushing myself further day by day".
MANDOWN MMXXI launches with their first collection this month. Aiming for success, the team plans on following up with more releases untethered to the fashion calendar with the intent of building a strong community around the brand. Longer term, they are expecting to hit physical stores next year and continue to refine their design and production process to make one of the best products on the market.
In a world where fashion is increasingly driven by the latest trends on social media, it can be easy to drown in the noise. Emerging out of an over-saturation of DIY and vintage-inspired brands, Pietro Zanoletti and MANDOWN MMXXI enter strongly with an incredibly executed collection that feels like a new proposal for fashion this decade. Futuristic, Brutal, Dystopic, yet refined. MANDOWN MMXXI is positioning itself to lead Italian luxury's take on the future of fashion and we are here for it.
You can follow MANDOWN MMXXI and Pietro Zanoletti on Instagram @mandownstudio and @pietrozanoletti, respectively.
MAG X (by) SAM RAPAPORT is an online design and development magazine. Edited by Sam Rapaport, the magazine highlights the latest across the two pillars of design and development with a focus on fashion and creative software, respectively.
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